The Prehistory of the Crusades: Missionary War and the Baltic Crusades

Description

There is a vigorous debate on the exact beginnings of the Crusades, as well as a growing conviction that some practices of crusading may have been in existence, at least in part, long before they were identified as such. The Prehistory of the Crusades explores how the Crusades came to be seen as the use of aggressive warfare to Christianise pagan lands and peoples. Reynolds focuses on the Baltic, or Northern, Crusades, an aspect of the Crusades that has been little documented, thus bringing a new perspective to their historical and ideological origins. Baltic Crusades were distinctive because they were not directed at the Holy Land, and they were not against Muslim opponents, but rather against pagan peoples. From the Emperor Charlemagne's wars against the Saxons in the 8th and 9th centuries to the Baltic Crusades of the 12th century, this book explores the sanctification of war in creating the ideal of crusade. In so doing, it shows how crusading ultimately developed in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Prehistory of the Crusades provides a valuable insight into the topic for students of medieval history and the Crusades. Title Page Copyright Page Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1 The Problem Chapter 1 Frankfurt, 1147: The Baltic Crusades begin Questions for discussion Chapter 2 A peculiar institution Questions for discussion Part 2 The Method Chapter 3 The crusade studies revolution Questions for discussion Chapter 4 The uses of prehistory Questions for discussion Part 3 The Application Chapter 5 “Missionary war”: Preaching with a tongue of iron Questions for discussion Chapter 6 Baptism by treaty Questions for discussion Chapter 7 The ministry of shields and swords Questions for discussion Chapter 8 A new kind of pilgrim Questions for discussion Chapter 9 Christian on Christian violence Questions for discussion Chapter 10 The legacy of the Baltic Crusades Questions for discussion Notes Glossary of People and Terms Bibliography Index