The Crusades: A Part of the Climate Crisis Story

The podcast episode discusses the connection between the Crusades and the climate crisis. It highlights how the violence and domination displayed during the Crusades, driven by religious motivations and a desire to impose one group's will on the world, contributed to the current environmental crisis. The discussion explores the historical context of the Crusades, including the speech by Pope Urban II calling for Christians to fight against Muslim control of the Holy Land. It also looks at the influence of the Roman Empire's approach to war and the adoption of the concept of Holy War by Christians. The episode examines the impact of the crusaders' large-scale violence against non-Christians, such as the slaughter of Muslims and Jews during the siege of Jerusalem. It also touches on the view of the crusades as an early form of Western imperialism in the Middle East and the religious fervor and desire for heavenly rewards that motivated participants. The episode concludes by emphasizing the ongoing fighting over control of the Holy Land and the long-lasting consequences of the Crusades in shaping Western Europe's colonial mindset.