Summary: <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> “Religion is the cause of all wars.” This<br> is a popular assumption in the West – but also a lazy one. History suggests the<br> relationship between religion and violence is much more complicated.<br> <br> <br> One of the best-known episodes of violence<br> in the history of the Christian church is the Crusades. But how much do we<br> really know about this notorious conflict?<br> <br> <br> In this episode of Life & Faith, we speak<br> to experts and scholars who unpack the history, myths and misconceptions<br> surrounding this series of religious wars between the 11th and 15th<br> centuries.<br> <br> <br> “The Crusades seem glamorous, they seem<br> dramatic, they seem alien,” says historian Christopher Tyerman. “In the West …<br> they are seen as an example of medieval brutality in the name of religion. In<br> other parts of the world they have been rebranded as an example of early<br> Western imperialism and colonialism. Both sides of that equation are false.”<br> <br> This is Part II of our four-part series featuring interviews from our<br> forthcoming documentary, For the Love of<br> God: How the Church is Better and Worse Than You Ever Imagined. To catch up<br> on Part I and to make sure you don’t miss the rest of the series, subscribe to<br> Life & Faith on iTunes: <a href="http://bit.ly/lifeandfaithpodcast">http://bit.ly/lifeandfaithpodcast</a>.<br>
