The Important Roles In The Era Of The Crusades

The Era of the crusades began with a call by Pope Urban II, in 1095 at Clermont, France to reclaim the holy land from infidel Muslims who had conquered it in the seventh century.1 & 2 Urban’s purpose beyond recapturing Jerusalem and the holy land. In order that Christians could safely make pilgrimages to the land of the holy sites of Christianity. Urban also hoped that his crusade would also be a springboard for improving relations between the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Churches. If successful it would also have the effect of establishing the authority of the Pope as the leader of the Church.3 With the declared purpose of liberating the Holy Land from the Muslims, the Crusades were fought during a period of history that is noted for brutality
The opportunity came in the form of a plea for aid, from Emperor Alexius Comenus, to assist in the defense of Constantinople. 4 There were of course factors other than the political ambition of Urban, and the Popes who succeeded him, that made the wars of the crusades possible. The middle ages were a time when life was brutal even in peace time and the Church was able to use the promise of escaping poverty, and the practice of indulgences to forgive mortal sins to the warriors who went on crusade . Another aspect of the history of the Crusades that can be easily overlooked, is that the middle Ages were a time of intense religious feelings. The call of Deus Vult (God wills it) spurred many people, Noble and peasant alike, to sew on the Crusader Cross and vow to liberate the Holy Land as a Christian duty . In answering the popularly held charge that the Crusades were just an excuse to make profit, it should be noted that few of the nobles who financed their expeditions ever recovered the costs that they
In short, no. The actions of the medieval Church during the Crusades did reflect the ideals that were held in the feudal culture of the time but were mostly contrary to the teaching of Christ and His Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament. Much has changed since the eleventh century, but much has remained the same. The modern Middle East is still a focal point of strife between Christians, Jews, and Muslims. A casual review of the news, social media, and even conversations in Churches today would seem to mirror the worldview of the Crusaders more than the Biblical worldview that we profess. The Bible tells us in