Download Chapter 9, Intro – Part I (p

Chapter 9, Intro – Part I (p.324-328)
The Crusades, Military Orders, and the Inquisition
- By 1071, Muslims had conquered 2/3 of the Christian world.
o Christian Europe was on the brink of annihilation.
- Church unity was being threatened by growing heretical groups.
I. Post-Carolingian Europe
A. Social structure
1. Empire broke into thousands of principalities, counties, and fiefs (landed estates)
a. Feudalism arose – economic system that created three class distinctions
i.
ii.
iii.
b. every member of society was obligated to someone else
i.
ii.
iii.
B. Feudalism
1. very effective for prosperity at first
a. as populations grew, class distinctions became more definite. What happened?
i.
ii.
2. Feudal wars of 10th and 11th centuries
a. characterized by ferocity, cruelty, injustice
C. Rise of the Seljuk Turks
1. resumed expansion of Islamic forces in the east
a. with the defeat of the Byzantine army it was clear that the Turks could force
expansion of Islam into the remainder of the Christian world.
D. Medieval mindset
1. How was heresy viewed in the Middle Ages?
2. some atrocities committed by Christians in the name of Christ that correspond to an
11th century worldview that is very different from that of today.
II. The Crusades
A. In the Middle Ages, “crusade” referred specifically to a series of eight military
expeditions that Christians undertook between 1096 and 1270
1. Defensive action in the Holy Land against Muslim expansion
a. Efforts directed against:
i.
ii.
iii.
B. Crusaders were united under the Pope
1. Swore a solemn vow
2. Received a cross from the pope or his legate
C. Crusades created a situation in which some infighting among European rulers could
be avoided
1. United under a common cause
2. Rulers were not allowed to invade the lands of a ruler on Crusade
III. Fall of the Holy Land
A. Islam
1. Within 100 years of Muhammad’s death, Islam spread throughout much of the
Christian world
a. as much to do with the success of Muslim military expansion as it did
with authentic religious conversion.
b. Islamic forces seized:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
2. Muslim expansion into Europe was halted by Charles Martel’s defense of
Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire’s defense of the East
a. borders remained more or less stable between Muslim and Christian
lands
B. Renewed persecutions
1. Rise of the Fatimite Muslims in Egypt during early part of 11th century led to
renewed Christian persecutions.
2. 2nd half of 11th century – new militant Islamic nation of Seljuk Turks
persecuted Christians and expanded westwards into lands that had been
protected by Byzantium.
a. 1071 – Turks annihilated Byzantine army and were on the verge of
taking Constantinople.
i. 2/3 of the Christian world had been taken by Muslim forces
ii. Eastern Emperor looked west for assistance
C. Western help for the Eastern Empire
1. Many – including Pope Bl. Urban II and the Eastern Emperor – hoped the
Schism of 1054 could be healed.
2.1095 – Pope Bl. St. Urban II called a council in Clermont in central France to
gain Western support to aid Eastern Christians
D. Beginning of the Crusades
1. Pope Bl. Urban II began the Crusades by proclaiming an organized assault in
defense of Christian Europe.
a. Not a Christian offensive
b. Crusades were a desperate attempt to hold off Islamic
expansion
i. Islam was the strongest power of the Medieval world
1. Threatened to take over the entire west
2. Christianity had to defend itself or be lost
2. Muslim perceptions of the world
a. Islam was born in war
b. Muslim thought divided the world into two spheres:
i.
ii.
1. Christianity – or any other non-Muslim religion - has no
abode.
a. What were the Crusades meant to prevent?
3. Plight of Pilgrims in the Holy Land
a. Pilgrims were often robbed, beaten, or killed
b. Pope St. Gregory VII had been ready to invade the Holy Land two
decades earlier but was prevented by the lay investiture controversy
4. Objectives of Crusaders
a.
b.
i. both objectives had as an end the avoidance of further killing of
Christians.