Natural resentment towards the Muslim settlers was instilled through the church, and it was because of this the Papacy was able to use Crusades from the 1200’s onwards to remove threats in Spain and to the east. The coherent theme of the following crusades was the use of the defence of the Holy Land as a catalyst for rallying Christian Knights to the Pope’s right hand. By the Grace of God and the zeal
On his journey, Paul also set up Churches with leaders in many major towns. The setting up churches helped the message of Christianity to spread quickly. The missions resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of converts to Christianity especially in the Greek-speaking world. One of Paul’s major contributions to the development of Christianity was his theology, being one of many early Christians propositioning radical philosophies among the elders of the Church. Paul’s theology included: * The Resurrection as the pivotal moment in human history * Christ is for all humanity, not only the Jew * The nature and effects of sin- life without God and Christ * Salvation was won by Christ’s death and resurrection and given as pure gift * The church as the body of Christ * Baptism and radical equality within the body of Christ The impact of Paul’s theology on Christianity is that of an enormous amount.
In 1095, Emperor Alexius I sent a plea to Pope Urban II, asking for troops to help reclaim Jerusalem from Muslim hands. The feudal state of Western Europe, as well as the widely established religious superstition and fervor, allowed for the Papacy to make a call to all able-bodied men to embark on this Holy Crusade. [ (A&E Television Networks, LLC) ] Pilgrimage to Jerusalem was already a sign of piety among Christians, and as persecution of Christians at Jerusalem had become more and more frequent, the presence of soldiers became inevitable. It was out of a need to protect the pilgrims that the Knights Templar were born. [ (Addison) ]
Instead of just sending troops, Pope Urban II invited his people to engage in a holy war to take back Jerusalem. People were wildly enthusiastic, even children and old women and men wanted to go. As a result, Alexius received crusaders in answer to his request, and the first
In To Die for God: Martyrs’ Heaven in Hebrew and Latin Crusade Chronicles Shmuel Shepkaru argues that Jewish and Christian perceptions of Heaven and martyrdom shifted in response to the Crusades. Shepkaru notes that “[b]oth twelfth-century Christians and Jews considered the martyr's recompense in heaven to be the ultimate boon that the faithful could receive” (312). Despite, or because of, this similarity, it is difficult to prove that either religion borrowed from the other. To find evidence of religious mixing or syncretism, Shepkaru looks for parallels in the religions’ literature. One parallel that Shepkaru noted arose at the end of the 11th century.
Martin Luther, the most significant figure in the early development of Protestantism, took hold of the reformation during this period and popularised its beliefs, basing them on his interpretation of the scriptures. Although the responses from the majority of the leaders within the Catholic Church were political attacks aimed at clinging onto power and restricting the reformists’ influence, Luther’s motivation was religious and a product of a devotion to God, after being struck by lightning in 1505. Through this enlightenment, he sought to highlight the widespread abuses imposed by the Catholic Church, which were regularly authorised by the Pope. The resistance to Luther had been rife from the start; however as Luther’s support base grew and his beliefs became a threat to those in power, the counter-attacks increased in significance. Nevertheless, it could be argued that people misjudged Luther’s intentions as he never intended to reshape the power structure of the church just address the abuses.
The American public at the time of the civil war was very religious. Abraham Lincoln recognized that the American publics most profound motives such as reasoning to go to war were lead by their religious beliefs. Lincoln played a masterstroke in the history of American presidency by addressing the public through religious language. One of the points Lincoln makes is that it is strange for men to ask for a just God’s assistance in winning bread through the sweat of other mans faces instead of their very own. Lincoln is preaching that we cannot pass God’s judgement upon others without first thinking about how God would judge us.
A.M.D.G A.M.D.G People involved in the Crusade and why they were important Pope Gregory VII said that sinful people were the reason why Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Muslim , so in 1704 he tried to assemble a group of knights know as the ‘milites sancti petri’ ( the knights of saint Peter) to implement papal policy . He also used the writings of Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430) it was possible to build a case whereby Christian violence could be commanded by God through his representative on earth – the Pope and if performed in the right circumstances . Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor – Henry VI assumed his seat as king and holy roman emperor when he was declared of age in 1605 and since he was poorly educated during his childhood amidst the governmental tumult and was consumed by the desire to rule, bringing little wisdom to the throne at 15. Henry found himself spread thin
The crusades were military expeditions in the name of the church, the ultimate goal was to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. Palestine or the “Holy Land” were important to Christians because it was the region where Jesus lived. Regardless of the result, religion was always the primary trigger for the crusades. The extent to which religion played a role varied. For example, in the first crusade attention was focused solely on ridding the “Holy Land” of Muslim forces.
the manner in which he dealt with the Muslim infidel was likely to be noted. While he had the support of Louis VII and Conrad, he needed Conrad's help to regain the city of Rome. (Runciman, p.256) So the pope sent a bull, Quantum praedecessors, to Louis, who responded enthusiastically himself but when he called a council to discuss the matter the response was not nearly as encouraging. The King was needed at home and could not easily leave to be involved in a crusade. When Eugenius heard about this matter he sent St Bernard to Vezelay where the King and his court where spending Easter.