Overview

This study explores the religious ideas and motivations of the laymen who fought in the First Crusade (1095-1101). Marcus Bull argues that the laity's crusading zeal cannot be understood simply as a reflection of the preoccupations of educated ecclesiastics. His analysis shows that elements traditionally regarded as central to the crusade's origins - the Peace of God movement and the Spanish Reconquest - were in fact of minimal significance. Through a study of three regions in South-Western France, Dr Bull uncovers the true dynamic of crusade enthusiasm - the beliefs and practices of pious laymen in intimate contact with local religious communities. He shows that the crusade was an expression of everyday, but genuine, piety. The crusade came to be one of the most important and enduring features of medieval civilization. This book analyzes the lay piety which underwrote centuries of crusading history, and makes a contribution to the understanding of medieval religion.

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9780198203544

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