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THE CRUSADES
PRESENTED BY JONATHAN ESTERMAN
DECEMBER 2010
Copyright © 2012, Jonathan Esterman.
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Published by Scripted Genius. Visit us online at scriptedgenius.com.
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Table of Contents
Introduction!
4
The First Crusade!
4
The Second Crusade!
6
The Third Crusade!
7
The Fourth Crusade!
7
More Crusades!
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Conclusion!
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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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