The crusades were a brutal event of history. Over time, many people have become suspicious and bitter towards this gory event in Christian history. Some have even wondered if it was necessary. There is no doubt that the events of the crusades were bloody and an estimated 1.7 million people died in combat (Jay Michaelson, “Was Obama right about the Crusades and Islamic extremism?” Washington Post, 2015). The question arises as to if the 1.7 million deaths were actually needed, and even further, were the Christian crusades evangelical or evil?
“What were the crusades?” is a question that has circulated among Christians and even unbelievers throughout time. The crusades were a series of “religious wars” between those who claimed to be Christians and Muslims. There were many battles throughout the time of the crusades, as there was not only one single crusade. When one adds up all of the crusades, there were at least eight of them. Among the eight crusades, their entire length lasted 195 years, going through the years of 1096 through 1291 (“Crusades,” History, 2021). This was not a small war nor a short war as it was bloody, brutal, and caused many to lose their lives. With these astounding numbers of deaths and casualties, many of us have wondered if these crusades were even Christian in nature.
An important aspect to note when we are referring to the crusades is that the crusades should not be called the “Christian crusades,” as there was absolutely nothing Christian about them. Even though the men fighting in the crusades called themselves “Christians,” that does not mean they were true, life-giving Christians. It would be more appropriate to call them “Europeans.” Most of the people who fought in the crusades were not true Christians. Those who fought in the crusades misused Jesus’ name for the cause of political war.
The crusades were started because Muslims came in and overtook land that belonged to those who called themselves Christians. Prior to the start of the crusades, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and Syria were owned by the Europeans. Once Islam grew to be more influential, they overtook these lands as their own, starting around 900 A.D. The acts of the crusades were the attempt by the Europeans to regain these lands from the Muslims. When the Muslims were invading Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and Syria, they aggressively took over and enslaved Christians living there. If they didn’t enslave a Christian, they would either brutally injure them, torture them, or murder them. There was nothing peaceful about the Muslims’ invasion of the Christians nor was there anything “Christian” about the Christians’ crusades on Muslims.
After the Muslims invaded, enslaved, killed many Christians, and took over their land, the Christians were ready to take their land back. The first crusade consisted of four armies who were led by Raymond of Saint-Gilles, Godfrey of Bouillon, Hugh of Vermandois, and Bohemond of Taranto (“Crusades,” History, 2021). This first crusade was ill-prepared as one of the men named Peter and his army crossed Muslim territory in late summer, which caused one of the worst calamities to befall the Europeans against the Muslims (“Crusades,” History, 2021). In this mini-battle, the Europeans were crushed and many died. Within the first crusade, the Europeans also attacked Nicea (modern-day Iznik, Turkey), which was the capital of Anatolia (“Crusades,” History, 2021). Nicea surrendered to the Europeans and the Europeans overtook the Muslims there. At the same time as the takeover of Nicea, another army of the crusaders was led by Count Emicho, who marched his army into Rhineland and completed a massive massacre of Jews (“Crusades,” History, 2021).
Shortly after this massacre, the crusaders marched in to capture the holy city of Jerusalem and succeeded.
After the crusaders had captured Jerusalem and reclaimed their land, many thought the war was over and many warriors returned home. Despite already completing their goals, other crusaders continued on for the ensuing crusades. The remaining seven crusades continued through 1291, in which unnecessary battles were fought under the guise of Christianity. The final crusades lasted from 1208-1271. These final crusades were less about conquering land and more about destroying anyone who did not convert to Christianity.
Over time, throughout the 195 years, the Muslims were winning more victories and overtaking the European crusaders. The crusades finished in 1291 as the final crusader city, Acre, was taken over by Muslims. Most scholars believe this marked the end of the crusades with the Muslims winning victory (“Crusades,” History, 2021). The aftermath of the crusades still ricochets into the modern-day. Muslims and those living in the Middle East still look to the West with hate, anger, and resentment because of the crusades. Many Muslims view Christians in a negative light for this reason. The crusades were bloody, gruesome, and caused thousands of fatalities. Certainly, the crusades were not evangelical. “What were the crusades then?”—the crusades were completely rooted in mankind’s sinful nature. As previously mentioned, not everyone who fought in the crusades was Christian. Those who participated in the crusades were bent on obtaining land and destroying their enemies. In a way, the crusades were evil because those who were commanding the crusades were sending people out to kill their enemies and take their land. There was nothing evangelical about this practice.
Even though the crusades were not truly Christian in nature, word, and deed, many people associate the crusades with Christians. Therefore, as Christians, we need to show kindness, respect, and love to all people in order to represent Christ in the correct way. Those of Muslim faith particularly have a hard time trusting Christians, which is why we need to extend extra kindness to them. The crusades have given Christians a bad name, which is why we need to help educate others on the truth of the crusades and how they are not truly Christian in nature.
Islam has a strong prejudice against the Western world because of the crusades, which means that they are going to be biased against listening to the message of the Gospel. Despite the masquerade, the crusades were not a means to share the Gospel and the truth of Christ. Rather, the crusades were brutal, bloody, and cruel toward the Muslims. If the crusaders were real Christians, they would not have engaged the Muslims in such brutal wars. Instead, they would have shared the love of Christ in their actions and words. The crusades were not a conquest of evangelism, but rather a conquest of power.
In the present day, it is best for us to know the true events of the crusades in order for us not to be misinformed. Muslims have committed several terrorist attacks on Americans and Brits; however, we should never repay evil for evil (1 Peter 3:9). As Christians, we need to represent Christ and bring glory to His name. There will continue to be wars throughout our lives, yet we can make the decision to live at peace with others. There will be times when we will need to enter war to defend our countries; however, this does not mean it is right to be cruel. A balance must be obtained and wars need to be approached with wisdom. Proverbs 24:7 tells us, “Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers.”
The crusades were a gruesome part of history that will forever be referred to as the “Christian crusades;” however, we can know that they are not Christian in nature. The events of the crusades can cause many people to distance themselves from Christians because of the torturous happenings of the ongoing wars. As Christians, it is our job to help others know the truth of the crusades and to live a life that attests to the glory, kindness, and love of Christ.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/cineuno