God as Unity and Multiplicity
According to fifteenth century cardinal, mathematician, and mystic Nicholas Cusanus (also referred to as Nicholas of Cusa and Nicholas of Kues), the coincidentia oppositorum – or “coincidence of opposites” – constitutes the “least imperfect” name for God and was the means by which humanity could achieve religious toleration and, ultimately, world peace. Cusanus’ concept of the coincidentia oppositorum later influenced the work of a number of Western scholars, most notably Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, who considered the psyche of each individual to likewise be a coincidence of opposites – a blend of conscious and unconscious elements which together constitute a harmonious and unified whole called the “Self.”
Nicholas Cusanus (1401–1464) has been called “the first modern philosopher” (Bond, 1997: 17) in part because of the era in which he lived, but perhaps more importantly because he is considered responsible for heralding a new stage...
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Webb, H.S. (2010). Coincidentia Oppositorum. In: Leeming, D.A., Madden, K., Marlan, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71802-6_118
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