God's Battalions Analysis

433 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Short term impact made by the crusades

Seminar: God’s Battalions During the autumn of 1095, Pope Urban II gave an inspiring speech to Christians of Rome, which inspired the beginning of the crusades the following year. The Crusades were a movement of Christians against Muslims into the holy land. This is detailed in the beginning of God’s Battalions; Rodney Stark argues that the Crusades were not an attempt by the Christians to convert Muslims and argues that the acts of war committed by both religions are not a cause of strife in modern times. The common viewpoint of historians of the Crusades is that Christians of the time were self-interested, power hungry people. For instance, in reference to common belief Stark writes, “Imperialistic Christendom brutalized…a tolerant and peaceful Islam” (Stark 8). Supposedly, Christian men went into battle in order to gain riches and status within Rome. Christians themselves further communicate this idea in 1999, when they made a march from Rome to the Holy Land apologizing for the horrible acts of their ancestors in Christ (Stark 5). Overall, many historians have portrayed the Christians of the Crusades as cruel, merciless people on a pointless but …show more content…

Muslims had been attacking Christians in the Holy Land for some time, and Stark points out that they were defending themselves against these wrongdoings. In addition, the rules of war are commonly misinterpreted by historians of today’s time. Rodney Stark points out this bias in saying that many historians cannot accept, “the very idea that war can ever be ‘just’” (Stark 8). According to Stark, the Crusades were a necessary step towards liberation of the occupied areas. Lastly, he disputed the point made that 20th and 21st century Muslim terrorist’ still harbor resentment against the Christians for the acts committed during the Crusades. Stark argues that Muslim resentment did not occur until the “founding of the nation of Israel” (Stark

Show More
Related

  • The First Crusade Sparknotes

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    Foss explains, “What Urban needed was an enterprise, clearly virtuous in serving the ends of Christiandome… in these moments of reflection, the popes mind turned towards Jerusalem.” Urban II reflects back on the first taking of the Holy City after the defeat of the Byzantine Empire in 1071, and begins to question what his people know about the Turkish race and really the ideology of Islamic thought. Foss goes on to examine the ignorance of westerners and needed to be “reminded [by the pope] of the infamous heathens, their cruelty and hatred of Christians,” hoping this would justify the first Holy Crusade. However, Foss identifies the creativity of the Pope’s language to persuade the knights and army of the people to embark on the Holy Crusade based on the Muslims cruel actions turned onto their fellow Christians. Claiming the Muslims “Killed captives by torture…poor captives were whipped…and others were bound to the post and used as a target for arrows.” Foss examines the Popes words as an effective effort of persuasion in creating an army of crusaders to help clean “…Holy places, which are now treated with ignominy and polluted with Filthiness” and any sacrifice in Jerusalem is a “promise of a spiritual reward… and death for

    Read More

  • The First Crusade and the Ideas of Crusading

    2006 Words  | 5 Pages

    Contrary to many commonly held notions about the first crusade, in his book, The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading, Jonathan Riley-Smith sets out to explain how the idea of crusading thought evolved in the first crusade. In his book, Riley-Smith sets out five main arguments to show how these ideas of crusading evolved. Firstly, he argues that Pope Urban’s original message was conventional, secondly that a more positive reaction was drawn from the laity (due to the ideas surrounding Jerusalem), thirdly, that the original message of crusading had changed because of the horrible experiences of the first crusaders, fourth, that due to these experiences the crusaders developed their own concept of what a crusade was, and lastly, that these ideas were refined by (religious) writers and turned into an acceptable form of theology. Riley-Smith makes excellent points about the crusade; however, before one can delve directly into his argument, one must first understand the background surrounding the rise of the first crusade.

    Read More

  • The First Crusades Analysis

    1928 Words  | 4 Pages

    The First Crusade is often cited as one of the most damnable consequences of religious fanaticism. A careful inspection of the circumstances and outcomes, however, will reveal a resultant political restructuring of Europe under the banner of Christendom. The purpose of this investigation is to investigate Pope Urban II’s motives in initiating the First Crusade, with a particular focus on the consolidation of the Western Church’s influence in Europe. Among the primary sources that will be consulted are the letter sent by Patriach Alexios of Constantinople to Urban, and an account of Urban’s speech at Clermont. Relevant excerpts from both of these primary sources, as well as contextual evidence and a wide array of historiography, will be taken

    Read More

  • How the Crusades Changed Society

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1095 Pope Urban II called all Christians to take part in what would become the world’s greatest Holy War in all of history. Urban’s called on Christians to take up arms and help fight to take the Holy Land of Jerusalem back from the accursed Muslims. During this time of war, the whole world changed. Land boundaries shifted, men gained and lost and gained power again, and bonds were forged and broken. The Crusades had a great impact on the world that will last forever.

