Arnau de Vilanova, el “Pequeño Cristo”: Significado y sentido del neologismo christinus en su obra espiritual

The aim of this article is to study the meaning and significance of the word christinus (diminutive of Christus; “little Christ”) in the spiritual work of Arnau de Vilanova (ca. 1240–1311). This Catalan doctor and thinker created the neologism and used it twice in the titles of two of his works (Allocutio christini de hiis que conveniunt homini secundum propriam dignitatem creaturae rationalis ad inclitum dominum tertium Fredericum, Trinacriae regem illustrem and Tractatus epistolarum christini). On both occasions Arnau de Vilanova used the term in the genitive, referring to himself. This concept expresses an elaborate theology of the conformity of the Christian with Christ and also suggests Arnau de Vilanova's wish to underline his own similarity with Christ as a move to urge the highest civil and ecclesiastical authorities to put plans for reform into place. Christinus, together with other expressions such as “Jesus of Nazareth” and “Christianity,” points to a fully Christocentric conception of Christianity and its historical context, and it is also proof of Arnau's inventiveness in creating new words. The word christinus bears some resemblance to another typical Arnaldian concept: thomatista (Thomist).