New Books in Intellectual History Marcel Elias, "English Literature and the Crusades: Anxieties of Holy War, 1291-1453" (Cambridge UP, 2024)
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Feb 16, 2025 Marcel Elias, an assistant professor at Yale and expert in medieval literature, dives into the intricacies of crusade romances in his latest work. He discusses how these narratives reveal anxieties about divine endorsement and the morality of violence. Elias explores the character of the Muslim warrior who converts, challenging Christian notions of power. He introduces 'reverse Orientalism,' depicting Muslim virtues alongside critiques of Christians. The conversation illuminates how these medieval texts express complex emotions and reflect on the crusading mindset.
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Personal Origins Of The Project
- Marcel Elias recounts reading historical fantasy as a teenager and later living in Mediterranean regions that mixed Christian and Muslim legacies.
- These personal experiences converged to inspire his book on crusade romances and interfaith relations.
Romances Show Ambivalent Crusade Culture
- Elias argues Middle English crusade romances are ambivalent: they promote holy war ideals while expressing anxieties about them.
- The texts question God's support, crusader sinfulness, Christian divisions, and the morality of violence.
Adaptations Heighten Crusade Doubts
- Middle English Charlemagne romances added scenes that heighten doubt, depict quarrelsome crusaders, and praise certain Muslim virtues.
- Elias links these adaptations to multilingual historical sources that reflect contemporaneous anxieties.
