What do you think?
Rate this book
Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam
A riveting account of the lives and epic battles of eight Western defenders against violent Islamic jihad that sheds much-needed light on the enduring conflict with radical Islam.
In Defenders of the West, the author of Sword and Scimitar follows up with vivid and dramatic profiles of eight extraordinary warriors—some saints, some sinners—who defended the Christian West against Islamic invasions. Discover the real Count Dracula, Spain’s El Cid, England’s Richard Lionheart, and many other historical figures, whose true and original claim to fame revolved around their defiant stance against jihadist aggression. Defenders of the West is an instructive and inspiring read. Whereas Sword and Scimitar revolved around decisive battles, Defenders of the West revolves around decisive men.
In Defenders of the West, the author of Sword and Scimitar follows up with vivid and dramatic profiles of eight extraordinary warriors—some saints, some sinners—who defended the Christian West against Islamic invasions. Discover the real Count Dracula, Spain’s El Cid, England’s Richard Lionheart, and many other historical figures, whose true and original claim to fame revolved around their defiant stance against jihadist aggression. Defenders of the West is an instructive and inspiring read. Whereas Sword and Scimitar revolved around decisive battles, Defenders of the West revolves around decisive men.
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2022
363 people are currently reading
3001 people want to read
About the author
Raymond Ibrahim
12 books233 followersRAYMOND IBRAHIM is a widely published author, public speaker, and Middle East and Islam expert. His books include Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians (2013) and The Al Qaeda Reader (2007). His writings, translations, and observations have appeared in a variety of publications, including Fox News, Financial Times, Jerusalem Post, Los Angeles Times, New York Times Syndicate, United Press International, USA Today, Washington Post, Washington Times, and Weekly Standard; scholarly journals, including the Almanac of Islamism, Chronicle of Higher Education, Jane’s Islamic Affairs Analyst, Middle East Quarterly, and Middle East Review of International Affairs; and popular websites, such as American Thinker, the Blaze, Bloomberg, Christian Post, FrontPage Magazine, Gatestone Institute, the Inquisitr, Jihad Watch, NewsMax, National Review Online, PJ Media, VDH’s Private Papers, and World Magazine. He has contributed chapters to several anthologies and been translated into various languages.
Ibrahim guest lectures at universities, including the National Defense Intelligence College, briefs governmental agencies, such as U.S. Strategic Command and the Defense Intelligence Agency, provides expert testimony for Islam-related lawsuits, and has testified before Congress regarding the conceptual failures that dominate American discourse concerning Islam and the worsening plight of Egypt’s Christian Copts. Among other media, he has appeared on MSNBC, Fox News, C-SPAN, PBS, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, Blaze TV, CBN, NPR, and dozens of radio interviews.
Ibrahim’s dual-background—born and raised in the U.S. by Coptic Egyptian parents born and raised in the Middle East—has provided him with unique advantages, from equal fluency in English and Arabic, to an equal understanding of the Western and Middle Eastern mindsets, positioning him to explain the latter to the former. His interest in Islamic civilization was first piqued when he began visiting the Middle East as a child in the 1970s. Interacting and conversing with the locals throughout the decades has provided him with an intimate appreciation for that part of the world, complementing his academic training.
Raymond received his B.A. and M.A. (both in History, focusing on the ancient and medieval Near East, with dual-minors in Philosophy and Literature) from California State University. There he studied closely with noted military-historian Victor Davis Hanson. He also took graduate courses at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies—including classes on the history, politics, and economics of the Arab world—and studied Medieval Islam and Semitic languages at Catholic University of America. His M.A. thesis examined an early military encounter between Islam and Byzantium based on arcane Arabic and Greek texts.
Ibrahim’s resume includes serving as Associate Director of the Middle East Forum and working as a Reference Assistant at the Near East Section of the Library of Congress, where he was often contacted by, and provided information to, defense and intelligence personnel involved in the fields of terrorism and area studies, as well as the Congressional Research Service.
He resigned from both positions in order to focus exclusively on researching and writing and is currently a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, an associate fellow at the Middle East Forum, a Hoover Institution Media Fellow (2013), and a CBN News contributor.
Ibrahim guest lectures at universities, including the National Defense Intelligence College, briefs governmental agencies, such as U.S. Strategic Command and the Defense Intelligence Agency, provides expert testimony for Islam-related lawsuits, and has testified before Congress regarding the conceptual failures that dominate American discourse concerning Islam and the worsening plight of Egypt’s Christian Copts. Among other media, he has appeared on MSNBC, Fox News, C-SPAN, PBS, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, Blaze TV, CBN, NPR, and dozens of radio interviews.
Ibrahim’s dual-background—born and raised in the U.S. by Coptic Egyptian parents born and raised in the Middle East—has provided him with unique advantages, from equal fluency in English and Arabic, to an equal understanding of the Western and Middle Eastern mindsets, positioning him to explain the latter to the former. His interest in Islamic civilization was first piqued when he began visiting the Middle East as a child in the 1970s. Interacting and conversing with the locals throughout the decades has provided him with an intimate appreciation for that part of the world, complementing his academic training.
Raymond received his B.A. and M.A. (both in History, focusing on the ancient and medieval Near East, with dual-minors in Philosophy and Literature) from California State University. There he studied closely with noted military-historian Victor Davis Hanson. He also took graduate courses at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies—including classes on the history, politics, and economics of the Arab world—and studied Medieval Islam and Semitic languages at Catholic University of America. His M.A. thesis examined an early military encounter between Islam and Byzantium based on arcane Arabic and Greek texts.
Ibrahim’s resume includes serving as Associate Director of the Middle East Forum and working as a Reference Assistant at the Near East Section of the Library of Congress, where he was often contacted by, and provided information to, defense and intelligence personnel involved in the fields of terrorism and area studies, as well as the Congressional Research Service.
He resigned from both positions in order to focus exclusively on researching and writing and is currently a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, an associate fellow at the Middle East Forum, a Hoover Institution Media Fellow (2013), and a CBN News contributor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
January 9, 2024
History of Gigachads.
September 13, 2022
This book actually takes you on a journey of courage, bravery and selfless love for God and Christendom. These are the warriors, these are the soldiers, this is the Church Militant with Rosary and Crucifix in hand who fought to defeat the cruel and barbaric who enslaved, tortured and murdered countless Christians. Get this book for your sons especially, they will love these Knights of Courage with their stories of bravery and the sacrifice of everything for the sake of liberty and freedom to practice the Faith.
