The crusades carry a legacy of their own. In modern times, there seem to be
hardly any groups or individuals that support of the activities that ocurred -
labeling ...
THE CRUSADES
PRESENTED BY JONATHAN ESTERMAN DECEMBER 2010
Copyright © 2012, Jonathan Esterman. All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other - except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published by Scripted Genius. Visit us online at scriptedgenius.com. 2
Table of Contents Introduction!
4
The First Crusade!
4
The Second Crusade!
6
The Third Crusade!
7
The Fourth Crusade!
7
More Crusades!
7
Conclusion!
8
Bibliography !
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Introduction The crusades carry a legacy of their own. In modern times, there seem to be hardly any groups or individuals that support of the activities that ocurred - labeling the extreme campaigns as slaugher trails that have defamed the name of Christ and Christianity. Many non-Christians today refuse to attend church as a result of the crusades, stating that Christianity has a bloody and violent history that cannot be forgiven. What occurred to cause such a disgusting taste? Just as one awakes in the morning to find the morning mouth syndrome of stagnant and dead cells causing distaste and odor that drives others away and makes the owner wish for cleaner times, the crusades have had a negative affect in the modern world, leaving churches and their operators wishing that they could rewrite history. But did any good come of the crusades? Why did they occur? History channels paint a colorful picture, adding much thrill and decor to the mix, that it is hard to separate fact from fiction. We will briefly examine the crusades - the motivations, the results - what actually occurred, and weigh for ourselves whether or not they advanced the cause of Christ and if they represent a biblical Christian worldview.
The First Crusade The first crusade started in CE 1096 and ended three years later. Urged on by Urban II, the pope of the time, thousands of men rallied together to march on, at the inspiration of Jerusalem, the Holy Land.1 However, a backtrack of almost a hundred years is necessary to fully understand the issue at hand.
1
Elizabeth Hallam, ed. Chronicles of the Crusades (New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1989), 59. 4
Near the turn of the century, Byzantine Christians and Catholics had very strained relations, but were one in opposition against the Muslims. The Muslims and Christfollowers maintained dispute over the “Holy Places,” where each had their own importance in relation to religious history. Initially, under Muslim control, Fatimid caliph of Cairo, al-Hakim, ordered the destruction of these Holy Places of Christian importance - the sites that involved the ministry and death of the Christ. Although later restored, Christians were treated quite harshly by the controlling Muslims. In 1070, the Turks conquered Jerusalem but did not provide any relief to Christian duress. Fast-forward to 1095: Pope Urban II declares Muslim control of the Holy Places must end.2 The pope had directed his plea for support during his preaching circuits to the class of the knights, from whence he had background. This common history struck success and resulted in a new situation: a group of individuals who lived by the fight, employed to be part of “Christ’s militia,” at the blessing of the Church, while the Church itself maintained the stance of the “Peace of [G-d].”3 While the poor were mainly involved, they were not the direct target of the pope. Rather, Peter the Hermit recruited many different walks of life, so much so that for many years it was believed that he “started” the first crusade.4 While many committed for the “salvation” of the Holy City, there was also a belief that the end were to come a millennium after the completion of the New Testament, in Jerusalem, and that it needed to be under Christian control for this to occur.5
2
Jonathan Hill, Handbook of the History of Christianity (Oxford: Lion Publishing Plc., 2006), 206.
3
Hallam, ed., 59.
4
Ibid., 60.
5
Ibid. 5
Both Edessa and Antioch fell in 1098, with Jerusalem merely a year later.6 While the Muslims were in political disarray and there were mixed intentions of the Crusaders themselves, they completed the task at hand.7 But the success, however, came with a stale taste - the crusaders made their presence known with extreme brutality, including massacres and eating of captives, establishment of “crusader states” known collectively as the Outremer, and a re-conquering of Edessa by the Muslims in 1144. This provided motivation for a second crusade.8
The Second Crusade The second crusade was not nearly as successful, in terms of land conquered, as the first crusade. Ordered by Pope Eugene III, and supported by his mentor Bernard of Clairvaux, the crusade had initial appearances of success.9 Bernard traveled on a preaching circuit to reach supporters, this time with an important difference (in comparison to the first expedition): Bernard moved to protect the Jews as well by way of tolerance, not sympathy.10 Bernard’s attempts for the second crusade of 1144 resulted in recruitment of Louis VII of France and Conrad III of German, but the armies were utterly destroyed in Turkey. The Second Crusade was an utmost failure.11
6
Hill, 206.
7
Hallam, ed., 60.
8
Hill, 206.
9
Ibid.
10
Christopher Tyerman, God's War (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006), 283.
11
The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages (New York: Penguin Group, 1999), s.v. "Crusades." 6
The Third Crusade The third crusade launched in 1189 by Pope Gregory VIII, with the intents to reclaim Jerusalem from Salah al-Din, who was well-known for defeating the second crusade. This crusade was compared to the others as the “king’s crusade” instead of the “people’s crusades.” The Holy Roman emperor Frederick Barbarossa, King Philip II of France, and King Richard I “the Lionheart” of England traveled with this crusader party. Barbarossa, however, drowned en route.12 This crusade failed as well, ending in 1192.13
The Fourth Crusade Pope Innocent III, in 1198, launched the final “Christian” crusade to occur. Instead of reaching the Middle East, however, the crusaders reached Constantinople and destroyed the Protestant population, installing Catholic rule.14
More Crusades More crusades would occur for private parties, such as the one launched by Emperor Frederick II in 1228, which successfully captured Jerusalem.15 In Europe, there were more crusades to occur, just as the reconquest of Spain from the Muslims. Crusades even occurred within Christian groups to fight off heretical movements.16
12
Hill, 207.
13
Hallam, ed., 155.
14
Hill, 207.
15
Ibid.
16
Ibid. 7
Conclusion The crusades, in all, were violent and brutal, involving rape, massacres, cannibalism, looting, and debauchery all the more. Did these actions represent Christ? Jesus talked about love more than anything else throughout the Gospels, especially the Book of John. However, He did mention that His purpose was not for peace, but for division, and that division would follow in days to come. Do you think that I came here to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. Luke 12:51-5317
Jesus clearly knew that times would come when there would be division, but it seemed that it would be over the message of Christ, not over ownership of a land. Where the crusades permitted? Under papal decree, the Pope could authorize such a “holy war.” The death and despair do not match that of the love that was preached, but what were the intentions? As we’ve seen from the motivations listed, the intention of the Middle East crusades were to take back the Holy Places and stop the persecution and massacres that Muslims bore over the Christian inhabitants. Then again, the worst things have occurred over the best of intentions. Just as Pilate sought peace in Jerusalem (which led to Christ’s death), so the Papal authority sought to secure safety for their denizens. Perhaps it would have been better to negotiate peacefully or not send soldiers with the “approval” to do anything under a Bishop’s forgiveness...
17
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. 8
Bibliography Crusades. New York:Penguin Group, 1999. Hallam, Elizabeth, ed. Chronicles of the Crusades. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1989. Hill, Jonathan. Handbook of the History of Christianity. Oxford: Lion Publishing Plc., 2006. Tyerman, Christopher. God's War. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006.
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