8-9 October 2026
Mgr. O. Romerozaal (02.10), Collegium Veteranorum (109-20) & Kardinaal Mercierzaal (01.01), Institute of Philosophy

The symposium Learning in the Face of Uncertainty and Division: Nicholas of Cusa’s Contributions to Intellectual Culture in his Times and for Today takes the publication of Brill’s Companion to Nicholas of Cusa as a starting point for an interdisciplinary reflection on learning, plurality, and intellectual culture.

The symposium addresses a central question of LECTIO’s research programme: how do intellectual traditions respond to periods of social, religious, and political transformation? Nicholas of Cusa (1401–1464) offers a particularly illuminating case. Living in an age marked by institutional fragmentation, religious conflict, and rapidly changing forms of knowledge, he developed new approaches to learning, dialogue, rationality, and cultural coexistence. His reflections on learned ignorance, plurality, and symbolic knowledge continue to offer valuable perspectives for contemporary debates concerning the humanities, intellectual culture, and the possibility of shared learning in divided societies.

Bringing together scholars from theology, philosophy, art history, intellectual history, legal history, literary studies, and contemporary cultural reflection, the symposium aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on the role of intellectual culture in times of uncertainty and transition. The programme includes academic lectures, interdisciplinary responses, a round-table discussion, and artistic reflections.

A particular feature of the symposium is the integration of the Jos Decorte Lecture, an established initiative dedicated to the memory of the Leuven theologian and teacher Jos Decorte. The lecture provides a forum for reflection on intellectual formation, community, and the public significance of scholarship, thereby contributing directly to LECTIO’s broader mission of connecting historical traditions of learning with contemporary cultural and societal challenges.

Organising committee

• Inigo Bocken (Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, KU Leuven & Radboud University)
• Barbara Baert (Faculty of Arts, KU Leuven)
• Wouter Druwé (Faculty of Law and Criminology, KU Leuven)
• Andrea Robiglio (De Wulf-Mansion Centre for Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, KU Leuven)

The symposium is organised in collaboration with the Titus Brandsma Institute (Nijmegen) and the Professur für Ethik in Schule und Gesellschaft (Universität Wien).

Source : LECTIO