Nathan W. Bingham

And Christians began to think that it was legitimate to use force to advance the church and the cause of Christ, not just to protect and to defend the state. There's a very interesting recent book, came out just last year, on the subject of the Crusades, written by J. Rubinstein, which probably means he's not a Christian apologist, but is a very fine historian.

And Christians began to think that it was legitimate to use force to advance the church and the cause of Christ, not just to protect and to defend the state. There's a very interesting recent book, came out just last year, on the subject of the Crusades, written by J. Rubinstein, which probably means he's not a Christian apologist, but is a very fine historian.

And he entitles his book, Armies of Heaven, The First Crusade and the Quest for Apocalypse.

And he entitles his book, Armies of Heaven, The First Crusade and the Quest for Apocalypse.

And he argues in there that while to be sure under the surface there were many causes of the Crusade, there are a number of factors that could and should be taken into account to understand the Crusades, that at the deepest level the Crusades were not an economic or political phenomenon in its deepest meaning. Let's not say there weren't economic motives for some people.

And he argues in there that while to be sure under the surface there were many causes of the Crusade, there are a number of factors that could and should be taken into account to understand the Crusades, that at the deepest level the Crusades were not an economic or political phenomenon in its deepest meaning. Let's not say there weren't economic motives for some people.

There weren't political effects of the Crusades. But he says when you go back and you study the records... and you look at what people were saying about their own motives at the time, it was not political or economic in the first place. In fact, he says over and over again, you can see people who acted against their political and economic interests to become involved with the Crusades.

There weren't political effects of the Crusades. But he says when you go back and you study the records... and you look at what people were saying about their own motives at the time, it was not political or economic in the first place. In fact, he says over and over again, you can see people who acted against their political and economic interests to become involved with the Crusades.

He also says that people did not join the Crusades to earn the forgiveness of their sins. The church would come later to teach that people could receive time out of purgatory or forgiveness of sins for participating in the Crusades. But he says that's not the initial motive. That's not what drove people initially to become interested in the Crusades and to participate in the Crusades.

He also says that people did not join the Crusades to earn the forgiveness of their sins. The church would come later to teach that people could receive time out of purgatory or forgiveness of sins for participating in the Crusades. But he says that's not the initial motive. That's not what drove people initially to become interested in the Crusades and to participate in the Crusades.

He says what was going on in the minds of many people was an apocalyptic expectation. Say that three times fast. Apocalyptic expectation that the world was coming to an end, that the end of time would center in Jerusalem, and that it was time for Christendom to rally around the needs of Jerusalem and perhaps hasten the coming of Christ and the end of the world. I think that's very important.

He says what was going on in the minds of many people was an apocalyptic expectation. Say that three times fast. Apocalyptic expectation that the world was coming to an end, that the end of time would center in Jerusalem, and that it was time for Christendom to rally around the needs of Jerusalem and perhaps hasten the coming of Christ and the end of the world. I think that's very important.

I think it's very insightful. I think it's probably what was happening. After all, the crusading ideal began to emerge just before the 1100s. Christendom had been thinking about time. Christendom had been thinking at least a little, maybe not overwhelmingly, but a little about a millennium coming to an end, a thousand years. Christians had been thinking about time back in the early 700s.

I think it's very insightful. I think it's probably what was happening. After all, the crusading ideal began to emerge just before the 1100s. Christendom had been thinking about time. Christendom had been thinking at least a little, maybe not overwhelmingly, but a little about a millennium coming to an end, a thousand years. Christians had been thinking about time back in the early 700s.

The Venerable Bede, an interesting historian in England said, The Venerable Bede, in his ecclesiastical history, for the first time said, we should establish a calendar that begins with the birth of Christ. And we ought to call the time after the birth of Christ the year of our Lord, Anno Domini, A.D., And the time before Christ we'll call before Christ, B.C.

The Venerable Bede, an interesting historian in England said, The Venerable Bede, in his ecclesiastical history, for the first time said, we should establish a calendar that begins with the birth of Christ. And we ought to call the time after the birth of Christ the year of our Lord, Anno Domini, A.D., And the time before Christ we'll call before Christ, B.C.

So it was the Venerable Bede in about 700 or so who really changed the way we thought about calendars and thought about time. And so time was on the mind of Christians. Time was a reality that Christians took seriously knowing that there would be an end of time, that Christ was coming again.

So it was the Venerable Bede in about 700 or so who really changed the way we thought about calendars and thought about time. And so time was on the mind of Christians. Time was a reality that Christians took seriously knowing that there would be an end of time, that Christ was coming again.

And now Christians began to say, perhaps we are leading up to that moment and we begin to contemplate that the infidel holds Jerusalem. Now we might say, well, the infidel had held Jerusalem for centuries. Why all of a sudden would Christians begin to think that this was so traumatic, so significant? Well, in part because in the ten hundreds, Christians began to be more interested in pilgrimages.

And now Christians began to say, perhaps we are leading up to that moment and we begin to contemplate that the infidel holds Jerusalem. Now we might say, well, the infidel had held Jerusalem for centuries. Why all of a sudden would Christians begin to think that this was so traumatic, so significant? Well, in part because in the ten hundreds, Christians began to be more interested in pilgrimages.