Here are some great quotes from the book:
About Lord Godfrey: "attacked an enormous bear... protecting a fellow knight who had fallen victim to it...the Duke..lamenting that he who had up to now escaped splendidly from all danger was about to be choked by this blood thirsty beast... he seized the monster and plunged the sword... while another knight also smote the bear.
About The Cid...:"During the battle the Apostle James the Greater(son of Zebedee) --- whose relics had long rested at this shrine of Santiago de Compostela is said to have appeared slaughtering thousands of Muslims."
About Saint Louis... "He spent liberally on churches, cathedrals, and monasteries... washed the feet of beggars and raised his children in humility.
About Skanderbeg ~ "The Albanian Braveheart was known for valor and incredible strength."
Your sons and grandsons will LOVE these stories. A gift for a priest as well.
I really can't say enough about this book, it will rouse you to courage and faith!
Here are some great quotes from the book:
About Lord Godfrey: "attacked an enormous bear... protecting a fellow knight who had fallen victim to it...the Duke..lamenting that he who had up to now escaped splendidly from all danger was about to be choked by this blood thirsty beast... he seized the monster and plunged the sword... while another knight also smote the bear.
About The Cid...:"During the battle the Apostle James the Greater(son of Zebedee) --- whose relics had long rested at this shrine of Santiago de Compostela is said to have appeared slaughtering thousands of Muslims."
About Saint Louis... "He spent liberally on churches, cathedrals, and monasteries... washed the feet of beggars and raised his children in humility.
About Skanderbeg ~ "The Albanian Braveheart was known for valor and incredible strength."
Your sons and grandsons will LOVE these stories. A gift for a priest as well.
I really can't say enough about this book, it will rouse you to courage and faith!
February 8, 2023
This was probably one of the best history books I’ve read in the last five years. It’s in the same vein as “Last Stands” by Michael Walsh, but hits a different note in the task of giving examples of great heroes to emulate. The examples of piety, unbridled courage, endurance, and sacrificial masculinity make this and Walsh’s work must read books for men of the modern era, who tend to sorely lack good examples of these traits so they can develop them in their own lives. As an able historian in the field of Islamic/Christian struggles this author ably gives the pertinent and full accounts to show these men accurately, with both their strengths and weaknesses. So this isn’t simple hero worship. It’s a call to be great men again. To truly love those we serve. And to go to any lengths for the things we love.
December 23, 2025
The best history book I’ve read this year, and in the top 10 history books I’ve read in my lifetime. History has gone through a modern revolution regarding how it is taught today. As regards the middle ages, Western Christians are portrayed as the aggressors and Muslims the defenders. Historical sources, however, tell a different story. Raymond Ibrahim goes back to the sources and cites real heroes who held off the Muslim Jihad from conquering, killing or enslaving European Christian peoples. Highly recommended for those wanting to know the real history of the crusades and attempted Muslim conquest of all of Europe. Warning: this book is not politically correct nor in line with the modern elites rewriting of history.
September 8, 2022
This is a grim book, detailed in its research and full of references to writings contemporary to the time of the events described. The Conclusion discusses, briefly, the fact that the West has turned against the heroes written about in the book, because it doesn't suit the current clime to think of Islamists as being the enemy, but it's plain that they were in the times Ibrahim writes about - for many centuries.
The book clears up any mystery about why Western Christians would go to the Holy Land to fight for Jerusalem, and for their fellow Christians. The 21st century thinking is against the facts. That the Muslims invaded Western/European countries over and over, sometimes conquering these nations, sometimes not, is indisputable. The same thing is happening in a different way today, and the West acts as though Islam was a friendly religion with no intent to harm Europe.
Writers in two or three hundred years will look back in astonishment - as we do in reading this book - that the West could be so foolish.
The book is unceasingly grim: endless battles, with beheadings and impalings (possibly one of the most vile executions to be imagined), with children sold into slavery, or taken freely after victories, with women raped or taken for harems, with men abused in all manner of physical ways. To be a Christian in some of the countries discussed was to live in fear of the enemy who was incessant in his attempts to conquer. To be a Christian was in a huge number of cases to be an innocent victim in battles where Islam won.
Certainly some of the eight heroes written about had their peculiarities, but their leadership qualities were enormous, their bravery unflinching. Ibrahim writes that without their courage and fortitude, the West might have long been under the rule of Islam. Think about that: many of the great writers and composers and artists of the West would have had no means to achieve their greatness. The glories of last centuries wouldn't have existed. It's a lesson we need to heed, if our grandchildren are not to suffer such a fate.
The book clears up any mystery about why Western Christians would go to the Holy Land to fight for Jerusalem, and for their fellow Christians. The 21st century thinking is against the facts. That the Muslims invaded Western/European countries over and over, sometimes conquering these nations, sometimes not, is indisputable. The same thing is happening in a different way today, and the West acts as though Islam was a friendly religion with no intent to harm Europe.
Writers in two or three hundred years will look back in astonishment - as we do in reading this book - that the West could be so foolish.
The book is unceasingly grim: endless battles, with beheadings and impalings (possibly one of the most vile executions to be imagined), with children sold into slavery, or taken freely after victories, with women raped or taken for harems, with men abused in all manner of physical ways. To be a Christian in some of the countries discussed was to live in fear of the enemy who was incessant in his attempts to conquer. To be a Christian was in a huge number of cases to be an innocent victim in battles where Islam won.
Certainly some of the eight heroes written about had their peculiarities, but their leadership qualities were enormous, their bravery unflinching. Ibrahim writes that without their courage and fortitude, the West might have long been under the rule of Islam. Think about that: many of the great writers and composers and artists of the West would have had no means to achieve their greatness. The glories of last centuries wouldn't have existed. It's a lesson we need to heed, if our grandchildren are not to suffer such a fate.
June 13, 2024
Defenders of the West was one of the most unbiased books I have read. It was filled with primary and secondary source quotes for each man discussed. If it were not for the title I would have no clue as to whether the author favored Christianity or Islam.
The book discusses eight heroes of the Christian faith who countered Islamic oppression of other Christians. Of these 8 defenders, 3 waged an aggressive holy war, based on Augustine's just war theory, against the Islamic occupation of the Christian middle east, and 5 waged a defensive war against Islamic advancement into their own territories.
