Medieval History
... and not just in my lecture series. Via Naked Philologist, I have just been informed that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem -- the ultimate goal of the First Crusade (and many others to Palestine) -- is in danger of collapsing in on itself. Most of it has to do with the warring factions of churchmen who dwell within the church. Let The Times 'splain:
- Medieval Suffolk Church Gets Closer To Major Lottery Funding
St Mary's Church in Ickworth has been awarded £52,100 after passing the first round of the English Heritage and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant application process. If successful, Ickworth Church Conservation Trust (ICCT) would receive more than...
- Crusaders Massacre Of Jerusalem Was Done In Cold-blood, Not Religious Frenzy, Historian Argues
A leading historian of the Crusades believes that 1099 massacre of Jerusalem?s inhabitants by the army of the First Crusade was not the result of religious fervour, but rather, ?the cold-blooded implementation of??ethnic cleansing?.? In his recent article,...
- The Latest Dispute In Jerusalem Is Over A Medieval Cellar
A city famous for its ethnic and religious tensions may undergo more unrest within the next few weeks as decision is set to be made over the ownership of a long-forgotten medieval cellar that for centuries has been filled with rubbish. The cellar, which...
- The Problematic Crusades
The crusades as an historiographical (sub-)field have become increasingly problematic. Much of this has to do with 9/11 and the new emphasis on, and interest in, holy war and/or religious violence. But, in fairness, it was trending the way it's now...
- Invention Of The Holy Cross
Norbury, Derbyshire, originally uploaded by Vitrearum.This figure of St Helen holding the True Cross is an appropriate image for today as we celebrate the feast of the Holy Cross, or to give it its western title Exaltatio Sanctae Crucis, the 'Raising...
Medieval History
The Crusades Continue
... and not just in my lecture series. Via Naked Philologist, I have just been informed that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem -- the ultimate goal of the First Crusade (and many others to Palestine) -- is in danger of collapsing in on itself. Most of it has to do with the warring factions of churchmen who dwell within the church. Let The Times 'splain:
The church has been vigilantly managed by six competing and often fractious Christian denominations ? Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Coptic, Syrian Orthodox and Ethiopian ? since an agreement reached under Ottoman law in 1757.
Rival denominations often battle for access or space and the congregation at the annual Easter service sometimes resembles the terraces of a boisterous football match. The keys to the main entrance of the church have been held by a Muslim family since the 12th century because the Christians do not trust one another.
2 things here: 1) in all seriousness, see how Jerusalem -- holy space, more generally -- incites such passion, and 2) how quickly that passion can lead directly to violence. Because, it's not just that the factions don't trust each other, it's that they don't trust each other to the point that they actually engage in fist-fights over intellectual slights, be they real or perceived. Oh, and maybe it's just the medievalist in me, but isn't it just plain weird to think of Franciscans involved in fist-fights?
- Medieval Suffolk Church Gets Closer To Major Lottery Funding
St Mary's Church in Ickworth has been awarded £52,100 after passing the first round of the English Heritage and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant application process. If successful, Ickworth Church Conservation Trust (ICCT) would receive more than...
- Crusaders Massacre Of Jerusalem Was Done In Cold-blood, Not Religious Frenzy, Historian Argues
A leading historian of the Crusades believes that 1099 massacre of Jerusalem?s inhabitants by the army of the First Crusade was not the result of religious fervour, but rather, ?the cold-blooded implementation of??ethnic cleansing?.? In his recent article,...
- The Latest Dispute In Jerusalem Is Over A Medieval Cellar
A city famous for its ethnic and religious tensions may undergo more unrest within the next few weeks as decision is set to be made over the ownership of a long-forgotten medieval cellar that for centuries has been filled with rubbish. The cellar, which...
- The Problematic Crusades
The crusades as an historiographical (sub-)field have become increasingly problematic. Much of this has to do with 9/11 and the new emphasis on, and interest in, holy war and/or religious violence. But, in fairness, it was trending the way it's now...
- Invention Of The Holy Cross
Norbury, Derbyshire, originally uploaded by Vitrearum.This figure of St Helen holding the True Cross is an appropriate image for today as we celebrate the feast of the Holy Cross, or to give it its western title Exaltatio Sanctae Crucis, the 'Raising...