The Crusades And The Investiture Controversy
It is known historically that the Crusades started because the emperor of the Byzantine Empire was afraid of the Turks threat to invade, leading him to ask Pope Urban II for help. The pope then decided to start a series of wars, known as the Crusades, to take the holy land, Jerusalem, back from the Arabs. Although it is still a question whether helping the emperor was truly the motive of the pope. At this time the pope was also struggling with the Investiture Controversy, a power struggle between the king and pope that lasted for about 50 years. Therefore, many historians believe that because of the power struggle the pope was hungry for power. Scholars also have found many differing views from years of research explaining the pope’s attention
…show more content…
After analyzing primary sources and what other historians say scholars started to come up with a few reasons for the pope’s obsession with gaining Jerusalem again. There are many theories with equally as good evidence backing them up, but one of the most common ideas is Pope Urban II hoped to unify all of Christendom under his jurisdiction to gain more power. Thomas Fuller In his History of the Holy War says, “First to reduce the Grecians into subjection to himself” and then “Ease them” under the “Mother Church of Rome”. To have all the Christians under the papacy’s control would not only make the Pope unbelievably powerful, but it would demonstrate to the European Monarchies that religion can add more order and peace to a country than a government system. Which would then end the investiture controversy with the pope as the winner. Another theory is that Pope Urban II thought that the Crusades would unite Christianity, vanquish the Arabs from “their” holy land, and transform Christianity into a very powerful religion. After the pope spoke at the Council of Clermont Christians started to have more religious enthusiasm and the number of sinners decreased. The Crusades proved to be influencing the Christians to do well and stand together. Pope Urban II had a vision for Christianity which involved a united religion with the papacy as the ultimate and all powerful ruler and the Crusades was the key to that
After analyzing primary sources and what other historians say scholars started to come up with a few reasons for the pope’s obsession with gaining Jerusalem again. There are many theories with equally as good evidence backing them up, but one of the most common ideas is Pope Urban II hoped to unify all of Christendom under his jurisdiction to gain more power. Thomas Fuller In his History of the Holy War says, “First to reduce the Grecians into subjection to himself” and then “Ease them” under the “Mother Church of Rome”. To have all the Christians under the papacy’s control would not only make the Pope unbelievably powerful, but it would demonstrate to the European Monarchies that religion can add more order and peace to a country than a government system. Which would then end the investiture controversy with the pope as the winner. Another theory is that Pope Urban II thought that the Crusades would unite Christianity, vanquish the Arabs from “their” holy land, and transform Christianity into a very powerful religion. After the pope spoke at the Council of Clermont Christians started to have more religious enthusiasm and the number of sinners decreased. The Crusades proved to be influencing the Christians to do well and stand together. Pope Urban II had a vision for Christianity which involved a united religion with the papacy as the ultimate and all powerful ruler and the Crusades was the key to that