De los nombres de Christo (The Names of Christ / 1583-95 León), book
De los nombres de Christo <Spanish> / The Names of Christ (1583-91) is a book by Luis de León.
Abstract
The work was written as a guide to the layman about the essential principles of the church. It is written in dialogue form about three friends who discuss fourteen of the Scriptural names of Christ over a period of two days in a country estate. Each book ends in a lyrical meditation expressed in a poem. The predominant theme is the centrality and universality of Christ.
Editions
Published in Salamanca, Spain: En casa de Iuan Fernandez, 1583 (1st ed.), 1585 (2nd ed.), 1595 (final ed.).
The work grew by stages. The first edition of 1583 is made up of only two books, considering nine names in total. The second edition of 1585 adds a third book, considering four names, and adds the name 'Shepherd' to the first book. Finally, the posthumous edition of 1595 includes one extra name, 'Lamb'. The work quickly became popular in Spain: seven editions were printed by 1605.
The structure of the third edition was used for the 1984 English translation.