Context brings the brightest minds to your living room with perspective-shifting online lectures.

A History of the Crusades: An Eight-Part Course with Dr. Thomas F. Madden

A History of the Crusades: An Eight-Part Course with Dr. Thomas F. Madden


No events are scheduled at this time. Want to be notified when it’s back? Click the blue button to the right and we’ll notify you.

Can't make this time? A video recording will be sent to all participants after each event.

“God wills it!”
With that cry, the assembled knights at the Council of Clermont in 1095 ushered in a new era in the history of Europe. The fervor for the Crusades swept across the West and would animate history for the next five centuries. Originally called to rescue the Holy Land, recently conquered by the Turks, the Crusades became a major international project to halt and reverse the remarkable growth of Islamic kingdoms across the Mediterranean world.
Although today many people have heard of the Crusades, the images that dominate popular media today are grossly distorted. Thanks to a renaissance in Crusades scholarship over the last half-century, we now know much more about these Christian holy wars and the society that created them. In this course, participants will benefit from that research, as each week the Crusades and the Crusaders are revealed in a series of engaging lectures.
Dr. Thomas F. Madden is a leading scholar in the history of the medieval Mediterranean and especially the Crusades. He is the author of numerous scholarly studies and popular books on the subject, including the best-selling 'The Concise History of the Crusades' and 'The Fourth Crusade'. In these eight lectures, Dr. Madden will lead participants through the fascinating story of the Crusades, exploring their successes and failures, and introducing the Crusaders who made their marks on the period. Participants will benefit from the latest historical research offered in an understandable and compelling way.

Lecture 1: God Wills It!: The Expansion of Islam and the Birth of the Crusades
The storm of Muslim expansionism burst out of Arabia in the sixth century and soon conquered half of the Christian world. This lecture will describe the remarkable growth and Christian response. It will also explore the religious background for Crusade activity.
Lecture 2: The Stunning Victory of the First Crusade, 1095-1099
For the first time in history, tens of thousands of warriors marched thousands of miles deep into enemy territory without any centralized command, supply lines, or strategic plans. Yet, the men of the First Crusade were nonetheless amazingly successful. This lecture will march with the Crusaders, seeing up close their successes and failures.
Lecture 3: The Birth of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1095-1187
With the conquest of Jerusalem in 1095, the Crusaders formed a new kingdom that would last for nearly two centuries. This lecture will describe how the kingdom grew and the challenges that it faced with resurgent Muslim powers.
Lecture 4: Templars and Hospitallers: The Rise of the Military Orders
Monasteries and warriors were fused into one with the medieval invention of the military orders. This lecture will describe the rise of the Templars, Hospitallers, and other new orders. It will also discuss modern corruptions of these orders that have led to fantasies such as is found in Dan Brown novels.
Lecture 5: Lionhearts: Saladin, Richard I, and the Contest for Jerusalem, 1187-1192
In 1187 at the Battle of Hattin the Muslim leader, Saladin, crushed the Christian forces defending Jerusalem and soon conquered the Holy City and much of the Crusader Kingdom. This lecture will examine that victory and then follow the course of the Third Crusade, led Richard the Lionheart of England, which attempted to undo it.
Lecture 6: O City of Byzantium: The Tragedy of the Fourth Crusade, 1201-1204
Although the Crusaders in 1201 planned to make war on the Muslim caliphate in Egypt, they ended up sailing to Christian Constantinople and destroying it. This bizarre outcome will be explained in this lecture by following the Crusaders from their agreements in Venice to their betrayals in Constantinople.
Lecture 7:  The Decline and Fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1200-1291
Although Europeans continued to send massive Crusades to shore up the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the growing might of the Muslim powers in Egypt and Syria were unstoppable. This lecture will survey the Fifth Crusade and the Crusades of St. Louis finally concluding with the fall of Acre, the last Christian outpost in the Holy Land.
Lecture 8: Saving Europe: The Later Crusades, 1291-1571
The growth of Muslim power under the Mamluks and Turks meant that recapturing Jerusalem was no longer a serious possibility for Christians. Instead, the Crusades were repurposed as attempts to slow the relentless Muslim conquests of Europe itself. This lecture will survey the major events in this struggle, that led to the fall of Constantinople and the spectacular naval battle of Lepanto.

