In Paciani episcopi Barcinonensis opera silva studiorum
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Book Series
Instrumenta Patristica et Mediaevalia, vol. 106
Raimundus Lullus
The Disputatio Raimundi christiani et Homeri saraceni
A Case Study of Medieval Christian-Muslim Exchange
Margot Leblanc
- Pages: 300 p.
- Size:156 x 234 mm
- Illustrations:1 b/w, 1 col.
- Language(s):English
- Publication Year:2026
- € 85,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
- ISBN: 978-2-503-62510-2
- Hardback
- Forthcoming (Nov/26)
- € 85,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
- ISBN: 978-2-503-62511-9
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- Forthcoming
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This volume examines the Disputatio Raimundi christiani et Homeri saraceni, a work by Ramon Llull recounting a dialogue with an Islamic scholar during his imprisonment in Béjaya. It seeks to determine whether this exchange could reflect an actual historical encounter and to assess how unique the text is within Llull’s oeuvre as well as within the broader intellectual context of the thirteenth century.
BIO
Margot Leblanc holds a doctorate in Religious Studies from the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at KU Leuven. She obtained master’s degrees in both Classical Philology and World Religions at KU Leuven. Her research primarily focuses on Christian–Muslim encounters in the medieval period, approached consistently from a text critical perspective.
Summary
In 1307, Ramon Llull, Catalan theologian, poet and adventurer, travelled to Béjaya with the goal of converting the local population to Christianity. Even though he was aware of the dangers of his mission, he also felt great confidence in his own conversion method: a logical system which he named the Ars. This method was supposed to give a logical proof of Christian doctrine. Llull believed that he could use the method of the Ars to find rational arguments which were sufficient to convert any non-Christian to Christianity.
After his arrival in Béjaya, Llull engaged in a vigorous debate with the local populace, leading to his imprisonment by the authorities of Béjaya. He spent months in a dungeon, unable to carry out his original plan. However, Llull later wrote in his Vita Coaetanea and his Disputatio Raimundi christiani et Homeri saraceni that his stay in the dungeon was not completely uneventful. According to Llull himself, he was visited daily by an Islamic scholar named ‘Umar. The two men engaged in a days long debate about the Trinity, the Incarnation, the attributes of God, and the nature of Christianity and Islam.
This book examines the Disputatio Raimundi christiani et Homeri saraceni, which is Ramon Llull’s version of the debate he held with the Islamic scholar ‘Umar. In the Disputatio, Llull uses the arguments of the Ars to prove his faith. However, were these arguments sufficient to prove Christian doctrines? Was Ramon Llull fair? What was Llull’s opinion on Islam, and was he really that different from other Christian preachers of his time?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Vorwort
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Life and Works of Ramon Llull, an Overview
2. Ramon Llull’s Theology
3. Case Studies: Eternity, Goodness, Greatness, Power, Intellect
4. Ramon Llull and Christian Concepts of Mission in Interreligious Encounter
5. Final Thoughts
Bibliography
Index personarum
Index operum Raimundi
