University of Southern California
USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Visit USC USC Dornsife HomepageAbout
About
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David C. AlbertsonAssistant Professor of ReligionContact Information E-mail: dalberts@usc.edu Phone: (213) 740-7050 Office: ACB 227 |
Education |
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 Ph.D. Religion, University of Chicago, 2008
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M.Div. Theology, University of Chicago, 2003
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B.A. Religion, Stanford University, 2000
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Academic Appointment, Affiliation, and Employment History |
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Dibner Research Fellow in the History of Science, The Huntington Library, 2012-2013
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Visiting Researcher, Thomas-Institut, Universität zu Köln, Germany, 2006-2007
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Description of Research |
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Summary Statement of Research Interests |
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| I study medieval and early modern Christianity in Europe with an emphasis on interdisciplinary intellectual history. I’m interested in the multiple transformations of Christian thought and culture from 1100-1600, and especially the way theological discourses are conditioned by other disciplines like natural science and philosophy, whether through reading practices, epistemic assumptions, textual transmissions, or educational institutions. Because "mysticism" often designates areas of dissent and innovation within traditional religion, my current research focuses on mysticism and philosophy in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. My first book studies the fifteenth-century German polymath, Nicholas of Cusa, whose writings combine mystical theology with geometrical speculations. The book traces his connections to ancient Pythagoreanism and twelfth-century Platonism. Other interests include visual studies and religion, particularly the history of iconoclasm; the history of religious ethics and political theologies; and contemporary continental philosophy of religion. | |
Research Specialties |
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| Medieval and Renaissance Christianity, Christian mysticism, medieval and Renaissance philosophy, philosophy of religion, visual culture | |
Funded Research |
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Contracts and Grants Awarded |
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NEH Enduring Questions: How Far Can the Eye See? On the Power of Visual Images (National Endowment for the Humanities), Project Director: David Albertson, $24,933, 2010-2011
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USC Funding |
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Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Grant Writing Mentorship Program: , $2,500, 2011-2012
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CRCC Faculty Research Award. God and Creation in Nicholas of Cusa: , $2,500, 2009-2010
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Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Between Mathematics and Mysticism: Nicholas of Cusa and the School of Chartres: , $17,000, 2008-2009
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Conferences and Other Presentations |
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Conference Presentations |
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"The Beauty of the Trinity: Achard of St. Victor as Forgotten Precursor of Nicholas of Cusa", Kolloquium des Wissenschaftlichen Beirats der Cusanus-Gesellschaft, Talk/Oral Presentation, Freising, Germany, Invited,
Fall
2012
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"Geometrical Icons in Nicholas of Cusa and Heymeric de Campo: Mystical Contemplation, Minimum Visibility and Early Modern Reform", Frühe Neuzeit Interdisziplinäre, Talk/Oral Presentation, Refereed Paper, Duke University,
Spring
2012
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"Mystical Visuality and Mathematical Icons: the Project of theologia geometrica, 1400-1600", Renaissance Society of America, Talk/Oral Presentation, Montreal,
Spring
2011
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"The One and the Many in Cusanus and Badiou", Premodern Catholic Tradition and Postmodern Religious Experience, Keynote Lecture, University of California, Santa Barbara, Invited,
Spring
2011
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"Gott und die Schöpfung im Verständnis des Nikolaus von Kues", Jubiläumssymposion des Wissenschaftlichen Beirats der Cusanus-Gesellschaft, Talk/Oral Presentation, University of Trier, Germany, Institut für Cusanus-Forschung, Invited,
Fall
2010
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"In Search of Unity: Reform and Mathematical Form in Heimeric de Campo", American Historical Association, Talk/Oral Presentation, New York City,
Spring
2009
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"Inquisitio Pythagorica: Nicolaus Cusanus on the Meaning of the Medieval Quadrivium", Renaissance Society of America, Talk/Oral Presentation, Los Angeles,
Spring
2009
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Publications |
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Book |
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Albertson, D.
