Chapter 10 Online Commentary
I was looking forward to reading this particular chapter, Chapter 10 titled "The Worlds of Christendom". As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I am a practicing Catholic and am always striving to learn more about my faith. However, history in general has never been an easy read for me and that includes portions related to how my Catholic faith came to be.
The main topic that I was eager to read about was regarding the Eastern Byzantine Empire and the Western Roman Catholic Church. Last semester, I took a class in which my final presentation in the course was on the Crusades. This subject was also briefly described in the text as well. I find that points of view will vary depending on the sources that are being referenced. This is fine, because all points of view should be taken into consideration and respected.
In my research, the Crusades began because Emperor Alexius who ruled the Byzantine Empire asked Pope Urban II for help since the Seljuk Turks were forcing their way into some of the Emperor's regions. The wording of the text insinuated that there was friction between the West and the East, but even so, the East asked for help from the West and that's how the Crusades commenced. Yes, for certain there was much bloodshed as the Christians made their way forward on their journey. What was not emphasized in the text was a very important point, that most of the Crusaders were peasants that had absolutely no training in weaponry or in battle whatsoever. They were farmers who fought for God. Their religious beliefs were first and foremost in their lives. They were willing to fight for God and for many, that is exactly what they did. So there was definitely bloodshed. What I try to imagine when I visualize the Crusades in my mind is if I was a peasant with no knowledge of the outside world and now I am traveling through foreign lands not recognizing people along the way, and then fighting ensues, I tend to believe that these peasants would have been trying to kill whoever was in their path trying to protect themselves. Whether that is an incorrect way of perceiving the situation or not, it is a very great possibility that that's what occurred.
The chapter did provoke in me many questions that I will definitely delve deeper in understanding the origins of my own faith. It was very interesting to read the falling of regions and the blossoming of others and what were the elements of motivation from different perspectives. I am undeniably fortunate to have read these pages with some background information already in my memory to assist me in being able to visualize the events as they occurred.
The main topic that I was eager to read about was regarding the Eastern Byzantine Empire and the Western Roman Catholic Church. Last semester, I took a class in which my final presentation in the course was on the Crusades. This subject was also briefly described in the text as well. I find that points of view will vary depending on the sources that are being referenced. This is fine, because all points of view should be taken into consideration and respected.
In my research, the Crusades began because Emperor Alexius who ruled the Byzantine Empire asked Pope Urban II for help since the Seljuk Turks were forcing their way into some of the Emperor's regions. The wording of the text insinuated that there was friction between the West and the East, but even so, the East asked for help from the West and that's how the Crusades commenced. Yes, for certain there was much bloodshed as the Christians made their way forward on their journey. What was not emphasized in the text was a very important point, that most of the Crusaders were peasants that had absolutely no training in weaponry or in battle whatsoever. They were farmers who fought for God. Their religious beliefs were first and foremost in their lives. They were willing to fight for God and for many, that is exactly what they did. So there was definitely bloodshed. What I try to imagine when I visualize the Crusades in my mind is if I was a peasant with no knowledge of the outside world and now I am traveling through foreign lands not recognizing people along the way, and then fighting ensues, I tend to believe that these peasants would have been trying to kill whoever was in their path trying to protect themselves. Whether that is an incorrect way of perceiving the situation or not, it is a very great possibility that that's what occurred.
The chapter did provoke in me many questions that I will definitely delve deeper in understanding the origins of my own faith. It was very interesting to read the falling of regions and the blossoming of others and what were the elements of motivation from different perspectives. I am undeniably fortunate to have read these pages with some background information already in my memory to assist me in being able to visualize the events as they occurred.
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