Thursday, August 15, 2024

It is the 15th of August 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

I certainly don’t like talking about the Crusades. I am not an apologist, but neither am I judging some medieval behavior with modern standards. But it was a big deal- you can listen to a weekend edition when we did all of them at once, but today is one of the big anniversary- so, let’s go… to start with:

First, in 1054, the Great Schism marked the split between the Western Latin Church (what would later be called the Roman Catholic Church) and the Eastern Orthodox Church, with its center in Constantinople (the other three centers—Antioch in Turkey, Alexandria in Egypt, and Jerusalem—had been overwhelmed by Islamic powers). So, the two last major centers split.

And then the Seljuk Turks. The Seljuk Turks attempted to unify the Muslims under a central “Sultan”—they would come from Asia into Persia and Baghdad and then into Syria, the holy Lands, and into Turkey—right on the doorstep of Constantinople (and yes, it was a similar story to what happened 500 years later with the Ottoman Turks). In 1071, the battle of Manzikert took place, and the Seljuk Turks laid the wood for the Eastern Christians.

In 1095, the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus appealed to the West, specifically to the Bishop of Rome, Pope Urban II, for help.  

Pope Urban called a convocation of bishops and church leaders in Clermont. In November of 1095, we had one of the most famous speeches ever. Also, we don’t have a copy of it- because history is long and things get lost. But- whatever he said, it seems to have compared to the revivalist preachers of the later great awakenings. In a stirring and emotional speech, Urban claimed that the Roman Empire was still alive in the East and needed to be saved from the infidels. The popular phrase “Deus Vult” or “God Will’s it”- that is, the protection of Eastern Christians was God's will.  And to protect them would give the solider of Christ a plenary- that is, full indulgence. Their sins would be forgiven, and they would go right to heaven. Do not pass, go, skip purgatory, or collect 200 dollars- you don’t need it. You’re in heaven.  Oh- and when you go, put a cross on your clothing- you would be marked with a cross- the word for that was Croisee- In Spanish- Cruzado- in English you were a Crusader—a soldier marked by the cross.

It takes some time to arrange a transnational transcontinental trip, but the first ones out left on this, August 15th, 1096.  

They would eventually form four major armies- led by noblemen like Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Toulouse and Bohemond, and Robert of Flanders. Bohemond was a Norman, and Robert of Flanders was a cousin of Robert of Normandy. Yes- the Normans of 1066- the guys that recently took England and set it on its way were a key part of the crusades too- and Norman comes from “Northman”- men from the North- that’s right- they were Vikings. Although most spoke French by now- thus, to the Turks, they were all “Franks.”

By December of 1096, the first Crusaders had arrived in Constantinople, and by 1097, they had taken back the Turkish capital- today called Iznik- it was Nicaea. Crusaders would take Edessa- which would become one of the “Crusader States” of this era. They would also take Antioch back, but- like many of these regions, it would be contested by Western powers wanting to rule them. The Crusaders made their way to Jerusalem- not held by the Seljuk Turks but by the Fatamids- who were Shia- they would be defeated, and by 1099, the Western Crusaders had taken the holy lands- pushed back the Turks and created Crusader states.

It was all downhill from here. Christian powers fought other Christian powers, and there was mission creep from assisting the Eastern Christians in extending the Western empire and other world pursuits.

Today we remember the beginning of the movement that scarred the Middle East for centuries- the Crusades on this day in 1096.

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary from Acts 6:

  8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.  13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen,  and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 15th of August 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who thinks that a Manzikert sounds delicious- he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who grew up with Campus Crusade and Harvest Crusade and maybe, well….I get it,  I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.