Godfrey of Bouillon was the legendary leader of the First Crusade. He was strong; he cleaved a man in twain from the top of his helm to just above the opposite hip in a single stroke. He, and his allies Bohemond, Raymond, and others, ultimately retook Jerusalem from Turkish occupation. Godfrey refused the title of King of Jerusalem believing there was but one king over Jerusalem and, instead, took the title, 'Defender of the Christ's Sepulchre.'
'El Cid' means 'The Lord' in Spanish. Indeed, Roderick Diaz of Vivar, 'the Campeador' was master of the battlefield. He played a significant part in the long struggle to retake Spain and Portugal from their Islamic occupiers, the period known to history as the Reconquista. El Cid, "was a strong-willed and obstinate man who followed his path without deviating from it. Fundamentally tempestuous and violent by nature, he learnt how to hold himself in check. He got the better of his enemies by a perfect mastery over himself..." It was this self-mastery that allowed him to repel hordes of Muslim invaders and it was his obstinacy that caused him to be exiled on more than one occasion. The Cid retook Valencia from the moors, who had held it for four centuries, and then successfully defended it against an all-out invasion by the Muslim leader.
King Richard the Lionheart was feared by the Sultan more than a thousand Christian knights. "It was thoroughly understood that Saladin feared the charge of the whole [Crusader] army less than that of the king alone." (Richard of Devizes). Richard marched within sight of Jerusalem twice, but never attacked it, for to do so and succeed would have been pointless without having captured other territories first. Richard was so hated by the Muslim hordes for his prowess in battle that Raymond's parents, all but convinced of naming him Richard, changed his name to Raymond lest he be killed by a fanatical Muslim still smarting from the Crusades.
Saint Ferdinand was the final Champion of the Reconquista. It was he who finally drove the Muslim overlords from Spain and Portugal or caused them to bow the knee. Ferdinand had the bells of Saint James the Moor slayer, which had been carried on the backs of Christian slaves to a mosque as trophies of war back to their home 250 years later, on the backs of Muslims no less. In Reconquista lore Saint Ferdinand is counted as the greatest.
Saint Louis was known for his great piety in the face of great tribulation. At great cost to himself and his people, he launched a crusade to liberate the oppressed Christians in the Middle East. This Crusade was a great disaster, yet it revealed Louis's great piety. He refused to return home until he had secured the release of thousands of Christian prisoners. After returning back to France for a number of years he embarked on a second Crusade. He died of sickness in Cyprus. "Yet if a hero is judged by his commitment and self-sacrifice, as opposed to actual results and success, Louis may well be accounted as the greatest of them all." Pg 197.
"We have had enough of our men enslaved, our women raped, wagons loaded with severed heads of our people, the sale of chained captives, the mockery of our religion... [W]e shall not stop until we succeed in expelling the enemy from Europe." -John Hunyadi the White Knight of Wallachia. For his entire life, John Hunyadi fought the Ottomans in the Balkan peninsula. He was a contemporary of Skanderbeg, but due to the great success of each, they were always prevented from coming to each other's aid in pitched battles by the Sultan. His life was filled with great victories and great defeats. In the end, he was a lock on the door to Christian Europe that the Ottomans were never able to unlock. This was primarily accomplished through his successful defense of Belgrade against the Muslim Hordes.
Skanderbeg was a Jannisary. He was sent in his youth as a blood tax to the Muslims where he was then trained in the arts of war. He became a high general in the Ottoman army before escaping and taking a central fortress in Albania. He was sexually assaulted by the Sultan but overcame his childhood trauma. While the Ottomans tried to subdue him and his Albanian people he harrassed them from his mountain hideouts and Albanian fortresses. "With matchless strategy he [Skanderbeg] contrived to keep the myriads of his opponents from the walls [of Croya]. With energy almost superhuman, he swept unexpectedly, now here and now there, by night and by day, into the midst of the foe; every swordsman of his band hewed down scores, and his own blade flashed as the lightning and caused Moslem heads to fall like snowflakes where he passed. Thousands of the bravest warriors of Amurath [Murad] were thus swept away continuously. His hosts were diminishing to the point of Danger to his very person." Skanderbeg's, John Kastroiti, family crest became the national flag of Albania in honor of his person.
Vlad Dracula the III, the Dread Lord Impaler, was a thorn in the side of the Turks. "We will not flee before their savagery, but stand by all of the Christians... [and] by all means we will fight them." He was known for his Forest of the Impaled, a 6-mile forest of stakes of various heights upon which were impaled the bodies of numerous Turks (at least 20,000) and lawbreakers encompassing his castle. He was an extremely just man who judged ruthlessly. It is said that he put a golden goblet by a well in the middle of a forest for people to draw water from and that it was never stolen because all knew that whoever stole it would be impaled. Unfortunately, this Christian hero spent more of his life in prison than he did free. He was jailed by both Turks and other rulers of the Balkans. The events surrounding his death are unclear, but after his death, his head was impaled upon the highest stake in Constantinople.
The book discusses eight heroes of the Christian faith who countered Islamic oppression of other Christians. Of these 8 defenders, 3 waged an aggressive holy war, based on Augustine's just war theory, against the Islamic occupation of the Christian middle east, and 5 waged a defensive war against Islamic advancement into their own territories.
Godfrey of Bouillon was the legendary leader of the First Crusade. He was strong; he cleaved a man in twain from the top of his helm to just above the opposite hip in a single stroke. He, and his allies Bohemond, Raymond, and others, ultimately retook Jerusalem from Turkish occupation. Godfrey refused the title of King of Jerusalem believing there was but one king over Jerusalem and, instead, took the title, 'Defender of the Christ's Sepulchre.'
'El Cid' means 'The Lord' in Spanish. Indeed, Roderick Diaz of Vivar, 'the Campeador' was master of the battlefield. He played a significant part in the long struggle to retake Spain and Portugal from their Islamic occupiers, the period known to history as the Reconquista. El Cid, "was a strong-willed and obstinate man who followed his path without deviating from it. Fundamentally tempestuous and violent by nature, he learnt how to hold himself in check. He got the better of his enemies by a perfect mastery over himself..." It was this self-mastery that allowed him to repel hordes of Muslim invaders and it was his obstinacy that caused him to be exiled on more than one occasion. The Cid retook Valencia from the moors, who had held it for four centuries, and then successfully defended it against an all-out invasion by the Muslim leader.
