Module 14: The Crusades
Hi everyone, and welcome to the fourteenth module of the History of Christianity 1 Course. In this section, we'll be looking at a series of events that took place within the larger medieval period. We'll study the series of military actions collectively called The Crusades.
This module will help you to understand the reasons behind the crusades, the history of the crusades, and the results that came out of the crusades. You will be exposed to the attitudes and actions of the main people involved in these events, and how they impacted the world, both in the west, and in the east. You will be exposed to some of the major causes and controversies surrounding these events, and some of the principles and insights that can be gained and applied to modern situations. You will be given opportunity to think through some strengths and weaknesses about the goals and practices of the crusades. And the student will be given opportunity to process how these lessons can be applied to current situations.
The student will be exposed to different approaches and evaluations of these events and how God's people responded at the time. The student will have opportunity to evaluate the longer-term effects of these movements, approaches, and practices, and the lessons that can be learned from the Crusades and all the events that led up to them. This module will also aid the student to work through how the lessons learned are applicable in their own life and ministry.
Introductory Scenario
Imagine that you are a police commissioner entrusted to protect the safety and security of a large number of people. If a criminal gang tries to infiltrate your city and cause havoc, violence, injustice, and destruction, how far would you be willing to go to prevent them, and to protect the innocent people? What steps would you be willing to take? How much would you risk harm to the police officers in order to reduce harm to the general public? How could you protect yourself from going too far in resistance to evil, so that you do not respond to evil with more evil? What is your responsibility toward the people under your protection? What is your responsibility to protect the rights, even of the criminals? Please consider these questions and be watching for material that will help you answer them as you work through this module.
Module Objectives and Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will:
- Understand the background causes of the Crusades and the aggressive nature of Islam.
- Describe the history of the Crusades - what they did and did not accomplish.
- Understand the short and long-term results of the crusades.
- Evaluate the Crusades in light of Biblical teaching and Just War theory.
- Place the Crusades in a general chronology in relation to the wider medieval history.
Instruction Guides
In this section, you'll find links to important instructional documents for this module. Click the following links to open each document. There is a set of instructions for individual study and a document for group study.
Textbook Content
In this section, you'll find a study guide for the textbook reading for module 14. And then you'll find the link to a practice quiz covering this textbook reading.
This section also contains a review quiz to test your understanding of the textbook material for this module. By clicking the banner below, you will be given a series of questions, in random order. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once.
Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the Submit
button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.
Lecture Content
In this section, you will find the video lectures for the Crusades module. They are designed to be watched in order, but each video should make sense on its own. Click each banner to open access to each video. There are also links with each video if you prefer to watch on the Rumble or YouTube interface or download just the audio to listen offline.
Reviews
In this section, you will find the review slides from the course lectures for module 14. This is a convenient way to view and review the summaries for each lecture. Click the banner to open the slide show.
Click the prev.
and next
buttons (bottom right of the slide) to move through the slides. You can also click on any thumbnail to go directly to that slide.
Discussion/Reflection Questions
This section contains questions for further thought and discussion from Module 14. It is recommended that you take time to think through these issues in order to thoroughly grasp the significance and explore the application of the material you are learning. These questions can also be used as essay questions in a classroom setting exam. Below, you will find links to the Response and Application Reflection Instructions for Individuals, and the Response and Application Discussion Instructions for Groups. And you will find a link to the detailed question document for this module. Or Click the banner below to view the questions in a simplified format.
The following questions are for your thoughtful consideration and discussion:
- How should Christians act toward an aggressive enemy? How does this apply?
- How should Christians act toward vulnerable non-believers? How does this apply?
- How can Christians defend justice without becoming corrupted? How does this apply?
- What else did you learn? How does it apply?
(Optional) Timeline - Part 14
This section contains instructions for an optional Timeline activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.
Step Fourteen of the Timeline should include the following information:
- Any significant events leading up to, and demonstrating the background causes of the Crusades.
- The various waves of Crusades, what they accomplished and their consequences.
- Any short and long term consequences on the church and Christian society, including new ideas and practices that resulted from the Crusades, and their contribution to the church and wider society.
- Any other significant events, ideas, and practices, which had bearing on, or flowed out from the Crusades.
Annotate any significant approaches, people, principles, mindsets, and practices of the crusaders and Crusades, including the immediate and long-term impact on the larger church, the surrounding society, and how these are applicable in the current church and and Christian life.
(Optional) Principles Chart - Part 14
This section contains instructions for an optional Principles Chart activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.
Step Fourteen of the Principles Chart will add any important principles noted from the reasons for, ideals of, and activities of the Crusades, and their consequences, and how those principles can be applied.
It is suggested that the student begin this activity before watching the Guiding Principles
portion of the lecture. Then the student may supplement their work after learning additional insights from the Guiding Principles.
(Optional) Term Project - Writing
The student will continue researching their chosen topic for their term project and organizing the material they have found. The student should also continue writing (or otherwise creating their presentation, based on their chosen means of communication) the first draft of their term project. Based on the organization of the material, which was based on their research, the student should continue communicating what they learned, as well as the principles they gained from the historical data, and how it applies to current life and ministry.
Below is a link to detailed instructions for the entire project.
Primary Source Reading
This section contains instructions and resources for the Primary Source Reading activity. The student should read a minimum of 10-20 pages from a primary resource or resources discussed in this module's lecture and write or discuss a brief response to their reading. Below is a link to detailed instructions for the Primary Source Reading, which contain a list of recommended resources, by module. And click the banner below to access a list of recommended resources with links to where they may be found.
The following is a list of the recommended primary sources for this module. This list contains links to the resources in print and/or online format. These links may change, so feel free to search for other sources for these same titles. In addition, please do not feel you are limited only to this list. Feel free to choose from any primary source from the period and topic covered in this module:
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Collection of Medieval Sources from the CrusadesOnline: fordham.edu
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Chronicles of the Crusades,Print ISBN: 9781420965339
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Crusade and Christendom: Annotated Documents in Translation from Innocent III to the Fall of Acre,Print ISBN: 9780812223132
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The First Crusade:
The Chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres
and Other Source materials,Print ISBN: 9780812216561 -
The Deeds of the Franks and Other Jerusalem-Bound Pilgrims: The Earliest Chronicle of the First Crusade,Print ISBN: 9781442204980Online: archive.org
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The Conquests of Jerusalem and the Third Crusade: Sources in Translation,Print ISBN: 9781840146769
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The History of Frankish Conquerors of Jerusalem,Online: archive.org
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Letter to the Pope,Online: hanover.edu
Review Quiz
This section is a link to a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 14. By clicking the banner, you will be taken to a series of questions, in random order. Answer each question and then push the Submit
button to check your answers. Every question must be answered before you can submit the quiz. At the end, you will be shown your score for the entire quiz. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once. Click the banner to begin the quiz.
Here is a review quiz for the material covered in this module's lectures. Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.
Module Completed!
Congratulations, you have reached the end of the fourteenth module. I hope that you have found it rewarding and have noticed personal growth.
I encourage you to continue on the next module as soon as is convenient. The button below will take you to Module 15.
