Question

Did the crusading movement, both in Iberia and the Levant, do more to help or harm the relationship between the Christian church and the rulers of western Europe in this period? Why?

a) Crusades strengthened the church's influence, fostering unity.
b) Crusades strained church-ruler relations due to power struggles.
c) Crusades had no impact on church-ruler relationships.
d) Crusades led to the secularization of the church's authority.

Answer 1

The crusading movement both strengthened church influence and caused power struggles, ultimately leading to a degree of secularization of church authority.

Step-by-step explanation:

The crusading movement, encompassing campaigns in both Iberia and the Levant, had complex repercussions on the relationship between the Christian church and the rulers of western Europe. While the Crusades initially indicated the papacy's growing influence and fostered a sense of unity among Christians, they also led to power struggles that strained church-ruler relations. Monarchs increasingly pursued their national interests, leading to the development of strong centralized powers that often operated independently or in direct conflict with ecclesiastical authority. Hence, both options a and b have valid points. The secularization of church authority was also a longer-term consequence of the Crusades. As crusading became institutionalized and taken up for various regional conflicts, kings often needed the papal support or indulgences that the church could provide, but simultaneously they built powerful bureaucracies and military capabilities that operated separately from ecclesiastical control.