Some Important Thoughts on the First Crusade.

When we think of the Crusades, we tend to dismiss it is as a fanatical and violent expression of Catholic Christianity that is assigned completely to a by gone age. I would like to explore some of the important developments that led up to the First Crusade and argue that these developments were mostly positive especially from a spiritual point of view. The First Crusade was definitely the most successful and the most spiritually inspiring of all the Crusades, and I firmly believe that if it had not taken place the course of European history would be drastically different.

When the Germanic barbarians invaded Europe, Christendom was in a bleak state, but things began to when these barbaric warlike people began to adopt Christianity. Major Events in this time were the Baptism of King Clovis I of the Franks on Christmas Day 496 AD, and the subsequent conversion of the Normans several centuries later. The Normans and the Franks were of particular importance to the development of Medieval Europe and the Church's military strength, (the Normans would take over several nations throughout Europe, such as England and Southern Italy). These peoples brought to Catholic Europe a warlike spirit which certainly had with it some issues, but I would say there were more positives in this than negatives. Without them there would be a lot less military strength to defend Europe from the advance of Islam. 

Overall, the conversion of the Franks and the Normans brought about great spiritual renewal in the form of the Crusades. The Crusades were just as much spiritual warfare as they were physical warfare, the Crusaders saw themselves as fighting for Christ himself, as well as seeing Crusading as way of carrying their crosses. It was there way of being discipled by Christ. This ideal would have ripple effects for ages to come and it is still in a way available to us. It is hard to express what I mean by all this because it appears to me that those who were truly committed Christians who went on the First Crusade truly believed in the theological nature and signifance of their mission.

John Vidmar OP The Four Ages of the Church , A History (Paulist Press)