(2012).
Nicholas of Cusa's Mathematical Theology. Under contract, Oxford University Press.
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Albertson, D., King, C.
(2009).
Without Nature: A New Condition for Theology. Fordham University Press. Link to book
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Book Chapter |
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Albertson, D.
(2012).
"In Search of Unity: Reform and Mathematical Form in the Conciliarist Arguments of Heymeric de Campo’s Disputatio de potestate ecclesiastica (1433)" in Reassessing Reform: An Historical Investigation. pp. 149-169. Catholic University of America Press. Link to book
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Albertson, D.
(2009).
"Without Nature?" in Without Nature: A New Condition for Theology. pp. 1-14. Fordham University Press. Link to book
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Book Review |
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Albertson, D.
(2012).
Morimichi Watanabe, Nicholas of Cusa: A Companion to His Life and Times. Mitteilungen und Forschungsbeiträge der Cusanus Gesellschaft, Bd. 33. pp. 348-350.
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Albertson, D.
(2011).
Thomas A. Carlson, The Indiscrete Image: Infinitude and Creation of the Human. Journal of Religion 91(1). pp. 114-116.
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Albertson, D.
(2010).
Nancy J. Hudson, Becoming God: The Doctrine of Theosis in Nicholas of Cusa. International Journal of Systematic Theology 12(4). pp. 476-478.
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Albertson, D.
(2010).
Jovino de Guzman Miroy, Tracing Nicholas of Cusa’s Early Development. Catholic Historical Review 96(3). pp. 533-534.
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Albertson, D.
(2010).
Walter S. Melion and Lee Palmer Wandel (eds.), Early Modern Eyes. Renaissance Quarterly 63(4). pp. 1377-78.
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Journal Article |
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Albertson, D.
(2012).
"Achard of St. Victor (d. 1171) and the Eclipse of the Arithmetic Model of the Trinity". Traditio.
Vol. 67, pp. 101-144.
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Albertson, D.
(2012).
"A Late Medieval Reaction to Thierry of Chartres's (d. 1157) Philosophy: The Anti-Platonist Argument of the Anonymous Fundamentum Naturae". Vivarium.
Vol. 50 (1), pp. 53-84. Link to article
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Albertson, D.
(2010).
"Mystical Philosophy in the Fifteenth Century: New Directions in Research on Nicholas of Cusa". Religion Compass.
Vol. 4 (8), pp. 471-485. Link to article
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Albertson, D.
(2010).
"A Learned Thief? Nicholas of Cusa and the Anonymous 'Fundamentum Naturae': Reassessing the Vorlage Theory". Recherches de Théologie et Philosophie médiévales.
Vol. 77 (2), pp. 351-390. Link to article
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Albertson, D.
(2006).
"That He Might Fill All Things": Creation and Christology in Two Treatises by Nicholas of Cusa. International Journal of Systematic Theology.
Vol. 8 (2), pp. 184-205. Link to article
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Albertson, D.
(2005).
"On ‘the Gift’ in Tanner’s Theology: A Patristic Parable". Modern Theology.
Vol. 21 (1), pp. 107-118. Link to article
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Proceedings |
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Albertson, D.
(2012).
"Gott als Mathematiker. Das Schöpfungsverständnis des Nicolaus Cusanus" in Der Gottes-Gedanke des Nikolaus von Kues. Mitteilungen und Forschungsbeiträge der Cusanus-Gesellschaft, Bd. 33. pp. 99-122. Paulinus Verlag. Link to book
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Albertson, D.
(2008).
"Mapping the Space of God: Mystical Weltbilder in Nicholas of Cusa and the Structure of De ludo globi (1463)" in Weltbilder im Mittelalter: Perceptions of the World in the Middle Ages. pp. 61-81. Bernstein Verlag. Link to book
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Honors and Awards |
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USC or School/Dept Award for Teaching, General Education Teaching Award, 2009-2010
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Fulbright Fellowship, Germany, 2006-2007
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