King Richard the Lionheart was feared by the Sultan more than a thousand Christian knights. "It was thoroughly understood that Saladin feared the charge of the whole [Crusader] army less than that of the king alone." (Richard of Devizes). Richard marched within sight of Jerusalem twice, but never attacked it, for to do so and succeed would have been pointless without having captured other territories first. Richard was so hated by the Muslim hordes for his prowess in battle that Raymond's parents, all but convinced of naming him Richard, changed his name to Raymond lest he be killed by a fanatical Muslim still smarting from the Crusades.
Saint Ferdinand was the final Champion of the Reconquista. It was he who finally drove the Muslim overlords from Spain and Portugal or caused them to bow the knee. Ferdinand had the bells of Saint James the Moor slayer, which had been carried on the backs of Christian slaves to a mosque as trophies of war back to their home 250 years later, on the backs of Muslims no less. In Reconquista lore Saint Ferdinand is counted as the greatest.
Saint Louis was known for his great piety in the face of great tribulation. At great cost to himself and his people, he launched a crusade to liberate the oppressed Christians in the Middle East. This Crusade was a great disaster, yet it revealed Louis's great piety. He refused to return home until he had secured the release of thousands of Christian prisoners. After returning back to France for a number of years he embarked on a second Crusade. He died of sickness in Cyprus. "Yet if a hero is judged by his commitment and self-sacrifice, as opposed to actual results and success, Louis may well be accounted as the greatest of them all." Pg 197.
"We have had enough of our men enslaved, our women raped, wagons loaded with severed heads of our people, the sale of chained captives, the mockery of our religion... [W]e shall not stop until we succeed in expelling the enemy from Europe." -John Hunyadi the White Knight of Wallachia. For his entire life, John Hunyadi fought the Ottomans in the Balkan peninsula. He was a contemporary of Skanderbeg, but due to the great success of each, they were always prevented from coming to each other's aid in pitched battles by the Sultan. His life was filled with great victories and great defeats. In the end, he was a lock on the door to Christian Europe that the Ottomans were never able to unlock. This was primarily accomplished through his successful defense of Belgrade against the Muslim Hordes.
Skanderbeg was a Jannisary. He was sent in his youth as a blood tax to the Muslims where he was then trained in the arts of war. He became a high general in the Ottoman army before escaping and taking a central fortress in Albania. He was sexually assaulted by the Sultan but overcame his childhood trauma. While the Ottomans tried to subdue him and his Albanian people he harrassed them from his mountain hideouts and Albanian fortresses. "With matchless strategy he [Skanderbeg] contrived to keep the myriads of his opponents from the walls [of Croya]. With energy almost superhuman, he swept unexpectedly, now here and now there, by night and by day, into the midst of the foe; every swordsman of his band hewed down scores, and his own blade flashed as the lightning and caused Moslem heads to fall like snowflakes where he passed. Thousands of the bravest warriors of Amurath [Murad] were thus swept away continuously. His hosts were diminishing to the point of Danger to his very person." Skanderbeg's, John Kastroiti, family crest became the national flag of Albania in honor of his person.
Vlad Dracula the III, the Dread Lord Impaler, was a thorn in the side of the Turks. "We will not flee before their savagery, but stand by all of the Christians... [and] by all means we will fight them." He was known for his Forest of the Impaled, a 6-mile forest of stakes of various heights upon which were impaled the bodies of numerous Turks (at least 20,000) and lawbreakers encompassing his castle. He was an extremely just man who judged ruthlessly. It is said that he put a golden goblet by a well in the middle of a forest for people to draw water from and that it was never stolen because all knew that whoever stole it would be impaled. Unfortunately, this Christian hero spent more of his life in prison than he did free. He was jailed by both Turks and other rulers of the Balkans. The events surrounding his death are unclear, but after his death, his head was impaled upon the highest stake in Constantinople.
July 3, 2024
Every Christian needs to read this book and every mother should give it to her sons to read before they turn 18.
December 4, 2023
Amazing read and a great push back on a lot of the distorted opinions and revisionist leftist histories surrounding the Crusades. Well written and inspiring. Highly recommended!
February 24, 2025
Brilliant. Learned a ton. These men were based. The Left is Retarded. Already knew that last part - only was convinced further of it by reading this book.
November 27, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this book. Like many Christians I am uncomfortable with the concept of “holy war” and I believe the following quote by Martin Luther sums up my position nicely: “But what motivated me most of all was this: They undertook to fight against the Turk in the name of Christ, and taught and incited men to do this, as though our people were an army of Christians against the Turks, who were enemies of Christ. This is absolutely contrary to Christ’s doctrine and name….This is the greatest of all sins and is one that no Turk commits, for Christ’s name is used for sin and shame and thus dishonored. This would be especially so if the pope and the bishops were involved in the war, for they would bring the greatest shame and dishonor to Christ’s name because they are called to fight against the devil with the word of God and with prayer, and they would be deserting their calling and office to fight with the sword against flesh and blood. They are not commanded to do this; it is forbidden.”…if I were a soldier and saw a priest’s banner in the field, or a banner of the cross, even though it was a crucifix, I should run as though the devil were chasing me; even if they won a victory, by God’s decree, I should not take any part in the booty or rejoicing.”
That said, am I against Christians participating in a just war? No. But those who wage war must be the civil authorities and not the Church itself. “Holy war” is not one of the things that can help a Christian gain salvation, only Christ’s death and resurrection saves the Christian from eternal death. From that perspective lay Christians can and should be present in the armed forces to help their neighbors by defending them and also to help guide the practices of their fellow soldiers to a more ethical end goal.
Pros include the author’s familiarity and use of original texts is very encouraging. He actually wants to wrestle with those texts and that is to be commended. His ability to make the chapters more segmented so that they are easily divided into bite sized chunks is also helpful. Another pro is that Dr. Ibrahim makes it clear that he is not advocating for the view that these men are the most perfect Christians that ever lived, although I did walk away from this book with a greater appreciation for King (St.) Louis the IX of France. There is nuance here if one remembers the opening remarks.
