Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

Elyse Nelmark
Central Michigan University
Crusades of Past and Present:
Exploring Destructive and Life Affirming Action in Religion
On May 5, 2003, Southern Christian Missionary leader Albert Mohler and Professor of
Comparative Religion, Charles Kimball, appeared on National Public Radio‟s “Fresh Air.” Albert Mohler
spoke with enthusiasm on the prospect of Christian missionaries taking the Gospel to the Middle East.
Kimball was concerned such an action might appear to Iraqis to be another crusade the West was bringing
to the East. In 1095, the “God wills it” message inspired people to march as holy warriors to Jerusalem
under the banner of the cross where they would kill Muslims, Jews, and Orthodox Christians. The
memory of the Crusades is still a sensitive subject for those in the present day Middle East, according to
Kimball. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Bush made a grave mistake in his choice of terms, where he
described the soon-to-be war on terrorism as a “crusade.” He apologized for this remark after the statement
caused global outrage. As someone studying both English and Religion, these issues surrounding the
Crusades, and the word „crusade‟ itself, fascinated me. I researched the development of the word
„crusade‟, with the help of the Oxford English Dictionary. The term „crusade,‟ as it has been understood and
used historically, can mean “any war instigated and blessed by the Church for alleged religious ends …
against infidels or heretics.” However, language develops, and a crusade, in the modern sense, can be used
to describe, “An aggressive movement or enterprise against some public evil, or some institution or class of
persons considered as evil.” The complexity and sensitivity surrounding the word „crusade‟ illustrates how
language can be used to express both destructive or life affirming action. We should be on guard for how
terms such as a „crusade‟, or even „patriot‟ or „hero‟ are used, and that these terms are not used in political
and religious rhetoric to legitimize destructive behavior. A crusade can include life-affirming behavior, and
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