    Read More

  • Charlemagne: A Necessary Evil

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    This was enough to convince about 60,000 Europeans, many of them peasants to start on the First Crusade to the Holy Land ("THE CRUSADES TO THE HOLY LAND”). Many of the soldiers who went on the Crusades also hoped to acquire land and riches and return a war hero. This was the first time the Catholic Church had seen penitential warfare- “warfare in the service and defense of the Church for the ‘remission of your sins’”("THE CRUSADES TO THE HOLY LAND”). The whole mentality of the Crusades was to destroy any other beliefs including paganism and Judaism, which lead to all kinds of violence and persecution, with Jews becoming a common target, even entire Jewish communities were slaughtered ("How Christianity Rose to Dominate Europe."). Even the Christians were not safe, as many were killed in settlements along the way. Pope Urban was the one who brought out this idea that it was okay to kill non-Christians, and, even beyond that, IF you went to the Holy Land on a Crusade, you received a free ticket to heaven even if you died there. Does this sound a little bit familiar? Perhaps a little like those who truly believe that they’re gaining salvation by blowing up a group of innocent people along with themselves? Or flying a plane full of passengers into building full of people? Well, the First Crusaders marched to Jerusalem leaving death and

    Read More

  • Timeline of Wars and Reasons for Wars

    2075 Words  | 5 Pages

    The emperor of the Byzantine Emperor was upset with Turks encroaching on his empire. He went to the Pope Urban II and complained. He made up atrocities about the Turks. In 1096, The Pope Urban II promoted the Crusade to reclaim the Holy Land from the barbaric Turks. These crusades lasted till the 13th century. In the process, Jews were persecuted and lots of looting took place. Many countries took interest in the Crusades because they were ready for travel and adventure. They wanted to expand trade with the Middle and Far East and so the Crusades gave them a chance to open up trade routes with those countries. They used Christianity to justify the Crusades. In reality, they wanted to expand trade and gain more territorial land.

    Read More

  • Pope Urban II and The Crusade

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Crusades were the first tactical mission by Western Christianity in order to recapture the Muslim conquered Holy Lands. Several people have been accredited with the launch of the crusades including Peter the Hermit however it is now understood that this responsibility rested primarily with Pope Urban II . The main goal of the Crusades was the results of an appeal from Alexius II, who had pleaded for Western Volunteers help with the prevention of any further invasions. The Pope’s actions are viewed as him answering the pleas of help of another in need, fulfilling his Christian right. However, from reading the documents it is apparent that Pope Urban had ulterior motives for encouraging engagement in the war against the Turks. The documents and supporting arguments now highlight that the Pope not only sought to recruit soldiers to help but also to challenge those who had harmed the Christians community and annihilate the Muslims. He put forth the idea that failure to recapture this lands would anger God and that by participating, God would redeem them of their previous sins.in a time of deep devoutness, it is clear this would have been a huge enticement for men to engage in the battle. Whether his motives were clear or not to his people, Pope Urban’s speeches claiming that “Deus vult!” (God wills it) encouraged many Christians to participate and take the cross.

    Read More

  • The Crusades: Really a Holy War?

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Crusades were one of the most prominent events in Western European history; they were not discrete and unimportant pilgrimages, but a continuous stream of marching Western armies (Crusaders) into the Muslim world, terminating in the creation and eventually the fall of the Islamic Kingdoms. The Crusades were a Holy War of Roman Christianity against Islam, but was it really a “holy war” or was it Western Europe fighting for more land and power? Through Pope Urban II and the Roman Catholic Church’s actions, their proposed motivations seem unclear, and even unchristian. Prior to the Crusades, Urban encouraged that Western Europe fight for their religion but throughout the crusades the real motivations shone though; the Crusaders were power hungry, land coveting people who fought with non Christian ideals and Morales.

    Read More

  • The Crusades Argumentative Essay

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    Among some of the largest conflicts in the world stand the Crusades; a brutal conflict that lasted over 200 years and was debatably one of the largest armed religious conflicts in the history of humankind. Since this is so clearly an event of importance, historians have searched vigorously for the true answer as to why the crusades began. Ultimately, because of accusatory views on both the sides of the Christians and of the Muslims, the two groups grew in such hatred of each other that they began to act in deep discrimination of each other. Moreover, Christian motives seemed to be driven mostly by the capture of Jerusalem, the dark ages of Europe and the common-folks desperation for land, wealth, and a spot in heaven. What seems to be continually

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Crusades

    2071 Words  | 5 Pages

    How could the Christian church, which bases itself off kindness and peace, allow the Crusades to happen? The religion known to be loving of all was the cause of the most catastrophic occurrence in the late eleventh and late thirteenth centuries because of misconceptions and avarice of the pope. Of all of the religious wars fought, this was the one with the highest level of ridiculousness. Members of the church fought for all of the wrong reasons and the outcome was poor because of it. Even though the Crusades were justified by the false philosophies of both parties, they were overall beneficial economically. Before one can analyze the thoughts of the people, he or she must know what came about to make them think like this.

