McCall Nicholas of Cusa Review:
I must say that Nicholas has a very interesting apologetic in Book 1, which seemingly reaches its climax in pointing to the God-man, Jesus of Nazareth. That beyond which there can be nothing greater is ‘maximum’ (89). Nicholas begins his apologetic by establishing the metaphysical conception of ‘maximum’, thereafter delineates what is entailed within what is ‘maximum’, and then applies the concept of ‘maximum’ to Jesus. So then, the name that is applied to ‘maximum’ is Jesus (90). ‘Maximum’ must, by definition, be infinite, which requires that there be nothing greater than it conceivable (this is applied by Nicholas to Jesus only after asserting & establishing the deity of Jesus). I especially enjoyed the application of ‘maximum’ to the triangle, which then was applied to the Trinity (one in three, three in one) thereafter. So then, just as the Father is first without priority, so too the Son is second and the Spirit third without subsequence (114). God, then, is the enfolding of all things, for ‘maximum’ is all in one (120-121). Creatures are primal-ly caused by the Father, perfected by the Son, and harmonized by the Spirit (123). Therefore, as Nicholas concludes, humans are ‘maximum’ only when they maximally exist in God (179). Fortunately for us Christians, Jesus has filled the maximum for the deficient breed of people known as humans, and His ‘maximum’ is accounted to us when we are faith-ing in His name (intentional verb manipulation, note). Therefore, in Him we attain all things if we are possess-ing Him (again, intentional verb manipulation, note). I found it memorable, additionally, that Nicholas commented that Christ is the principle of principles.