Christianity and the Crusades: A Historical Perspective

This essay explores the views of Christianity on violence and non-violence, war, and the impact of the Crusades. It discusses the different perspectives throughout history and the changes in Christianity over time.

Essay on Christianity

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Christianity has presented different views regarding violence and non-violence as well as
war over different periods of time. When considering from a historic perspective, Christianity
has perceived four views namely- non-resistance, Christian pacifism, just war and preventative
wars also known as crusades. The crusades can be referred to as the series of religious wars that
occurred between Muslims and Christians for securing the control of the holy sites which were
meant scared by both the religions. In totality, around eight primary expeditions happened in the
early 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, from 1096 to 1291 (Hunt, 2006). These conflicts propelled the
status of Christianity in Europe and made them the major players in the land conflict in the
Middle east. The crusading efforts and the holy war paradigm helped the western Europe to
escape from the conquest by Muslim armies who had conquered the entire Mediterranean region.
MAIN BODY
In the early roman empire, the church adopted a non- violent stance whenever wars took
place, as the views imitated the sacrificial life of the Jesus. The actions and views in context to
‘just war’ started in the Roman and Greek empires which came to notion by the thoughts of
Greek thinkers like Plato and Cicero and were later adopted by Christian thinker St Augustine.
Inspite of just war being broadly accepted, war was not accepted as a virtuous activity and
salvation was expressed for the enemies that were killed in any battles. The concept of holy war
or crusades emerged only after the 11th century and was believed to be a meritorious act in
spiritual context and even penitential and preventative due the major attacks by other religions.
The end of the Roman empire brought notable changes in the relations between law and war in
the Christian church in the western part of Europe (Lualdi, 2012). The people started moving
away from pacifism and the expectations of central authority from the government reduced as
they started fighting for religious reasons. Christianity has always preached regarding peace, but
the Christian people had to fight for their existence, and started going to wars under a certain
criterion. It can also be argued that all the major paradigm thoughts of pacifism, just war and
holy wars occurred in such order that every period relied on the specific thought in majority.
However, it can be counter argued that there are different aspects and features of the three times.
It can also be viewed that Christianity in its roots and inception never had a single ideal
perspective towards wars, instead a multitude of thoughts (Hunt, 2006). Since ascension of
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Constantine to Christianity becoming the state religion of Roman empire, there were more
consensus than the three ideas. In the middle ages, all idea had fully developed and no singly
theme was dominant and the proponents of war could be visible from pacifism to crusaders.
Throughout the middle age period the theories regarding war were dynamic, and war heroes
were celebrated by both peasants and nobles. As the crusades approached, matter became
complicated as none of the paradigms were winning out (Lualdi, 2012). The Crusades were not
only aimed at religious righteousness or fight against enemies for God but also has another logic.
The church was drawn to wars due to the proclaimed values and teachings. All the various view
points were mixed together and the politics, situations and religion created what defies mere
categorization.
Currently the Christianity is very holy religion, and it provides a specific way millions of
people in across the world for living a better life. Basically, each religion has its own rules and
regulations and objectives. But the Christianity also highly promotes humanity in the human
civilisation as other religion, because each religion informs people that they always need to live
lives in fully ethical manner with having proper attribute of humanity. Of course, Crusades has
changed mindset of different people about the Christianity, but still large number of populations
in across the world believes in following Christianity. No matter how Crusades has affected to
accreditation of people, because still 31.4% population of the world comes from this religion,
and believes in Jesus (Son of God). This is very logical thing that, each religion and its aspects
changes time to time, and that’s why people has faced changes in Christianity as well from the
beginning of this religion to date (Ahoo, 2019). According to most people who believes in Jesus,
this religion helps them for living life in proper manner, because it motivates to working in the
welfare of everyone. On the other side, this religion enables to different people of society for no
conducting such activities in their daily lives which can negatively affect another’s life.
There were beliefs of Roman religious changed very slowly over time. This is also very
necessary to know that Christianity itself was not appeared fully-formed or suddenly. This
religion grew out through Jewish traditions, and then Roman political and cultural structures was
shaped region in many countries. This journey of Christianity is very long, and the changes of
this religion comes after each new generation. The Roman Catholic Church’s head, it means the
Pope is the only person who primly lead religion in across the world. Currently each person who
belongs to this religion, always considers the Pope as his leader which enables them to reach the
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god or Jesus. After the Crusade, religious leaders of existing religion were decided to manage
Christianity from the Vatican City and that’s why they established the Roman Catholic Church in
this city, so nowadays almost all people has considered Vatican City as the holy place, the place
which provides a great experience to religiousness (Gaposchkin, 2018). The leader of this
religion, mean the Pope also live in this city, and that’s why many people from across the world
visits this place for hearing peace message of their Christianity leader. Nowadays, most
Christians like to live their lives one basis of basis of that path which was provided by sir Jesus.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that Crusade has highly affected to Christianity religion in negative
manner in each era, but religious leaders of Christianity has putted their huge efforts for securing
their religious tradition. However, people who comes from Christianity has faced many changes
in their religion from the beginning to date, but they always believe in the message of Jesus, so
external factors did not affect them anyhow.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ahoo, T. J., 2019. Culture and the Education of Female Children in Gwer West Local
Government Area of Benue State. Ianna Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies. 1(1). pp.43-
55.
Gaposchkin, M. C., 2018. the pre-battle processions of the first crusade and the creation of
militant christian communitas. Material Religion. 14
Hunt, Lynn, et al. The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, A Concise History, Volume I:
To 1740. Macmillan, 2006.
Lualdi, Katharine J. Sources of The Making of the West, Volume I: To 1750: Peoples and
Cultures. Vol. 1. Macmillan, 2012.
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