How Did The Edwards Influence The Crusaders

The Crusaders were devout Christians who trusted in Pope Urban II and their God. The Pope had informed them that they were God's shepherds who had been called to protect his Christian flock (Thatcher and Holmes 513). The Crusaders believed that the Lord had commanded them to seize and defend Jerusalem from non-Christian groups. If they failed to do as commanded, they would lose God's reward promised to them. The Crusaders had also shown their devotion through their intention to purify the earth (Thatcher and Holmes 514). They held a deep conviction that in attacking the Muslims and other non-Christians who were devoted to the pleasures of the world, they would be purifying the Lord’s land. They, therefore, intended to keep God’s land of Jerusalem
The first side believes that the Crusaders were indeed motivated by the desire to do good. The Crusaders were informed by Pope Urban II in his instruction letter that the Turks and Arabs had conquered the Greek Empire and had killed Christian and destroyed churches (Krey 42). They, therefore, fought to protect and restore the integrity of the church. Another instance when they demonstrated they were prioritizing the church’s needs was when Count Raymond and his crusader army attacked the Saraceans by breaking down the Jerusalem wall (Krey 260). The Crusaders believed they were capturing the city for the glory of God. The Crusaders were also motivated by the desire to recover the countries that the Turks and Palestine had seized from the Greeks. After sieges, the non-Christian countries were spreading Islam and other pagan traditions among the colonies (Krey 42). The Crusaders, therefore, aimed to capture Jerusalem and turn it back into a Christian city. The letter of instruction from the pope calling for the first crusade also insisted that the Crusaders owed the church the duty to fight in the campaign (Krey 42). It is because they were needed to save their fellow Christians in Jerusalem who were under the influence of Jews, Muslims, and other religious groups. The pope informed them that it was the church that had given the Crusaders the redemption and
In one instance, Tancred the Crusader broke into the temple of God to steal gold, silver and precious stones (Thatcher and Holmes 517). Also after killing the Saraceans, the Crusaders waited for several days and burned a heap of the Saracean's bodies to recover gold coins that they believed the Saraceans had hidden in their stomachs and intestines (Thatcher and Holmes