Age of Crusading, 1000-2000

9 units · Undergraduate

Intermittent: 9 units Whenever we see glimpses of crusader tattoos on a militiaman's arm, or hear the term "crusade" invoked by U.S. presidents and pundits alike, it is difficult to argue that the crusades fully belong to the past. Indeed, what think about "holy warriors" today has its source in medieval conceptions of crusading and knighthood. What started as a series of expeditions to Jerusalem—which we now call the crusades—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. Therefore, we will trace crusading ideology, knighthood, and chivalry from their roots to their fullest expressions throughout the Middle Ages and into modernity. These individuals who "took up the cross"—or encouraged others to do likewise—radically shaped the ideas of identity, piety, and even love 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. And yet, they also served as heroic inspiration in bardic song and courtly literature across western Europe and colonial America. 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 scripture, prophecies, sermons, poetry and romances, armaments, and film. Together, we will approach this challenging topic critically, yet respectfully, while completing periodic quizzes and short analytical papers. This course comes first circle—beginning with a prophecy that casts crusaders as divine agents at the end of history, to the adoption of crusader symbols by political factions that may define our future. Lastly, this class is open to all students, requires no prerequisites, and may be used to fulfill the Religious Studies minor.