Mathematics and Theology in the Thought of Nicholas of Cusa

Nicholas of Cusa was first of all a theologian but he was interested also in mathematic and natural sciences. In fact philosophico-theological and mathematical ideas were intertwined by him, theological and philosophical ideas influenced his mathematical considerations, in particular when he considered philosophical problems connected with mathematics and vice versa, mathematical ideas and examples were used by him to explain some ideas from theology. In this paper we attempt to indicate this mutual influence. We shall concentrate on the following problems: (1) the role and place of mathematics and mathematical knowledge in knowledge in general and in particular in theological knowledge, (2) ontology of mathematical objects and their origin, in particular their relations to God and their meaning for the description of the world and physical reality, (3) infinity in mathematics versus infinity in theology and their mutual relations and connections. It will be shown that—according to Nicholas—mathematics and mathematical thinking are tools of rationalization of theology and liberating it in a certain sense from the trap of apophatic theology.