    Read More

  • Violence in The Crusades

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    A major part of the fighters in the crusades were untrained and unqualified peasants who went out to get back the holy lands for the church from the ?evil Muslims? (Medieval Europe 164-167). This was called the Peasants Crusade. In order to get these peasants, who knew no better, to go and fight the church told them that if they were to go and fight these ?horrible Muslims? then they would automatically get admission into heaven. Of course this automatically appealed to the peasants being that they were so god-fearing. They thought that if they helped the church then they would go to heaven and so they jumped at such an opportunity to get a get-into-heaven-free card. These people in all their religious glory went in and attacked the city of Nicaea (TWW, 104), and got killed. The city of Nicaea was a well fortified city controlled by Seljuk Turks. The peasants went in and attacked and literally got slaughtered. Only 2000 peasants survived their hasty attack. Unfortunately most of the crusades went this way(TWW)

    Read More

  • God's Battalions

    1656 Words  | 4 Pages

    Stark believes the Crusades occupy a valuable place in Christian history. He also recognizes that most historians would not agree with his findings. His goal is to examine the motives of the Crusaders and thereby defend their mission to recapture the city of Jerusalem. Most historians portray the Crusaders as barbaric, greedy for material gain, and on the prowl to convert souls. Stark claims misunderstandings like this have been around for three hundred years. Stark spells out the common misconception: “During the Crusades an expansionist, imperialistic Christendom brutalized, looted and colonized a tolerant and peaceful Islam” (8). Stark lays the blame for the Crusades at the feet of the Muslim community. Islamic colonization began in the seventh century and swept over Christian communities in “the Middle East, Egypt and all of North Africa, and then Spain and southern Italy, and many major Mediterranean islands including Sicily, Corsica, Cyprus, Rhodes, Crete, Malta, and Sardinia” (9).

    Read More

  • First Crusade: The First Crusade

    1510 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1095, Pope Urban II called the first crusade. Happening between 1096 and 1099, the first crusade was both a military expedition and a mass movement of people with the simple goal of reclaiming the Holy Lands taken by the Muslims in their conquests of the Levant. The crusade ended with the capture of Jerusalem in July 1099. However, there has been much debate about whether the First Crusade can be considered an ‘armed pilgrimage’ or whether it has to be considered as a holy war. This view is complicated due to the ways in which the Crusade was presented and how the penitential nature of it changed throughout the course of the Crusade.

    Read More

  • The Crusades: Short Term and Long Term Effects

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order for the crusades to begin, the Christians needed to gather an army to travel and fight the forces of Muslims. With all the power being held by monarchies at this time, the church needed to be cleaver in order to gain troops to put their lives on the line. To gain the support of these warriors and dedication of men, Pope Urban II (1088-1099) challenged those morals of men by telling them to grab their weapons and join the holy war to recover the land of Jerusalem. It was not the challenge that convinced men to take part in this war. The promise of “immediate remission of sins” attracted the men to stand up for their religion and beliefs while at the same time, promising them a trip to heaven when life comes to an end. With this statement, men instantly prepared for battle which in a very short period of time gave the church power which has been held by the monarchies. Men of rich and poor prepared for battle, some wearing ...

    Read More

  • Cause And Effect Essay On The Crusades

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people can agree that looking back on the Crusades today, it was a Crime against humanity. The Crusades were a series of eight Christian military expeditions fought against Muslims for the Holy Lands between the years of 1096 and 1270 C.E. A new group of Muslims called Seljuk Turks took control of the Holy Lands, including Jerusalem, and did not allow christians any access to it. People’s motivation for fighting in the crusades included religious convictions, the church agreed to pay their taxes, and they had the opportunity to gain personal wealth by claiming riches in the Holy Land. However, although these sound like valid reasons to fight in the Crusades, the short term gains are outweighed by the negative outcomes and effects that came from this war. “The Crusades - the most signal and most durable monument of human folly that has yet appeared in any age or nation.” ― David Hume. Hume’s quote explains that the crusades were one of the worst decision’s that a society has made in history. They were unsuccessful because of these three reasons, impact it had on catholic church, Constantinople destroyed, and bloodshed of many.

    Read More

More about God's Battalions Analysis

Open Document