Age of Crusading, 1000-1800

Catalog description

What does it mean to become a crusader and #8212;or be crusaded? How did a pope's sermon galvanize over 100,000 people to leave their homes and undertake a perilous journey across Europe to a place many had never seen? Why did one military campaign in 1096 initiate a seismic shift in the articulation (and acceptance) of Christian holy war? What started as a series of expeditions to Jerusalem and #8212;which we now call the "crusades" and #8212;later extended to the cities of Constantinople and Cairo, to the regions of Southern France and Italy, and even to the Baltic Sea and the Americas. In this course, we will trace crusading ideology and knighthood from their roots to their fullest expressions throughout the Middle Ages and into modernity. These individuals who "took up the cross" and #8212;or encouraged others to do likewise and #8212;radically shaped the ideas of identity and piety in Latin Christendom. Perceiving themselves as God's agents in an apocalyptic age, crusaders came to fight Muslims, Jews, pagans, heretics, and even their fellow Christians. They also served as heroic inspiration in bardic song and courtly literature across Spain, France, and England. As scholars we will explore the perspectives of the invaders and those who were invaded, thereby (re)imagining how people responded to the crusaders' presence and their accompanying violence. Our sources will include prophecies, sermons, scripture, poetry, art and archeological remains, and film. Together, we will approach this challenging topic critically, yet respectfully, while completing short analytical papers and a set of reflective quizzes. This course is open to all students, requires no prerequisites, and may be used to fulfill the Religious Studies minor.