All tagged "time is always open"
Welcome to the most-difficult-to-produce episode I've ever put out! Why? Because I am talking about Islam following the way Mohammed and the Koran talk(ed) about Islam. The West suffers from a kind of historical amnesia about both the Crusades and Islam; almost like there is a willful ignorance at work. But what did Mohammed himself offer to Muslims who go to war? With what kind of pious language did he describe jihad to the glory of Allah? To help frame the disconnect today I also explain the current perspective on religion versus how religion was always practiced, everywhere. And, to my surprise (I felt so naive) I note the reigning Protestant meme-perspective on the Crusades. To open the show I offer reflections both on today's Evangelical piety and the process of becoming who we are, as persons. We emphasize the "I'm at a crossroads!" decisions, but it is the little, daily, mundane decisions that truly shape who we are.
In my first two episodes I laid out geographically-oriented motivations for Crusading. This week we explore the religious motives of Crusaders. What were they offered by the papacy in return for joining a crusade? Was every Crusader on a journey of religious gain? Were Crusaders motivated either by their own poverty or a desire to evangelize pagans? Who was more likely to join a crusade, younger or elder brothers? Why? To develop our understanding of Medieval Catholic piety I explain and explore the Catholic practice of granting indulgences. I also warn us of running history through a sieve of chronological snobbery. Moreover, I address, yet again, the Postmodern interpretation of the Crusades and explain why that take is really just a cudgel to shame and silence Christians. In the show's opening theological reflection I ask, "what is faith?" To answer that I unpack the perspective of famed (by tormented) Russian author, Fyodor Dostoevsky, who famously once wrote, "beauty will save the world." I find both his insights about human nature and the nature of faith to be both helpful and true.