Thomas F Madden is Professor of History and Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University. As an author and historical consultant, he has appeared in such venues as The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and The History Channel. He is the author of "The Concise History of the Crusades," "The Fourth Crusade: The Conquest of Constantinople," and numerous other books and studies. He is a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Medieval Academy of America, and was named a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar.

How does it work?
This is an eight-part series held weekly and hosted on Zoom. Please check the schedule for the specific dates and times for each lecture.
Is there a reading list in advance?
Though the course is open to participants with no background in the history of the Crusades, there are suggested readings for further investigation. You will receive this soon after course registration.
How long are the lectures?
Each lecture is 90 minutes long with time for Q&A.
How much is the course?
The course is $280.00 for 8 lectures.
Is a recording available?
In general, our courses are not recorded. However, if you need to miss a lecture please let us know in advance and we can arrange for a recording for that session on an individual basis.

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.

Customer Reviews

Based on 83 reviews
93%
(77)
7%
(6)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
E
Elizabeth (Uniondale, US)
Review of course on the crusades

Course was excellent. I look forward to more topics by the same person.

M
Mary S (New York, US)
If all professors were like Dr Madden, everyone would love history

This eight part course was outstanding. Every week i was left with a feeling of "I can't wait to see what happens next week!" Dr. Madden is obviously one of the great experts on the topic, but, as important, an incredible communicator who shows us that many aspects of these times were so different than ours, but also many are the same. I will take any and all future courses he offers.

R
R.D. (Steamboat Springs, US)
History of the Crusades in 8 Seminars

This was an amazing series. Who knew the Crusades could be this fascinating! Dr Madden, an absolute fount of knowledge, brings the history to life, with stories of political intrigue, devastating battles, and even a few good laughs. Not a single boring or dry moment in any of the classes. I learned so much about this important part of world history, and was sorry when we reached the end of the eight classes. I have taken several other seminar series with Dr Madden and I would not hesitate to take anything else he offers.

K
Kathleen (Albany, US)
Excellent, As Always

An excellent, informative history of the Crusades that’s told by a real life historian who can tell it as a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, or computer as it were. All of Dr. maddens courses fit this description. I’ve taken several.

D
Debra B. (Denver, US)
The Crusades

Thorough and detailed history of the crusades, including the players, the politics, the geography, and the innuendos. Excellent.

Customer Reviews

Based on 83 reviews
93%
(77)
7%
(6)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
E
Elizabeth (Uniondale, US)
Review of course on the crusades

Course was excellent. I look forward to more topics by the same person.

M
Mary S (New York, US)
If all professors were like Dr Madden, everyone would love history

This eight part course was outstanding. Every week i was left with a feeling of "I can't wait to see what happens next week!" Dr. Madden is obviously one of the great experts on the topic, but, as important, an incredible communicator who shows us that many aspects of these times were so different than ours, but also many are the same. I will take any and all future courses he offers.

R
R.D. (Steamboat Springs, US)
History of the Crusades in 8 Seminars

This was an amazing series. Who knew the Crusades could be this fascinating! Dr Madden, an absolute fount of knowledge, brings the history to life, with stories of political intrigue, devastating battles, and even a few good laughs. Not a single boring or dry moment in any of the classes. I learned so much about this important part of world history, and was sorry when we reached the end of the eight classes. I have taken several other seminar series with Dr Madden and I would not hesitate to take anything else he offers.

K
Kathleen (Albany, US)
Excellent, As Always

An excellent, informative history of the Crusades that’s told by a real life historian who can tell it as a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, or computer as it were. All of Dr. maddens courses fit this description. I’ve taken several.

D
Debra B. (Denver, US)
The Crusades

Thorough and detailed history of the crusades, including the players, the politics, the geography, and the innuendos. Excellent.