Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464) was one of the most illustrious figures of the fifteenth century. Trained as a canonist, he first made his mark in political thought. Later, Nicholas became a papal envoy, a cardinal and an original speculative thinker. His ideas of learned ignorance, coincidence of opposites and enfolding / unfolding still attract attention today.

The American Cusanus Society, founded in 1983, promotes the study of Nicholas and his times. It holds sessions at the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University in May of each year, and it has held conferences at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and at the Catholic University of America.  [List of major publications of the Society.]

The Society also publishes a newsletter. It is affiliated with the Institute for Cusanus Research, University of Trier and the Japanese Cusanus Society.

The most authoritative edition of Nicholas' works is the Heidelberg Academy edition:
 
Nicolai de Cusa opera omnia iussu et auctoritate Academiae litterarum heidelbergensis ad codicum fidem edita (Leipzig 1932- 2006) [Felix Meiner Verlag].
 
Documents written by Cusanus or illustrating his life can be found in:
 
Acta cusana: Quellen zur Lebensgeschichte des Nikolaus von Kues, ed. E. Meuthen & H. Hallauer (Hamburg, 1976- ) [Felix Meiner Verlag].

Selected Translations [Chronological Table]

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The Society is sponsoring 2 sessions and the Watanabe Lecture, given by David Burr, Virginia Tech. University, at the 43rd Annual Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 7-10, 2009

Gerald Christianson, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg

Vice President:

Peter Casarella, DePaul University

Former President:

Morimichi Watanabe, C.W. Post Campus, Long Island University.

Secretary:

Donald F. Duclow, Gwynedd-Mercy College

Treasurer:

Michael A. Soupios, C.W. Post Campus, Long Island University

Executive Committee:

Christopher Bellitto, Kean University 

H. Lawrence Bond, Appalachian State University

Elizabeth Brient, University of Georgia

Lawrence Hundersmarck, Pace University

Thomas M. Izbicki, Rutgers University

Clyde Lee Miller, SUNY Stonybrook

Advisory Board:

   Louis Dupré, Yale University

   Wilhelm Dupré, University of Nijmegen

   Walter Andreas Euler, University of Trier

   Bernard McGinn, University of Chicago

   Erich Meuthen, University of Cologne

   John Monfasani, SUNY at Albany

   Francis Oakley, Williams College

   Hans Gerhard Senger, University of Cologne

   Paul Sigmund, Princeton University

   Brian Tierney, Cornell University

   Kazuhiko Yamaki, Waseda University

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 Membership in the Society

Benefits of membership in the Society include American Cusanus Society Newsletter, which contains articles, informative notices and a bibliography of recent works on Cusanus and his age.
 
Annual dues rates are:
 
Students: $ 5.00
Members: $10.00
Contributing members: $15.00 and above

For further information contact the former president of the Society: Morimichi Watanabe, C.W. Post Campus, Long Island University, Brookville, NY 11548-1300. Telephone: 516-883-8496.

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Copyright 1998 © Thomas Izbicki, Rutgers University
All rights reserved