Allen Cutler's Journal Article Analysis

Allen Cutler’s journal article delves in to the concept of military conflict and conversion to Christianity during the First Crusade. The author states that it was the intent of Pope Urban II who inherited his interest in crusading against Muslims from Pope Gregory VII, to Christianize Muslims, by words and example. There have been those who have argued Urban II had no interest in conversion, but Allen, counters their assumptions by presenting three document sources that imply that during Urban’s speech at Clermont he broached the subject of conversion, by referring to the Turks as “a race utterly alienated from God.” Allen surmises that Urban the implication is they were not “converted to Christianity” and therefore conversion was foremost on Pope Urban’s mind. The Pope also wanted to reinstall papal

This event rallied the Christians onto victory and laid to rest any latent desire of Christians to convert to Islam. At the same time, Allen assumes that the appearance of the Holy Lance caused an increase in the desire by Christian crusaders to convert the Muslim, rather than kill them. Peter the Hermit’s most interesting heroics occurred when he attempted to convert Kerbogha to Christianity. Kerbogha a great leader and fierce Muslim warrior refused the offer of conversion and the suggestion of resolving the conflict by using the battle of champions. Allen question Peter’s motives in asking Kerbogha to convert, however, it is Allen’s position that Peter was the type of man who would have ceased upon the appearance of the Holy Lance and then dedicated himself to the conversion of all people to Christianity. It is Allen’s contention that because of Peter the Hermits brave acts during the First Crusade and his dedication to the conversion of Muslims and Jews to Christianity it is the reason why there was such interest in conversion of Muslim during the thirteenth