Theological Backing of the Crusades
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
THE THEOLOGICAL RATIONALE OF THE CRUSADERS
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO
JOHN LANDERS PROFESSOR OF
HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY 1
TO UNDERSTAND THE GOD-VIEW OF
THE CRUSADERS IN ITS HISTORICAL
AND THEOLOGICAL
CONTEXT
BY
MARCUS MARROQUIN
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA
DECEMBER 2011
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 2
Chapter 1. Preaching the Crusades 4
Chapter 2. Salvation 9
Chapter 3. Other motivations behind the Crusades 14
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Introduction
604 years is the time span that the crusades took place. During this 604 years, waves of crusaders battled over waves of controversy. Controversy that lead the Church leaders of the time to call upon nobles, farmers, and peasants to take up arms and fight to resolve them. Soldiers throughout history stood up to join the ranks of their countrymen to die for a united belief of protection, freedom, liberty, hegemony, or maybe even religious dominance.
Military leaders even today are taught to motivate their soldiers. We are taught to inspire our soldiers to work and fight for something, whether it be the mission, our fallen brothers, or for our families back home. We, as military officers, remind our soldiers of these, and that there sacrifice is not futile. Throughout a deployment, it is part of a leaders job to give soldiers the motivation that keeps them driving on, and to inspire a the valor, that if needed, to give the ultimate sacrifice.
The crusaders were given a motivation and a theological rationale unique to Christian history. Unique to biblical history, unique to the history of the early church, and unique to modern theology. The primary rationale of the crusaders was a theological God-view that was implanted into
THE THEOLOGICAL RATIONALE OF THE CRUSADERS
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO
JOHN LANDERS PROFESSOR OF
HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY 1
TO UNDERSTAND THE GOD-VIEW OF
THE CRUSADERS IN ITS HISTORICAL
AND THEOLOGICAL
CONTEXT
BY
MARCUS MARROQUIN
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA
DECEMBER 2011
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 2
Chapter 1. Preaching the Crusades 4
Chapter 2. Salvation 9
Chapter 3. Other motivations behind the Crusades 14
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Introduction
604 years is the time span that the crusades took place. During this 604 years, waves of crusaders battled over waves of controversy. Controversy that lead the Church leaders of the time to call upon nobles, farmers, and peasants to take up arms and fight to resolve them. Soldiers throughout history stood up to join the ranks of their countrymen to die for a united belief of protection, freedom, liberty, hegemony, or maybe even religious dominance.
Military leaders even today are taught to motivate their soldiers. We are taught to inspire our soldiers to work and fight for something, whether it be the mission, our fallen brothers, or for our families back home. We, as military officers, remind our soldiers of these, and that there sacrifice is not futile. Throughout a deployment, it is part of a leaders job to give soldiers the motivation that keeps them driving on, and to inspire a the valor, that if needed, to give the ultimate sacrifice.
The crusaders were given a motivation and a theological rationale unique to Christian history. Unique to biblical history, unique to the history of the early church, and unique to modern theology. The primary rationale of the crusaders was a theological God-view that was implanted into