The Crusade Indulgence

Ane L. Bysted, Ph.D. (2004), University of Southern Denmark, is teaching medieval history at Aarhus University. She has written on crusade theology and the Baltic crusades, and is co-author of Jerusalem in the North. Denmark and the Baltic Crusades 1100-1522 (Brepols, 2012)

Specialists and students interested in the ideology of the crusades and the development of indulgences in 12th-century theology, and anyone interested in the preaching of the crusades.

Preface

Abbreviations

1. Introduction
1.1. Definition of indulgences
1.1.1. Problems related to confessional disputes
1.2. Historiography of the crusade indulgences
1.2.1. The historiography within the history of theology and doctrine
1.2.2. The ‘Gottlob-thesis’ and the transcendental effect
1.2.3. The historiography within histories of the crusades
1.2.4. Conclusions

2. Origins
2.1.1. The reward granted at Clermont 1095
2.1.2. Spiritual rewards for warriors before the First Crusade
2.1.3. Pope Urban II and the spiritual merit for the First Crusade

3. Theological Development
3.1. The indulgences in the eleventh century
3.1.1. The emergence of indulgences
3.1.2. The penitential discipline
3.1.3. The meaning of penances in the late eleventh century
3.1.4. Conclusions
3.2. The theology of indulgences
3.2.1. Twelfth-century theology on penances
3.2.2. The discussion begins: Peter Abelard
3.2.3. The theology of indulgences until c. 1230
3.2.4. The Fourth Lateran Council 1215
3.2.5. The treasury of merit
3.2.6. The theologians on the crusade indulgences
3.2.7. The theologian crusaders
3.2.8. Conclusions

4. Institutional Development
4.1. The crusade indulgence as a privilege
4.2. The development of the spiritual privilege
4.2.1. The formation of the formula
4.2.2. The significance of the various formulas
4.2.2.1. Remissions of sins
4.2.2.2. Remissions of penances
4.2.3. Summary of the significance of the various formulas
4.2.4. The warrant of the effect
4.2.5. Conclusions

5. Earning Merit
5.1. Defence of Christ and Christendom
5.1.2. Theories of just war
5.1.3. The fifth commandment
5.2. Service of Christ and imitation of Christ
5.3. From sacrificium acceptabile to tempus acceptabile
5.4. Conclusions

6. Proclaiming The Message
6.1. Preachers and sermons

7. Conclusions

Appendix A: Decrees of spiritual rewards for crusades, 1095-1215
Appendix B: Tables

Bibliography