Cons, well, that depends on how you look at it. Does Dr. Ibrahim have a bias? Yes. After all, a Coptic Christian is rarely, if ever, going to have warm fuzzy feeling for Islam and its followers after the centuries upon centuries of persecution and pressure they have faced and continue to face in Egypt. With this in mind does he write from a place of hurt? Absolutely. Does this mean that he is biased in such a way that his work is overly tainted by his emotions, or pride for his heritage? The answer I believe is that he is no more biased than Islamic or secular apologists who in their own works have it out for the Christians of the world, especially Western Christians. If they can write their own stories and analysis, then why not Dr. Ibrahim? That also being said I would argue thar Dr. Ibrahim forgets (as we all do) that the real enemy is Satan and not our fellow men, although they can serve Satan without realizing it.
Cons aside, this was a refreshing read, and a good reminder that, whether they truly were Christians or not, the West does owe much to these men, their families, their armies and to their subjects for holding back the tide of Islam from overtaking Europe. Truly, the Lord can use militarily talented lay Christians or even pagans to defend His people, His Church and thus help fulfill the promise that the gates of hell would not prevail over His Church.
That said, am I against Christians participating in a just war? No. But those who wage war must be the civil authorities and not the Church itself. “Holy war” is not one of the things that can help a Christian gain salvation, only Christ’s death and resurrection saves the Christian from eternal death. From that perspective lay Christians can and should be present in the armed forces to help their neighbors by defending them and also to help guide the practices of their fellow soldiers to a more ethical end goal.
Pros include the author’s familiarity and use of original texts is very encouraging. He actually wants to wrestle with those texts and that is to be commended. His ability to make the chapters more segmented so that they are easily divided into bite sized chunks is also helpful. Another pro is that Dr. Ibrahim makes it clear that he is not advocating for the view that these men are the most perfect Christians that ever lived, although I did walk away from this book with a greater appreciation for King (St.) Louis the IX of France. There is nuance here if one remembers the opening remarks.
Cons, well, that depends on how you look at it. Does Dr. Ibrahim have a bias? Yes. After all, a Coptic Christian is rarely, if ever, going to have warm fuzzy feeling for Islam and its followers after the centuries upon centuries of persecution and pressure they have faced and continue to face in Egypt. With this in mind does he write from a place of hurt? Absolutely. Does this mean that he is biased in such a way that his work is overly tainted by his emotions, or pride for his heritage? The answer I believe is that he is no more biased than Islamic or secular apologists who in their own works have it out for the Christians of the world, especially Western Christians. If they can write their own stories and analysis, then why not Dr. Ibrahim? That also being said I would argue thar Dr. Ibrahim forgets (as we all do) that the real enemy is Satan and not our fellow men, although they can serve Satan without realizing it.
Cons aside, this was a refreshing read, and a good reminder that, whether they truly were Christians or not, the West does owe much to these men, their families, their armies and to their subjects for holding back the tide of Islam from overtaking Europe. Truly, the Lord can use militarily talented lay Christians or even pagans to defend His people, His Church and thus help fulfill the promise that the gates of hell would not prevail over His Church.
August 8, 2022
eye opening
Defenders of the West brought to light the evil constructs of the Koran. Islam has waged an ongoing war eliminating Christians in Egypt, Lebanon and other European countries. Muslims will never yield.
Defenders of the West brought to light the evil constructs of the Koran. Islam has waged an ongoing war eliminating Christians in Egypt, Lebanon and other European countries. Muslims will never yield.
May 6, 2023
Muscular and unapologetic review of eight heroes of Christendom against the onslaught of violent Islamic Jihad. But the book isn't aimed at Muslims. It's aimed at Western Leftists who have conducted their own Jihad to beat down these heroes and remove them from history. For example, I know that Leftists have attacked the very name of the city of St. Louis. I had no idea that the city was named for Louis IX, who led two crusades.
The book covers famous crusaders like King Louis, El Cid, and Richard the Lionheart, but it also resurrects heroes of Eastern Europe's long struggle against Islam, such as Skanderbeg and Vlad the Impaler. Yes, it turns out that THAT Vlad, of Count Dracula (son of the dragon) fame, was a staunch defender of Europe against Ottoman invasions which Europeans further west couldn't be bothered to help out with.
So the book is a good reminder that Christianity has been in a millienium+ struggle with Islam, and if it had not been beaten back on both Europe's western (Spain) AND eastern borders, there would have been no Reformation, Renaissance, or Enlightenment.
I think the book also exposes the deliberately deceptive attacks on those Western heroes of centuries past. Those heroes must be destroyed - not because they were wrong in the violence they perpetrated or because Islam is somehow good, but because Leftists wish to rebuild Western Civ for their own benefit. They could care less about Islam and are, of course, just useful idiots for those Muslims who genuinely do advocate an Islamic conquest of Western Civ. If such a thing did happen, Leftists would be the first to go under the scimitar.
So read the book. It's not terrible detailed, the chapters are just sketches of the lives of these heroes, very suitable for a general audience. Having just been published, it's very relevant.
The book covers famous crusaders like King Louis, El Cid, and Richard the Lionheart, but it also resurrects heroes of Eastern Europe's long struggle against Islam, such as Skanderbeg and Vlad the Impaler. Yes, it turns out that THAT Vlad, of Count Dracula (son of the dragon) fame, was a staunch defender of Europe against Ottoman invasions which Europeans further west couldn't be bothered to help out with.
So the book is a good reminder that Christianity has been in a millienium+ struggle with Islam, and if it had not been beaten back on both Europe's western (Spain) AND eastern borders, there would have been no Reformation, Renaissance, or Enlightenment.
I think the book also exposes the deliberately deceptive attacks on those Western heroes of centuries past. Those heroes must be destroyed - not because they were wrong in the violence they perpetrated or because Islam is somehow good, but because Leftists wish to rebuild Western Civ for their own benefit. They could care less about Islam and are, of course, just useful idiots for those Muslims who genuinely do advocate an Islamic conquest of Western Civ. If such a thing did happen, Leftists would be the first to go under the scimitar.
So read the book. It's not terrible detailed, the chapters are just sketches of the lives of these heroes, very suitable for a general audience. Having just been published, it's very relevant.
June 26, 2024
A history forgotten. The true history of Christians, and the true history of Islam. Very good look into these 8 men's lives. Does not give the full historical account, but it doesn't aim to either. Simply to paint these men in the truest light. Very important read for men today.
