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Lullism or llullism (Catalan: Llullisme) is an esoteric philosophy that was originally developed by Ramon Llull (1232-1316). The philosophy, which is based on the search for truth in all areas of knowledge, stemmed from a belief that the mundane secrets and celestial levels of existence could be deciphered by manipulating the letters of the alphabet. In addition to his philosophies of mysticism, manuscripts show that Llull anticipated prominent work on elections theory several centuries ahead of his time. Further, he is considered a pioneer of computational theory due to his influence on Gottfried Leibniz.
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Due to his combination of mystical and theoretical work, the overall reception of Llull in the 14th century was diverse, but also limited. Llull's transformation into a mystic figure spread in 16th century Europe and became even more of a phenomenon three hundred years after his death. Europeans at this time valued his works as a method for integrating all different types of knowledge, including the works of Peter Ramus and Guillaume Budé.
Llull's Experiences
In 1263, Llull experienced a religious epiphany that manifested itself through a series of visions. He narrated the event in his autobiography, Vita coaetanea ("Daily Life"):
Ramon, while still a young man and Seneschal to the King of Majorca, was very focused on composing worthless songs and poems, as well as doing other licentious things. One night he was sitting beside his bed about to compose and write in his vulgar tongue a song to a lady whom he loved with a foolish love; and, as he began to write this song, he looked to his right and saw our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross as if suspended in midair.
In the early 14th century at the age of 82, Llull visited North Africa, possibly on a missionary quest. While there, he engaged in high-profile public preaching in the main square of the city of Bougie, in present-day Béjaïa in northern Algeria. This caused an adverse reaction that led to his arrest and beating. Llull was likely to be executed, but Genoese and Catalan merchants intervened on his behalf, and instead of being executed, he served six months in jail. After his release, Llull was stoned by an angry crowd in the city of Bougie. Genoese merchants took him back to Mallorca where he died at his home in Palma the next year. According to a different account, Llull journeyed to Tunis, not Bougie, because he was erroneously informed that its ruler was interested in Christianity, and "the legend of Llull having been martyred in Bougie" only spread in the mid-15th century.
Influences
Aspects of Christian theology and Muslim philosophy are incorporated into Lullism, so the philosophy has been seen as a bridge between Christianity and Islam. According to Eve Bonner, Lullism was influenced by Franciscan mysticism and Troubadour poetry. Additionally, many of Llull's works, such as the Llibre d'Amic e Amat, contain Sufi ideas and allegories and show an appreciation of Islamic mystical expressions.
In addition to Lullism's relationship with Christianity and Islam, the philosophy was also influenced by Judaism. Llull's geographical proximity to Judaism provided him with fertile ground where he could develop his theories regarding the relationship between God and man as well as the search for truth. Because the Jews incorporated Muslim philosophy and Sufi ideas into their books, Dominique Urvoy suggests that they provided a source of information about Islam that influenced Lullism.
Lullism and Kabbalah
Christian and Jewish scholars have debated the connections between Lullism and Kabbalah with mixed results. According to Frances Amelia Yates, "Llull himself was almost certainly influenced by Cabala which developed in Spain at the same time as his art. In fact, the art is perhaps best understood as a medieval form of Christian Cabala". Adolphe Franck and Christian David Ginsburg also referred to Lullism as Kabbalistic in their works, but this was based on the erroneous belief that the Opusculum raymundinum de auditu kabbalistico was a Lullistic work. Arthur Edward Waite and Joseph Leon Blau did not endorse a connection between Lullism and Kabbalah.
The aforementioned works approached the subject through the studies of Pico della Mirandola, an Italian Renaissance philosopher who drew a connection between the Lullism and Kabbalah. These works, however, anachronistically presented Lullism as a Renaissance understanding and use of Kaballah.