THL303: Introduction to Church History: Crusades & Medieval Education

What is the relationship between the medieval crusades and the problems of the modern Middle East? Were the crusades the Christian equivalent of Muslim jihad? In this sweeping yet crisp history, Thomas F. Madden offers a brilliant and compelling narrative of the crusades and their contemporary relevance.

The second edition of The Crusades, for long the standard work on the subject, has been extensively rewritten to take account of the latest research and new interpretations. Crusading was a central theme in early medieval European history, and the book covers all the expeditions which took place between the First Crusade in 1096 and the final retreat from Palestine in 1291. Certain aspects are examined in detail: the Crusading indulgence; the effect the Crusades had on the history of the participating states; the entanglement of the Crusades in European politics -- for example in the conflicts between Pope and Emperor, and between the kings of France and England; its role in moulding relations between Byzantium and Europe; and its misuse for an expansionist Italian and Catalan trade policy. In line with recent research, particular emphasis has been placed on the internal history of the Crusader states. This comprehensive account will be of value to undergraduates and general readers alike; it is also an excellent introduction to the subject for those who intend to move on to more detailed studies.

A comprehensive history of the crusades ranges from the eleventh century to modern times and includes commentary on the art and architecture associated with the crusades and insights into the history of the knightly orders.

This A-to-Z encyclopedia explores the phenomenon of the Crusades in all of its complexity, ranging from the classic numbered crusades in the Middle East to the Reconquista in Spain, and from the Baltic Crusades to the crusades against Albigensian heretics in France.

In The Envy of Angels, C. Stephen Jaeger studies the German and French cathedral schools, the major centers of secular learning in Europe until the rise of the universities in the twelfth century. Jaeger argues that cathedral schools revived the learning of classical antiquity, shaped the codes of civility and courtesy, and ultimately transformed the social and intellectual life of Europe.

The essays in this volume aim to give medieval scholars the tools to explore the deeper history of disciplines and the origins and nature of university learning by posing a number of questions, such as how was learning conceived.

The main subjects of enquiry in this volume centre around the major areas in which the honoree, Gordon Leff, has made fundamental contributions. These include learned and popular heresy (Cathars, Wyclif, Lollardy, and the concept of heresy itself); the history of medieval universities and thought (featuring the religious at Paris and Cambridge, Ockham, and Paris theologians' views on the Jews); later medieval religious, and early modern views of the crusades. The book is completed with a bibliography of works by Gordon Leff.

Combining cultural, social, and political history, Men of Learning in Europe at the End of the Middle Ages measures the influence acquired by certain disciplines - in particular religion, literature, and law - in the organization of European society. Anyone interested in the Middle Ages or intellectual history will want to read this book.