March 8, 2024
I cannot put into words how I feel after this read. It is at the same time impactful, profound, but, above all, disturbing. Disturbing not because of the brave actions of the heroic men portrayed in this masterpiece, but rather because of the inaction and cowardice of the ones that followed and continue to rule our nations to this day. These are disturbing times indeed. May God grant us courage and protect his flock!
February 13, 2024
It has been a while since I read a work of history simply for the pleasure of it. This hit the spot. Ibrahim is not a Catholic, so his perspective on Crusaders and other Western Christian heroes is more trustworthy than a lot of the books on the same topic you see on the shelves. He's also doggedly opposed to judging the past by modern liberal virtues. Between these two factors, the book seems to provide a relatively clear picture of these men and their contexts.
July 3, 2024
The writing could be better, and it isn’t convincing on every point, but it is definitely a red-pilling read on the history of Christian/Islamic conflict, the crusaders, and Muslim jihadists. For instance, I had not realized how rampant predatory homosexuality and pedophilia has been in Islamic and jihadist history, even according to their own (proud) sources. There is also a lot of great masculine Christian courage to emulate in various men in the book. I recommend it.
March 16, 2024
A tremendous book! Worth the price of the book just for the introduction and conclusion alone.
If you have been taught that the Crusades and the like were examples of Western aggression and colonialism or some such modern evil, this book may well disabuse you of such a foolish revisionist notion.
If you have been taught that the Crusades and the like were examples of Western aggression and colonialism or some such modern evil, this book may well disabuse you of such a foolish revisionist notion.
June 21, 2025
Far exceeded my expectations. Excellent book.
May 14, 2025
"With the utmost respect, I want to make clear that this review is not directed against Muslims or Islamic beliefs."
I always used to avoid studying the history of the Crusades thanks to its misconceptions and wickedness!
However, all of a sudden, this question crossed my mind: What if the Christians were not the villains in the war?
That is when I started reading this informative and eye-opening book.
It should be pointed out that the atrocities committed by the Muslim conquerors according to the chronicles are beyond measure and description, such as the war crimes committed by the Ottoman Turks in Hagia Sophia as the book quotes:
This is only one of the atrocities and evil war crimes mentioned in the book; however, what I can say for certain is that Christians did not start or commence this war that would last for 8 constant years!
To give you more insight, the book mentions more atrocities committed by the Muslim conquerors:
Nevertheless, the most captivating and impressive genuine tales of the Crusades that left me flabbergasted are the parts where King Godfrey of Bouillon fought a bear and almost had a near-death experience, and the moment King Richard the Lionheart forgave his assassin, for instance.
That being said, the main culprit Christians conquered Jerusalem and decimated thousands of Muslims is because of the very fact that muslims eradicated the church of the Sepulchre and started beheading Christians in Jerusalem to convert them to Islam, same as what had occurred in Persia and Levant(Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, etc.)
To draw a conclusion, as Mr. Ibrahim states:
I leave that up to you to decide.
Matin Payervan
May 14th, 2025
Iran, Tehran
I always used to avoid studying the history of the Crusades thanks to its misconceptions and wickedness!
However, all of a sudden, this question crossed my mind: What if the Christians were not the villains in the war?
That is when I started reading this informative and eye-opening book.
It should be pointed out that the atrocities committed by the Muslim conquerors according to the chronicles are beyond measure and description, such as the war crimes committed by the Ottoman Turks in Hagia Sophia as the book quotes:
"Even inside the Hagia Sophia, one of Christendom’s greatest and oldest basilicas, the Muslim conquerors “engaged in every kind of vileness within it, making of it a public brothel.” On “its holy altars” they enacted “perversions with our women, virgins, and children,” including “the Grand Duke’s daughter, who was quite beautiful.” She was forced to “lie on the great altar of Hagia Sophia with a crucifix under her head and then raped.”
Everywhere, churches were desecrated, their crosses and Bibles spat on and consigned to the flames. To cap off his triumph, Muhammad the Conqueror had the “wretched citizens of Constantinople” dragged before his men during evening festivities and “ordered many of them to be hacked to pieces, for the sake of entertainment.”Muhammad then retired to a night of debauchery with young captive boys; his fighters retired to their tents—and “every tent was filled with handsome boys and beautiful girls,” to quote Tursun Beg, a leading Turk who was present."
This is only one of the atrocities and evil war crimes mentioned in the book; however, what I can say for certain is that Christians did not start or commence this war that would last for 8 constant years!
To give you more insight, the book mentions more atrocities committed by the Muslim conquerors:
"in fact, no dearth of chronicles documenting how “the Muslim conquerors killed the men, burned cities, wasted the land, took young women as sexual slaves”; “cut down fruit trees, destroyed churches, regarded sacred music as blasphemy, and profaned chalices”; “changed the towers of ancient cities [to mosques]; destroyed castles…[and] monasteries; burned the books of the sacred [Christian] law, and committed many bad deeds.”
Nevertheless, the most captivating and impressive genuine tales of the Crusades that left me flabbergasted are the parts where King Godfrey of Bouillon fought a bear and almost had a near-death experience, and the moment King Richard the Lionheart forgave his assassin, for instance.
That being said, the main culprit Christians conquered Jerusalem and decimated thousands of Muslims is because of the very fact that muslims eradicated the church of the Sepulchre and started beheading Christians in Jerusalem to convert them to Islam, same as what had occurred in Persia and Levant(Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, etc.)
To draw a conclusion, as Mr. Ibrahim states:
Islamic scriptures are full of calls to terrorize, mutilate, and massacre infidels (non-Muslims). After declaring “I will cast terror into the hearts of infidels,” Allah calls on Muslims to “strike off their heads and strike off their every fingertip” (Koran 8:12). Similarly, “It is not for a prophet to have captives [of war] until he inflicts a massacre in the land” (Koran 8:67). Other penalties for infidels who “spread mischief in the land is death, crucifixion, cutting off their hands and feet on opposite sides, or exile from the land” (Koran 5:33). “I have been made victorious with terror,” the Prophet Muhammad further declares in a canonical hadith. Ottoman psychological warfare was very much informed by such scriptures. Similarly, concerning their Arab predecessors of the seventh to ninth centuries, Ibn Khaldun (b.1332) asserts that “Terror in the hearts of their enemies was why there were so many routs during the Muslim conquests [of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain] (Ibrahim 2018, 41).”
I leave that up to you to decide.
