The Avenger of Christ Against Evildoers

Bernard of clavaux was best known in his day for treatises on love for god. In the wake of the first crusade, he pen's famous in praise of the new knighthood. It assures soldiers that fighting in a crusade is not the same as fighting for worldly honor. Bernard criticises traditional forms of knighthood and contrasts it with being christ's knight. The symbolic nature of the paragraph could hardly be clearer. Still, bernard's full throated defence of holy violence is unmistakable - and utterly depressing.