Students of the medieval era regularly confront common misconceptions about a variety of issues, from the medieval Christian Church to feudalism to matters of hygiene. But of all the topics in Medieval Studies, it seems there is no subject that is more misunderstood by the general public, more misrepresented in popular history and fiction, and more misused in modern propaganda than the crusades of the Middle Ages.
In his new book, The Crusades, Christianity, and Islam, Jonathan Riley-Smith attempts to explain how this divergence between modern beliefs about the crusades and historical fact came about. It's a tall order for such a slim volume, but the author succeeds admirably.
Riley-Smith begins by defining the crusades, examining their status as holy wars, exploring the penitential aspect of crusading, and discussing contemporary criticism and defense of crusading activities. He does this in two concise chapters. Condensing a subject that has been debated and explored for decades in a plethora of books and articles into a mere 26 pages is a remarkable achievement, made all the more impressive by the author's deft combination of scholarly substantiation and an engaging style.
These two chapters alone are worth the price of the book, and serve as an outstanding introduction to the facts about the medieval crusades for the non-specialist and the non-academic. I found this segment especially thought-provoking, and couldn't help but draw parallels between the medieval "just war" theory and the issues facing us today.
The second half of The Crusades, Christianity, and Islam elucidates how post-medieval scholars interpreted the crusades, and how such factors as popular fiction and political posturing not only perpetuated misconceptions but influenced historical theory. This is particularly intriguing stuff, especially for those of us who spend most of our time immersed in the Middle Ages. Riley-Smith examines both western scholarship and the influences that affected Muslim historians, and argues -- quite successfully -- that the common Arab view of the crusades today extends no further back than the late 19th century.
There is some fascinating material, here, as well as a few passages that made me sit up, smack my forehead and say, "Ah-hah!"
This is a powerhouse of a book, enlightening, well-written and accessible, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the crusades enough to argue cogently about them. I hope it will motivate readers to learn more. If so, some of the best starting points are books written by Jonathan Riley-Smith, who is not only a renowned crusades scholar, but something of an idealist.
In the Introduction, the author expresses the conviction that "we cannot hope to comprehend -- and thereby confront -- those who hate us so much unless we understand how they are thinking, and this involves opening our eyes to the actuality -- not the imagined reality -- of our own past." These are words that all historians should take to heart, particularly those who study such controversial subjects as holy wars. But confronting the truth carries a certain risk.
Throughout the book Riley-Smith is objective and supported by sound scholarship. Nevertheless, I think he will provoke some antagonism. There will be Christians who don't want to believe that the crusades were not an aberration in Christian history, just as there will be Muslims who don't want to believe that the crusades were not an imperialistic attempt at colonization. There's only so much scholars can do when faced with those who are determined to cling to unfounded beliefs.
Here's hoping there are more readers willing to learn the facts than those determined to reject them.
The Crusades, Christianity and Islam by Jonathan Riley-Smith
Bampton Lectures in America
Columbia University Press
Hardback, 125 pages
ISBN-10: 0231146248
ISBN-13: 978-0231146241
