Articles on Crusades

Displaying 1 - 20 of 26 articles

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. on March 31, 2026. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

What is CREC and how does it shape Pete Hegseth’s religious rhetoric?

Hegseth is a member of the CREC, whose beliefs are rooted in a 20th-century movement called Christian Reconstructionism. The movement calls for the implementation of biblical law.
An 18th-century stained glass window panel by William Peckitt, showing The Last Supper of Christ and the disciples. TonyBaggett via iStock / Getty Images Plus

Why is an ultimate goal called a ‘Holy Grail?’

Several threads, including pre-Christian mythology, veneration of relics in Christian tradition, and medieval literature, have combined over the centuries into the Holy Grail metaphor of today.
Children at an Orthodox Christmas Mass at the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City on Jan. 7, 2023. Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images

Palestinian Christians and Muslims have lived together in the region for centuries − and several were killed recently while sheltering in the historic Church of Saint Porphyrius

Many Christian and Muslim families in Gaza today were displaced following the creation of new Arab and Jewish states. Today, Palestinian Christians occupy a complicated place in this region.
Hulagu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, seated with his Eastern Christian queen Doquz Khatun. History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

With fewer than 1,500 Catholics in Mongolia, Pope Francis’ upcoming visit brings attention to the long and complex history of the minority religious group

The Catholic community that Pope Francis will visit later this month has a complex history that goes back to the 13th century, when the Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan.
A procession of Christian girls, venerating the Cross, in the village of Qanat Bekish, Lebanon. AP Photo/Hussein Malla

The history of the cross and its many meanings over the centuries

Sept. 14 is the the Feast of the Holy Cross celebrated by many Catholics and some other Christians. A religion scholar revisits the history of the cross, how it became a symbol of divine love, but also of violence.
Twentieth-century depiction of a victorious Saladin with Guy de Lusignan after battle of Hattin in 1187. Said Tahsine (1904-1985 Syria) -

Understanding the Crusades from an Islamic perspective

The Crusades have been stereotyped, creating a narrative that supports both Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiments in the West, as well as “Westophobia” and paranoia in the Muslim world.

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