Jacob Parker
Farmer
History 4B
Section: 11 Fri
Religion and Violence in Raoul of Cambrai and Pope Urban II’s First Crusade Speech
Following the birth of the Christianity, violence against heretics, or those who supposedly were a threat to the religion itself, steadily continued until it culminated in the crusades – the first of which was launched by Pope Urban II. In the speech that launched the crusade the broadening of terms used to classify “the enemy” illustrate the same methods used to justify violence towards others, even those that were Christian, in the tale of Raoul of Cambrai. In both texts the mitigation of violence towards others is propagated by the argument that that the enemy has subject both the religion and people of the victim to harm and disgrace. In each text religion motivates violence by defining clear enemies and being a justification for violence against people that weren’t clear enemies; however, clear impetus for ferocity by religious leader is only identified clearly in the speech because the speaker is in fact a religious leader.
The Essay on Crusades Vs. Jihads
Christian Crusades and Muslim MassacresIn the early part of the eleventh century, Christians led crusades to spread Christianity to the other religions of the world, mainly Muslims. However, the Crusades were not initially meant to be a religious war but instead to protect the Christians going on religious pilgrimages to Jerusalem from being persecuted by the Muslims who had also claimed Jerusalem ...
In Raoul of Cambrai there are many instances where the God is utilized by the in order to substantiate past violence or give clear reason for action against the enemy. For example, when the soldier returns to the encampment of Raoul after stealing from the town and attracting unwanted followers, he convinces Raoul to attack the town through a cunning, yet false argument involving vengeance and God. “May God never help your body if you do not take vengeance on the townsmen, who are so rich and proud and haughty. To them neither you nor anyone is worth a farthing…” (Raoul, Stanza 68).
Although religion is not the cause of ensuing pillaging of the town, it is the justified by it – without the mention to God not helping the army leader’s body in the afterlife, Raoul may not have had a reason for vengeance on such a ridiculous scale. After the burning of the town results in the death of Bernier’s mother, he exclaims, “…0 Raoul, felon, God must punish you! I wish to do you homage no more. If now I cannot avenge this shame, I hold myself not worth a farthing…” (Raoul, Stanza 71).
Although Bernier seemingly puts the fate of vengeance in the hands of his God at first, it is evident that this “action” by God is something that he plans to carry out. The resulting death of Raoul by Bernier’s hand demonstrates the degree to which religion mitigates violence. This institution meant to develop morals is twisted into a validation to act on baser desires for vengeance and power is also quite evident in Pope Urban II’s speech beginning the First Crusade.
The desire for those in power to keep it and build upon it is very much the driving force for the call to First Crusade as Pope Urban II is not simply preaching his religion, but making claims about other religions and his own that simply aren’t true. Here, a religious leader is the vessel upon which these false assertions reach crusaders. “…[A] race from the kingdom of the Persians, an accursed race,… utterly alienated from God, a generation forsooth which has
not directed its heart and has not entrusted its spirit to God, has invaded the lands of those Christians…”( Crusades, c. 1096-1150, Speech, in Primary Sources, Week 2, p. 29).
Two notes present in the minds of soldiers in Raoul of Cambrai are also present here in this passage – vengeance and false notions about religion (Christianity and others).
The Essay on Douglass God Auld Religion
In both of the writings by Douglass and Stowe, the question is raised concerning the existence of God. On page 1790 while watching the sails of the ships on Chesapeake Bay Douglass cries out for God to save him and grant him freedom and then states, "Is there any God" On pages 2330 in response to Mr. Wison's suggestion to trust in the Lord, George replies, "Is there a God to trust in There's a God ...
Muslims and Jews are monotheistic and believe in a God that at the very least could be argued to be very similar to the Christian God (Galli).
Also, once again the God’s vengeance is placed in the hands of humans. Thus it is obvious that the great acts of violence towards Christians and Muslims that followed were substantiated and brought about by religion and its leaders.
In brief, both these works portrayed the influence of religion in driving men to violence against fellow man. Whether the reason was creating religious purity, vengeance, or fear of God, each resulted in malicious intention and spawned from religion. Pope Urban II had a voice that was heard by many, so when some of these reasons were backed by his word, it gave all the more reason to kill for those in the crusade desperate for eternal salvation. A quote from the Western Islamic scholar Pickthall illuminates similar nature of false conviction present in each of these texts: “If Europe had known as much of Islam… those mad, adventurous, occasionally chivalrous and heroic, but utterly fanatical outbreak known as the Crusades could not have taken place….” Aside from the evident difference of one work being a speech from a religious leader, both writings indicate the power of religion to spark violence in those naïve to others religion and their own.
Works Cited
“Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction.” ChristianityToday.com | Magazines, News, Church Leadership & Bible Study. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/april/muslimschristianssamegod.html>.
English, Uplifted. “A Brief Biography of Marmaduke Pickthall.” Mas’ud Ahmed Khan’s Home Page. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/bmh/BMM-AHM- pickthall_bio.htm>.
Herlihy, David. “Fiefs, Feuds and Justice in Raoul of Cambrai.” The History of Feudalism. Ed. Patricia Herlihy. 131-77. Print. Excerpts reproduced in Sharon Farmer,History 4b, Primary Sources, Week 2.
Urban II, Pope. “Crusades, c. 1096-1150.” Excerpts reproduced on the Internet Medieval Sourcebook, and in Sharon Farmer,History 4b, Primary Sources, Week 2.
The Term Paper on True Religion God Love Reason
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