Medieval Latin writers framed the Crusade as Christian defence against Islamic aggression

Evidence

St Bernard: Ep. 458; cf. 457 and de laude 111. Vitry: one MS (Paris, B. nat., lat. 6244) presents the biography of Muhammad specifically in juxtaposition to the Islamic aggression and the Christian defence, i.e. Crusade: ‘Vita Machometi, qualiter seduxit terram sanctam, sive ecclesiam orientalem’. There was, as for all Christians always, a special mystique of Jerusalem: ‘umbilicus est terrarum, quasi alter Paradisus deliciarum’ (Robert, loc. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2106

Categorization

• XREF: Reinforces the standing directive’s ‘defence’ framing that Urban’s sermon invoked. — connects to: Missionary ‘defence of the faith’ rhetoric paralleled Crusade justifications; The medieval Muslim-idol legend originated as Crusade war propaganda