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Document Details : Title: Ramon Llull's View of Islam Subtitle: Disputatio Raimundi Christiani et Homeri Saraceni as a Case Study Author(s): LEBLANC, Margot Journal: Louvain Studies Volume: 46 Issue: 2 Date: 2023 Pages: 144-167 DOI: 10.2143/LS.46.2.3292702 Abstract : In 1307, the Majorcan author and scholar Ramon Llull ventured to Bejaya to preach Christianity to a Muslim audience, armed with his own philosophical system by which he believed he could explain Christian dogma to any member of any other faith. Llull believed that an open approach to Islamic theology and philosophy was necessary to explain Christian doctrines in such a way that Muslims would be able to accept their validity and logical necessity. In order to logically prove the Trinity, Llull devised his own philosophical system, or Art, by which he would be able to systematically explain Christian doctrine with undeniable arguments based on the common grounds between Islam and Christianity. Much of his theories were based on his own interpretation of the divine attributes. While attempting to convert the Muslim population of Bejaya by referring to his Art, he was seized by the local authorities and thrown into a dungeon. Llull later claimed that he was visited daily by Islamic scholars during his imprisonment, with whom he engaged in debate. After his release from prison, Llull wrote the alleged dialogue from memory. This account forms the first two chapters of the Disputatio Raimundi Christiani et Homeri Saraceni, a work which deals with Islam systematically, according to the Art. This paper aims to distill Llull’s views on Islam, as apparent in the Disputatio Raimundi and the Art, and investigate the extent of his intellectual openness to Islamic thought and culture. |
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