The Liber de Est Dei by Ramon Llull. Concept and Context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34096/petm.num.esp.2025.16867Keywords:
Ramon Llull, Liber de Est Dei, Divine Action, Trinity, Theological LanguageAbstract
This article aims to analyze the structure, content, intention, and later influences of the Liber de Est Dei (Libro del ‘Es’ de Dios), a work written by Ramon Llull that stands out for its bold linguistic and neologistic innovation. Despite its striking title and the repeated use of the unusual substantivation of the third-person singular of the verb esse, it does not constitute a substantial alteration of Llull’s theological language. This treatise is the first of three successive works written in Mallorca, followed by the Liber de cognitione Dei and the Liber de Deo, whose purpose is to refine Llull’s concept of God. In this text, the author seeks to demonstrate the Christian doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation, adapting his terminology to avoid alienating non-Christian audiences. The Liber de Est Dei conveys Llull’s dynamic vision of God, in which divine being is inseparable from action. His argumentation responds to the theological challenges posed by monotheists, particularly Muslims, emphasizing the necessity of internal divine activity as the foundation of Trinitarian doctrine.
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