ID | 103313 |
Title Proper | Theorizing the crusades |
Other Title Information | identity, institutions, and religious war in medieval Latin christendom |
Language | ENG |
Author | Latham, Andrew A |
Publication | 2011. |
Summary / Abstract (Note) | The "crusades"-a series of wars launched by the Latin Church between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries-pose a significant unresolved puzzle for International Relations Theory. The purpose of this article is to develop a historically sensitive yet theoretically governed account of the crusades that solves this puzzle. Empirically, the article draws heavily on a body of historiographical work that emphasizes the constitutive role of "religious" ideas and discourses in the evolution of the crusades. Theoretically, it adopts a constructivist approach, specifying the intersubjective factors that enabled the crusades to emerge as a significant instrument of papal "statecraft" and as a key element of medieval geopolitical relations. The article concludes with some reflections on the theoretical relevance of this account of the crusades for both medieval geopolitics and contemporary international relations. |
`In' analytical Note | International Studies Quarterly Vol. 55, No. 1; Mar 2011:p.223-243 |
Journal Source | International Studies Quarterly Vol. 55, No. 1; Mar 2011:p.223-243 |
Key Words | Identity ; Institutions ; Religious War ; Medieval Latin Christendom ; Latin Church ; International Relations Theory ; Medieval Geopolitics ; Contemporary International Relations |