Matin Payervan
May 14th, 2025
Iran, Tehran
September 13, 2022
Another well-researched and interesting book by Raymond Ibrahim. It is comprised of eight defenders' biographies roughly covering the years from 1060 to 1477. This book relies very heavily on primary sources and on contemporary sources, which adds a great deal to the "feel" of the book. Modern histories often downplay how barbaric, cruel and sanguinary earlier wars were. The nearly constant political intrigue and backstabbing reminds one that things haven't changed much in the political realm. The author explains the political and military situation in detail without getting bogged down in minutiae.
Three of the defenders, Godfrey, Richard and Louis, are Crusaders. Their stories cover the attempts to reclaim Jerusalem. Much of this material is more generally known, but the author keeps the narrative flowing at a good pace so one isn't bored. The hardships and difficulties which faced these men are amazing. The actual combat seems almost like a relief after the lack of food, water and the difficulties of the terrain.
The Cid and Ferdinand are the Spanish defenders. Here the ebb and flow of conflict shows the slow but constant gains of the Reconquista and the major accomplishments of these two. Both of these defenders have a reputation for tolerance as well as bravery. If one wants to know how the Spanish Inquisition came about, just read of the 700+ years in which the Spanish had to struggle to get rid of the Moors.
It's interesting to note that in the 15th century, when most of Europe was busy starting the Renaissance, Albania, Hungary, and Romania/Wallachia were occupied with thwarting the numerous attempts by the Turks to expand into Europe. Though not successful in the end, they play a significant part in the development of early modern Europe. The last three defenders are from there, with Hunyadi, Skanerbeg and Vlad. Naturally saving the "best" for last, it is about Vlad III Dracula. Hundreds of years of Romanian/Wallachian history and all anyone wants to know about is vampires. Well, no vampires there, but there was definitely some impaling. And all three of the aforementioned men fought numerous battles when greatly outnumbered. They remind me of the Spartans who “do not ask how many are the enemy but where are they.”
All in all, a very interesting account of brave men:
“It is especially pleasing to the living when the deeds of brave men (particularly of those serving as soldiers of God) are either read from writings or soberly recounted from memory.”
-Fulcher of Chartres (c. 1100)
Three of the defenders, Godfrey, Richard and Louis, are Crusaders. Their stories cover the attempts to reclaim Jerusalem. Much of this material is more generally known, but the author keeps the narrative flowing at a good pace so one isn't bored. The hardships and difficulties which faced these men are amazing. The actual combat seems almost like a relief after the lack of food, water and the difficulties of the terrain.
The Cid and Ferdinand are the Spanish defenders. Here the ebb and flow of conflict shows the slow but constant gains of the Reconquista and the major accomplishments of these two. Both of these defenders have a reputation for tolerance as well as bravery. If one wants to know how the Spanish Inquisition came about, just read of the 700+ years in which the Spanish had to struggle to get rid of the Moors.
It's interesting to note that in the 15th century, when most of Europe was busy starting the Renaissance, Albania, Hungary, and Romania/Wallachia were occupied with thwarting the numerous attempts by the Turks to expand into Europe. Though not successful in the end, they play a significant part in the development of early modern Europe. The last three defenders are from there, with Hunyadi, Skanerbeg and Vlad. Naturally saving the "best" for last, it is about Vlad III Dracula. Hundreds of years of Romanian/Wallachian history and all anyone wants to know about is vampires. Well, no vampires there, but there was definitely some impaling. And all three of the aforementioned men fought numerous battles when greatly outnumbered. They remind me of the Spartans who “do not ask how many are the enemy but where are they.”
All in all, a very interesting account of brave men:
“It is especially pleasing to the living when the deeds of brave men (particularly of those serving as soldiers of God) are either read from writings or soberly recounted from memory.”
-Fulcher of Chartres (c. 1100)
April 29, 2024
This book is an incredible follow up to Sword and Scimitar. Whereas that book looked closely at eight key battles in the long war between the Islamic Ummah and Christendom, this book looks closely at eight key defenders of Christendom and their accomplishments: Godfrey of Bouillon, The Cid, Richard the Lionheart, St. Ferdinand, St. Louis, John Hunyadi, Skanderbeg, and Vlad Dracula (yes, he was actually nothing like what you've been told).
The incredible strength, endurance, and courage of all these men is displayed in a riveting series of narratives, all copiously supported with primary source material. After each chapter, the reader thinks the exploits cannot get any more heroic...and then one reads the next chapter and they do.
To be clear, despite their nearly supernatural deeds, these stories do not all end happily. And those that do end with great victory often lapse into new defeats when the heroes have passed on. Even so, the blows struck in defense of the Christian world by the great men, helped keep the West alive, and for that we owe all these men our gratitude and respect. And these men are worthy models of courage, faith, and tenacity. Read this one out loud to your sons!
The incredible strength, endurance, and courage of all these men is displayed in a riveting series of narratives, all copiously supported with primary source material. After each chapter, the reader thinks the exploits cannot get any more heroic...and then one reads the next chapter and they do.
To be clear, despite their nearly supernatural deeds, these stories do not all end happily. And those that do end with great victory often lapse into new defeats when the heroes have passed on. Even so, the blows struck in defense of the Christian world by the great men, helped keep the West alive, and for that we owe all these men our gratitude and respect. And these men are worthy models of courage, faith, and tenacity. Read this one out loud to your sons!
November 15, 2023
This book is well researched, with great sourcing. It's written well and so gives a good overview of the lives of these people.
However the point of writing this book as expressed in the conclusion is to shift western thinking of these people from them being 'bad people' to heroes.
I can't say that everything these people did is bad, but making them out to be heroes when so much of their lives is in full contrast with Jesus' teaching of love doesn't seem right. I do find it interesting to read how these people kept Islam at bay mainly in Europe, which must have had its purpose, but this book hardly tells about the devastation the Pope's (and others) in the same time periods brought to Europe. Not to speak of the devastation to the Islamic peoples. Simply excusing that for the reason of 'they first did it to us' only shows me an 'eye for an eye' response.
So interesting book, but a wrong conclusion.
However the point of writing this book as expressed in the conclusion is to shift western thinking of these people from them being 'bad people' to heroes.
