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Issue 40 : The Crusades

Originally published in 1993

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Table of Contents

Objections to Crusades Answered

An experienced crusade preacher defends holy war

Humbert of Romans
The Children's Crusade

They innocently headed for the Holy Land, not knowing they would never return.

Sir Steven Runciman
The Crusades: Did You Know?

Little Known Facts about the Crusades.

Caroline T. Marshall
The Crusades: From the Editor - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Mark Galli
Bloody Pilgrimage

As the crusaders assaulted Jerusalem, the holy and savage joined hands.

Mark Galli
How Could Christians Do This?

Why followers of the Prince of Peace waged war.

Bruce L. Shelley
Why You Should Crusade

Bernard of Clairvaux, who wrote the beautiful essay On Loving God, also urged Christians to fight for Christ. Here are some excerpts from a letter written in 1147.
The Crusades: A Gallery of Martial Monks & Holy Kings

The great preachers, planners, and fighters of the Holy Land crusades.

Stephen Miller
Major Crusades to the East: Christian History Timeline
The Muslim Defense

Christians thought they had liberated Jerusalem from infidels. But what did Muslims think?

Hadia Dajani-Shakeel
Puzzling Encounters

Usama ibn Munqidh was emir of Shizar in the twelfth century, when Christians occupied much of the Holy Land. Here are three accounts of his experience with the clash of cultures.
Women of the Cross

The devout, combative, and scandalous women who shared in the Crusades.

Ronald C. Finucane
Long Journey to Jerusalem

Whether by land or sea, a crusade to the East was difficult and dangerous.
The Fighting Monks

In the new religious orders, Christians blended poverty, chastity, and military fervor.

Michael Gervers
Holy Violence Then and Now

A historian looks at the causes and lingering effects of Christian warfare.

Jonathan Riley-Smith
The Crusades: Recommended Resources

The last few decades have seen a resurgence of crusades studies. Here are several of the many fine works available.

James M. Powell

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Issue 40 : The Crusades

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