Question regarding the Crusades

[LightSpectra]

It varied, with the spiritual rewards generally becoming greater with each passing crusade. IIRC in the First Crusade it would offset some previous sins, but by the the 13th century you basically got a guaranteed beeline to heaven for participating in one.

In the 13th century, crusades were essentially also guaranteed martyrdom.

 

[Yui108]

Yeah, I remember reading that. I think similar awards were offered to anyone who would aid Constantinople in its last gasps as well, which were greeted with pretty much a collective snort.

 

[say1988]

Unfortunately those offerings weren't backed up by plunder (implicitly or explicitly), which I suspect motivated far more to join then the religious promises.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

The plenary indulgence which was granted to Crusaders was not a promise of salvation and entrance to heaven. Under Catholic doctrine, salvation and entrance to heaven could be achieved only through Christ. Indulgences, plenary or otherwise, were not guarantees of salvation. What they did was let you off time in purgatory prior to your salvation. In other words, they didn't secure forgiveness for your sins; they let you off (some of) the punishment you were due for the sins that God had already forgiven you for. (This was because they thought that even though God had forgiven you your sins, you still had a bit of purging due to you.) If you weren't going to be saved anyway, you wouldn't be going to purgatory in the first place, and an indulgence wouldn't do you much good.

I'm guessing that any indulgence, partial or plenary, would apply solely to the man doing the Crusading? This is curiosity based, as it is fairly well known that while I was baptised Catholic and did the whole communion thing, I am non-practicing and consider myself to be an atheist.

But I do think it would be interesting if they deeds of my forebears would have affected me or my family. From what I've learned from research, my family went on two of the Crusades. I don't know which Crusade, or who they were crusading against.

 

[Dachs]

Unfortunately those offerings weren't backed up by plunder (implicitly or explicitly), which I suspect motivated far more to join then the religious promises.

Not so much. Chris Tyerman, for instance, has shown that contrary to going east to find plunder, a lot of men and families impoverished themselves to go on Crusade. Pure plunder motive wouldn't make a whole lot of sense in that context.

 

[Plotinus]

I'm guessing that any indulgence, partial or plenary, would apply solely to the man doing the Crusading? This is curiosity based, as it is fairly well known that while I was baptised Catholic and did the whole communion thing, I am non-practicing and consider myself to be an atheist.

But I do think it would be interesting if they deeds of my forebears would have affected me or my family. From what I've learned from research, my family went on two of the Crusades. I don't know which Crusade, or who they were crusading against.

I've never heard of any kind of indulgence including the subject's descendants, and I can't find any references to such a thing. Sorry! You'll have to do your own crusading. Of course, if you've apostasised from the church, then even if any indulgence were to apply to you, it wouldn't work, because you're not destined for purgatory or heaven in the first place...

 

[GinandTonic]

Wives did figure in some way. They would be protected by the church or exempted some taxation or interest or somesuch.

 

[Lord Baal]

Wives did figure in some way. They would be protected by the church or exempted some taxation or interest or somesuch.

In theory. I don't think the church had any actual say on the matter of taxation. Maybe in the Papal States themselves.

 

[innonimatu]

In theory. I don't think the church had any actual say on the matter of taxation. Maybe in the Papal States themselves.

But they did. They certainly managed to get tax exemptions for the Church. And to charge tithes. And they were were temporal lords in many places throughout Europe. Whether the Pope could enforce such a promise on his bishops and abbots is another question!

 

[Verbose]

In theory. I don't think the church had any actual say on the matter of taxation. Maybe in the Papal States themselves.

Well, I seem to recall there being rather serious complaints from within the French 13th c. nobility (Joinville) over how easy it seemingly had become for them to get personally excommunicated when having a run-in with ecclesiastical interests, often over money-matters. Not going to make a grand sweeping statement based on that kind of gleaning, but the excommunication-weapon certainly seems to have been part of the Church arsenal, and probably at local levels as well.

 

[Lord Baal]

But they did. They certainly managed to get tax exemptions for the Church. And to charge tithes. And they were were temporal lords in many places throughout Europe. Whether the Pope could enforce such a promise on his bishops and abbots is another question!

Depends on the location and the time period I suppose. I can't see that sort of interference flying in Sweden, for example.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

I've never heard of any kind of indulgence including the subject's descendants, and I can't find any references to such a thing. Sorry! You'll have to do your own crusading. Of course, if you've apostasised from the church, then even if any indulgence were to apply to you, it wouldn't work, because you're not destined for purgatory or heaven in the first place...

Though one could argue that my "religion" says I won't be going to anywhere, save a small hole in the ground.