RELG248

(Crusade and Holy War in Medieval Europe). In November of 1095, Pope Urban II gave a speech that launched one of the most significant and destructive movements in European history: the crusades. Four years later, the armies of the First Crusade captured Jerusalem in a burst of pious enthusiasm and brutal violence. This course begins by considering questions foundational to the crusade movement: when is violence in pursuit of religious aims justified? Can a war—or a soldier—be noble? Be holy? Should the church control and direct social and political violence?  The course then examines in detail the history of the First Crusade (1095-1099) from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Greek perspectives. In the second half of the course, we study the establishment of the Latin Crusader States; the gradual recapture of the region by Muslim leaders, with a focus on the career of Salah ad-Din; and the later broadening of the use of crusade rhetoric, which was mobilized to justify wars against fellow Christians, as well as European imperialism and colonization. Students read both primary historical sources and important works of scholarship. No prerequisites.