Bernard of Clairvaux's Justification of Crusade Violence: A Medieval Religious Perspective

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Bernard of Clairvaux's Justification of Crusade Violence: A Medieval Religious Perspective

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Crusades, Bernard of Clairvaux, medieval history, Christian violence, religious wars, holy war, jihadism, Christian kingdoms, Latin states, Jerusalem, De Laude novae militiae

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Abstract

Discover the historical context behind the medieval conflicts that shaped Christian-Muslim relations. Learn how influential figures like Bernard of Clairvaux justified violence in the name of faith during the Crusades. Understand the complex interplay between spiritual and temporal power that drove these holy wars, and explore the lasting impact on modern conflicts. Dive into the sermon 'De Laude novae militiae' and uncover the medieval origins of religiously motivated violence.

Violence and murder in the name of religion and Christ
A blessing to strengthen the courage of warriors
Call to Crusade: a conquest at stake

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[...] In a very Christian Europe and convinced of the importance of liberating the tomb of Christ, no one will question the word of the Pope and important churchmen like Clairvaux, and his sermon, like others before him, will make hundreds of knights set out, leading to a pursuit of long wars in the Holy Land. In our opinion, it is this type of appeal that will trivialize, over the centuries, inter-religious violence. While at our time, the place of religion, or rather specific interpretations of religion in current conflicts continues to be evoked (jihadism . [...]

[...] The Spirit of the Crusade - Jean Richard (1969) - How does Bernard of Clairvaux justify the violence of the crusades? The text below is an excerpt from the sermon of Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux, founder of the eponymous order, entitled 'De Laude novae militiae' (In Praise of the New Knighthood), and delivered in 1145, at the dawn of the Second Crusade. As an advisor to the Popes, he here encourages Christians as a whole, and more specifically the knights of the Christian countries of the West, to react to the commitment of the Muslim armies that have taken back the county of Edessa in the East and threaten the establishment of the crusaders in the Holy Land. [...]

[...] one can undoubtedly question the medieval origin of sermons like this, of wars that continue to cause many victims supposedly in the name of Books that explicitly command not to kill. [...]

[...] Clairvaux declares, evoking the crusader, that "CITATION 1." Clairvaux justifies clearly the violence and murder by the holy nature, in the name of the religion and Christ, of this, just as further on he estimates that in the current state, it is preferable to kill the infidels. We know that this goes against the command present in all religions that prohibits killing. Here the interpretation is that all lives are not equal since some are contrary to the Christian religion. [...]

[...] The sermon therefore has not as its sole vocation to exonerate the knights of all scruple to act against the Bible by killing. It must also strengthen the courage of the warriors by promising them, in case of death, to join Christ and benefit from his favors, either an eternal blessing, arguing that death "CITATION It should be noted that in the Middle Ages, Christian fervor is very strong and the promise of paradise is therefore a major motivation to behave in accordance with the precepts of the Church. [...]

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