Résumé :

If humanism historically originated in the discovery and comparison of texts, this philology was first exercised in European lands. It is therefore as a borderline case, marginal and therefore defining, that Nicolaus Clenardus should interest us. In 1540, this Flemish humanist left Spain for Morocco in search of Islamic texts that he intended to use for evangelistic purposes. After briefly presenting this journey and this research, we highlight what could be called a paradox: for the precise reason that it bears witness to a relationship to letters characteristic of Renaissance humanism, Clenardus' approach could be considered anti-humanist, according to our own criteria and according to the relationship to men that it reveals. Of course, this paradox is based on a temporal syllepsis that deserves to be questioned. And this questioning may, in turn, call for a reflection on what a humanist approach to ancient humanisms can or should be.