evangelical rhetoric of Ramon Llull, The
Book Description
This scholarly exploration delves into the fascinating spiritual and intellectual world of Ramon Llull, a thirteenth-century visionary whose passionate dedication to faith transformed medieval approaches to communication and evangelism. Born on the island of Majorca, Llull emerged as one of his era's most extraordinary lay thinkers, channeling his remarkable intellect toward three interconnected pursuits: spreading Christian faith to non-believers, reforming Western society, and achieving personal spiritual excellence.
Mark D. Johnston presents the first comprehensive examination of Llull's revolutionary theories about rhetoric and preaching, revealing how this medieval innovator sought to bridge sacred and secular communication. Llull's ambitious vision involved creating a unified system of eloquence that would naturally inspire love for both God and fellow human beings. His approach ingeniously combined the refined techniques of courtly speech with the powerful methods of popular sermons, forging a distinctive path toward spiritual persuasion.
At the heart of Llull's work lay his "Great Universal Art of Finding Truth," an innovative dialectical method he believed could demonstrate Catholic teachings to skeptics and non-believers through reason and eloquent discourse. This study illuminates how educated laypeople of the medieval period absorbed and creatively applied clerical knowledge, driven by deep commitments to learning and spiritual devotion.
Johnston's analysis offers valuable insights into the historical development of spiritual communication and the enduring human desire to share transformative truth through compelling expression.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)
🕉️ Tradition: Buddhism
📄 Length: 274 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Retorica
- ✓ Explore Middle Ages
- ✓ Explore Medieval Rhetoric
- ✓ Explore Rhétorique médiévale
- ✓ Explore Spiritual life, history of doctrines
- ✓ Explore History of doctrines
- ✓ Explore Rhetoric, Medieval
- ✓ Explore Christianity
