Paper

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Causes, Events, and Effects of the First Crusade

Christopher Carter

History of Christianity

Dr. Nance

November 19, 2011

In November 1095, a council of clerics from all over Europe was held in Clermont in southern France. The outcome of this meeting has shaped not only Christian, but all Western world history. The close of this meeting was the beginnings of the First Crusade and the beginning of the whirlwind that would consume Europe and the Middle East for centuries and change the face of Western society. However, it was not simply the events that occurred at the meeting that caused the First Crusade, but circumstances had been in place for quite some time that facilitated the onset of the Crusades. The council at Clermont was simply the spark that lighted the wildfire that was soon to consume the Western world.

Europe had been plagued with several years of drought and poor crops which in turn weighed very heavy on the farmers and the poor. Furthermore, an apocalyptic mindset was common among the masses due to the upcoming turn of the century and the previous turn of the millennium. But the most important factor that played a role in the onset of the Crusades was the situation in the Holy Land itself. During this time taking a Pilgrimage to the holy places of Christianity had become a revered act and a sign of true devotion, similar to the journey to Mecca that Muslims must adhere to in keeping of the Five Pillars of Islam. However, Jerusalem was no longer held by Christians or Jews, it was held by Muslims who saw Jerusalem as one of their Holy Cities. Nevertheless, Christians continued to make their journey to the Holy City. However, with a power shift in the Middle East to Seljuk Turks who threatened the Byzantine Empire, Christian pilgrims were no longer as accepted in the Holy Land as they had once been. The state of Jerusalem, coupled with poor crops and an apocalyptic world view made a...