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Religion, politics, and blood: the Crusades and the persecutions against the Jewish communities. Chickens coming home to roost…. From Chaucer (end of the 14 th century):
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Religion, politics, and blood: the Crusades and the persecutions against the Jewish communities
Chickens coming home to roost… • From Chaucer (end of the 14th century): • ‘And ofte tyme swich cursynge wrongfully retorneth agayn to hym that curseth, as a bryd that retorneth agayn to his owene nest’
From last time • From feudal France to the Italian ‘comuni’: the commercial revolution • Holy Roman Emperor: politics and religion • Emperors appointing Bishops: what happens if the Pope is not OK with this, or what happens when the chickens come home to roost?
The investiture controversy • In 1076 Henry IV tries to depose the Pope • The Pope excommunicates Henry • What were the arguments used by Henry and Gregory against each other? We looked at the source…
Main arguments • Emperor: ‘Our Lord Jesus Christ has called us to kingship’ –affirmation of the divine origin of his political authority • Emperor: St. Peter said ‘fear God, honour the king’ • Pope: the successor of Peter, PRINCE of the Apostles • Pope: affirmation of the supreme spiritual and POLITICAL nature of his authority • How does it end?
Canossa 12th c. manuscript
Thus, by the end of the 11th century.. • Time of wealth and prosperity in Europe • Different forms of political organization • A huge victory for the Pope • Papacy and religion stronger than ever: they start to attack their ‘enemies’
The first Crusade (1096-1099) • In the 1050s the Muslims advanced into Christian territories… • In 1071 the Muslims defeated the army of the Byzantines and had conquered the Holy Land • In 1095 Pope Urban II preached on the need to help the Christians • In 1099 the Christian army seized Jerusalem
The last Crusade: in 1291 the Muslim armies defeat the Christians Arabic ms., undated
First chapters in the history of discrimination • The Jewish community and the Roman empire • Judaism and Christianity: once united, now separated • 11th century commercial revolution and the Jewish community: the question of money-lending
Persecution • Holy Roman Empire and Jewish casualties during the first crusade • 12th century England: Jews admitted as money-lenders but taxed heavily and attacked • 12th century France: Jews expelled by Philip Augustus from the Ile-de-France
Putting all together.. • Crusades and persecution against Jews: a common thread • The strengthening of the Christian Church • The strengthening of the monarchies • Intolerance as a consequence of such process of identity formation • Social and cultural consequences…
Courtly love: Look at your source! • Look at n.1 and n.31: what do you think? What kind of ‘love’ are we talking about? • Look at n.10: what does that suggest you? Think about the commercial revolution and the economic prosperity • How about, for instance, 15 and 16? What kind of source are we dealing with? • How about n.18? Think about the self-made-man aspect as a social consequence of the commercial revolution • How about n.29? The question of ‘passions’ in a Christian society
Courtly life • Chivalry • Troubadours • Patronesses • ‘Cortesia’, or the all-encompassing virtue of the knight • What is different from the earlier knight-culture you saw?