RC#6 Crusades Abroad and at Home - The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina

RC-V6 Crusades Abroad and at Home – The Resilient Church /w Mike Aquilina from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

Episode 6– Crusades Abroad and at Home

The Church in the West had survived the fall of Rome, and now it was the most powerful institution in Western Europe. But in the East, where the Church was born, the gradual erosion of the Byzantine Empire and the constant inroads of Islam threatened the very existence of Christianity.

Didn’t the Church in the West owe something to the Christians of the East? Wasn’t it the responsibility of all Christians to come to the aid of their brothers and sisters in distress?

That was the question that launched the crusades.

In the Middle East, whose history spans thousands of years, the crusades seem as fresh as yesterday’s headlines. And the same religious feelings that fueled both sides of the medieval wars are still with us today. Jerusalem—which has never been a very large city—is still, in world politics, probably the most important spot on the globe.

Today it’s easy to portray the crusades as a simple act of Christian aggression against the innocent and bewildered Muslims; or, alternatively, as a desperate last-ditch defense of Christianity against the relentless drive of the Islamic forces. Both portrayals are wrong. There was aggression on both sides, sincere religious zeal on both sides, and a surprising amount of respect for the other on both sides. There was also simple greed and avarice on both sides, and sometimes the greed managed to pervert the religious zeal.

Aquilina, Mike (2011-07-26). The Resilient Church (Kindle Locations 848-860). Mobile Merchandise Services, LLC. Kindle Edition.

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