Sanctified Violence and Knightly Piety Flashcards
why is the idea of a ‘holy’ or ‘just’ war slightly paradoxical for christians?
Christianity, in Christ’s own words, was a peaceful religion, but war inevitably meant slaughter and destruction
what was the opinion of The early Christian fathers on war?
The early Christian fathers - before the Christianisation of the Roman Empire - were unequivocal that war was murder; those who were professional soldiers were seen as unclean as harlots
who may have been the first to detail Christian Just War Theory?
Saint Augustine (354-430)
how did Saint Augustine categorise ‘just war’?
he categorised ‘just cause’ into three elements which justified warfare: defending against an external attack, recapturing property that had been taken, punishing people who had done wrong
what are the 3 things needed for a war to be ‘just’ according to saint augustine?
- the war should be just in disposition; not based on hatred of the enemey
- the war should be just in its auspices; a lawful authority must declare the war
- the war should be just in its conduct; non-combatants must be spared
what was the knightly dilemma?
The role of medieval knights was to provide military service and this inevitably meant killing people - a sin - and those that they killed were nearly always fellow Christians as the overwhelming majority of people living in western europe were christians meaning they were greatly afraid of the consequences for their souls
how had the concept of ‘sanctified violence’ changed by the 10th and 11th centuries?
By the 10th & 11th c. the papacy was increasingly willing to encourage violence against non-Christians and the idea that war was sinful but necessary developed into the concept that war could be a holy activity - ‘sanctified violence’
what was ‘sanctified violence’?
the idea that Warfare in certain places or against certain people was actively endorsed by the papacy as a religious act
who did the idea of sancitifed violence particularly appeal to?
The idea of sanctified violence was particularly appealing to knights who were aware that, in normal circumstances, what they did was sinful
what concept partly explains the anti-semitic violence against the jews perpetrated by some crusaders before they left europe?
The concept of a ‘holy war’ partly explains the anti-semitic violence against the jews perpetrated by some crusaders before they left europe, even though this was not officially endorsed by the papacy
who established the concept of the milites Christi?
gregory vii
why did Gregory VII establish the concept of the milites Christi ?
for those knights who would fight to defend the church/papacy in his conflict with Henry IV; his idea was for knights to be scattered across Europe who would be directly loyal to him and fight for god
why was joining the milites christi appealing for knights?
Joining the milites Christi was increasingly appealing to knights as it resolved their knightly dilemma and their desire for lay piety
which crusader leader was a member of the milites christi?
raymond of toulouse
where did the idea of remission of sins start?
At Clermont, Urban II emphasised the idea that the crusade was a kind of pilgrimage and that performing it was an act of penance that would help to remove the stain of previous sins on an individual’s soul, taking the concept of sanctified violence on step further
how did the idea of remission of sins develop, potentially further than urban ii had initially invisaged?
Remission of sins rapidly developed and became a major recruiting tool for preachers; it became accepted that going on crusade would wipe away all the sin that an individual had accumulated in their life prior to that moment
