Bio 9 Ramon Llull

While we were in Palma, Mallorca, I noticed a statue of Ramon Llull, whose name rang a faint bell (also known as Raimon or Raymond Lully). It turns out that he was born into a wealthy family in Palma in 1232. He is remembered as a writer (a pioneering Catalan poet), philosopher and as something of a pioneer in computation.

I had heard his name in connection with his three journeys to North Africa, which are described as missionary journeys. Until 1266 he had led a dissipated life but several powerful religious experiences changed his outlook. This led to his learning Arabic, the propounding of various theories in Paris and Rome (especially the idea that the faith can be supported rationally - an idea condemned by the Romanists to this day) and eventually making forays into the Muslim world in order to win Muslims for Christ.

The first time he tried, in 1291, he was violently expelled from Tunis for attempting to convert Muslims. A Franciscan, he was something of a mystic too. Llull was eventually martyred, it seems, seeking to reach Muslims in Bougie, North Africa, in 1315.

A Wikipedia article here includes several interesting links.

The American missionary to Muslims Samuel Zwemer (1867-1952) wrote a biography calling him the first missionary to Muslims.