The Crusades

In 1095, at the Council of Clermont, Pope Urban II began a striking expedition to Jerusalem in order to release the city from Muslim control. His moving campaign and the promise of an immense reward was inspirational to the many willing participants. One must essentially understand that the leaders of these crusades connected almost every accomplishment to the works of God, and felt a huge moral obligation to take back what once belonged to Him. The extent of the crusades shows the deep devotion that most of Western Europe had towards Christianity and the desire to rid the world of unnecessary evils.

During the Middle Ages, heresy was one of the prime issues that affected the solidarity of the Church. In order to maintain the leadership of the papacy and perhaps even reunite the Western and Eastern Churches, the leaders of the Church decided to take up their cross and march into battle with the intent of converting the infidels to their Christian beliefs. Pope Innocent III used an allegory in which many small foxes would spoil the vine thus comparing it to the poisoning of Christianity which was said to be caused by heresy. Anybody who went against the Church’s doctrine was seen as an enemy of God, and the papal headship truly believed that the heretics, which included Muslims and Cathars, were in fact possessed by demons.

The Count of Toulouse was viewed as one of the most deviant heretics of the crusades. He was a man who preferred diplomacy and showed this by being truthful and compliant with the papacy, while maintaining other relations in order to protect the Cathars. He had received absolution from the church for his so-called repentance; however, it was later that the papacy discovered his crafty and cu...

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...jective point of view, this could be a way for the soldiers to pay tribute to God by reenacting a similar occurrence that took place in the years before the birth of Christ when Joshua and his army marched around Jericho. On the seventh day, the walls fell down and the Israelites took the city, just as the crusaders had done in Ascalon on the eighth day many years later.

It is with great certainty that an individual may conclude the belief in the underlying presence of God and the devotion of his followers to the task of converting much of Western Europe and Asia Minor to Christianity. Even though the Crusades were fairly ineffective, they were successful in expanding the faith of the Western Christians. Through all of their trials, the soldiers continually reached out to God, and felt his support for them which carried them through a war that could not be won.