I can't say that everything these people did is bad, but making them out to be heroes when so much of their lives is in full contrast with Jesus' teaching of love doesn't seem right. I do find it interesting to read how these people kept Islam at bay mainly in Europe, which must have had its purpose, but this book hardly tells about the devastation the Pope's (and others) in the same time periods brought to Europe. Not to speak of the devastation to the Islamic peoples. Simply excusing that for the reason of 'they first did it to us' only shows me an 'eye for an eye' response.
So interesting book, but a wrong conclusion.
June 5, 2024
This book is AMAZING. It was written in such a captivating way, enthralling you with every page. I loved reading about our Christian forefathers that came before us standing in the face of Islamic aggression. This really solidified in my mind just how wickedly the Christians were treated in the Medieval era, completely justifying the Christian response in that era. The faithfulness and courageousness that these men exhibited should be replicated and echoed throughout the ages. I particularly loved Godfrey of Bullion, Skanderbeg, and Dracula.
This book also was a very potent reminder for the Church to be unified as Christ prayed in his high priestly prayer. Many of the failings of the Christians during this era were the unfaithful lack of integrity most of the men surrounding our heroes endured. let us not make the same mistakes again in Christendom. What a dishonor to the Holy Spirit for Christians to be so disunified!
This book also was a very potent reminder for the Church to be unified as Christ prayed in his high priestly prayer. Many of the failings of the Christians during this era were the unfaithful lack of integrity most of the men surrounding our heroes endured. let us not make the same mistakes again in Christendom. What a dishonor to the Holy Spirit for Christians to be so disunified!
March 21, 2024
A more digestible version of Sword and Scimitar with great emphasis placed on a few major historical figures who turned the tides of various battles against Islam. Each one was more of a badass than the last. Sir Godfrey is a menace, dude. He cut a Turkish general in half and half of the general rode back into town on the horse, to great wailing and lamentation. Incredibly metal. He took Jerusalem then refused to be called king because he was too pious.
I'm not going to do a blow-by-blow of all the incredible, heroic shit these dudes did because that's what the book is about and you should read the book. However, I will say, the Vlad the Impaler redemption arc took me completely by surprise.
I'm not going to do a blow-by-blow of all the incredible, heroic shit these dudes did because that's what the book is about and you should read the book. However, I will say, the Vlad the Impaler redemption arc took me completely by surprise.
January 25, 2024
I enjoyed this book despite not knowing a ton about the Crusades ahead of reading it. This book is not an exhaustive history of the crusades, or even if the entire lives of the men themselves whose story are told in the book, but it gives you a solid account of the brutality and the context of what the West was up against and stories of courageous men who sacrificed for the land, people and Christendom
February 11, 2025
This is an excellent book that is a joy to read. It is essentially a series of biographies full of important source material, consciously, from both sides. The book's introduction and conclusion are excellent bookends to the material, which explain how we got to the point of denigrating our heroes, and why it matters. My favorite chapters were on Duke Godfrey, King Richard, Saint Ferdinand, Skanderbeg, and Vlad Dracula.
August 29, 2024
Excellent. It’s a well-written book on a controversial subject. Great stories, inspirational heroes, fascinating history.
November 7, 2024
SO GOOD
November 26, 2025
Love the Christian heroes that Ibrahim sheds light on.
March 3, 2025
For the first 600 years of the Christian church, the majority of Christendom was in what is today the Middle East and North Africa. But Christendom today is far more associated with Europe, and Christianity is often seen as something Western and European. This is because in the late 600s, the new sect of Islam emerged out of Arabia and in less than 200 years had conquered virtually all of the Christian East and North Africa, and crossing the western Mediterranean, and even swallowed up most of Spain. Europe at the time, in comparison, was rather poor and rustic. But that is mainly where Christianity was able to maintain itself. But for another half millennium and more, Christendom would often find itself on the defensive. Offensives were made as well—the Reconquista of Spain and the Crusades to the Near East were intermittent and ongoing. This book is about Christian heroes who fought to defend the Christian world against the depredations, incursions, and attempted conquests of Islam, whether in guise of the Almohads, Seljuks, or Ottomans. Each chapter is a biographical account of a different character, some who I was familiar with (Godfrey of Bouillon and Richard Lionheart), some less so or not really at all (King Ferdinand III of Spain, Skanderbeg of Albania, even Vlad Dracula of Romania).
Christians today don't often think of godly Christian service in terms of actual combat in warfare. But if your Christian nation is being plundered, ravaged, threatened, and invaded by cruel oppressors bent on subjugating you into slavery—as the Ottomans in the 1400s were—what does love for your Christian brothers demand if you are a king or soldier, entrusted by God with the sword to punish evil (as Romans 13 says the public authorities are)? Hebrews 11 commends for imitation the faith of Old Testament saints, including those who "became mighty in war and put foreign armies to flight" (v. 34), and for Christians who were singing the Psalms in worship ("Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle" - Psalm 144:1), it would not be much a leap to conclude that "there is a time for war" when pagans are literally trying to kill your men and sell your women and children into slavery.
In the 1100's, a few decades into the Crusades, Bernard of Clairvoux wrote a treatise called "In Praise of the New Knighthood" where he laid out what was essentially a theology of Christian combat (and for what it's worth, Bernard was someone who John Calvin frequently cited approvingly), arguing that for those called to that office, fighting evil when necessary in defense of righteousness is service to Christ. In his book on the Crusades, historian Jonathan Riley-Smith says that "the crusading movement flourished against a background of ideas on violence which were upheld by most educated [Christian] men." That is true, and the centuries from about 1100-1400, despite the plenty of abuses and corruption and excess that accompany all human activity, saw lots of examples as well of true Christian heroism in defense of the innocent.
It's a spirit that we have sadly lost, and it's a tragedy and a shame that Europe today, as hollow secularism has largely displaced Christian faith, has been inviting Jihadists right in and laying down for the Islam that it spent centuries fighting against.
Christians today don't often think of godly Christian service in terms of actual combat in warfare. But if your Christian nation is being plundered, ravaged, threatened, and invaded by cruel oppressors bent on subjugating you into slavery—as the Ottomans in the 1400s were—what does love for your Christian brothers demand if you are a king or soldier, entrusted by God with the sword to punish evil (as Romans 13 says the public authorities are)? Hebrews 11 commends for imitation the faith of Old Testament saints, including those who "became mighty in war and put foreign armies to flight" (v. 34), and for Christians who were singing the Psalms in worship ("Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle" - Psalm 144:1), it would not be much a leap to conclude that "there is a time for war" when pagans are literally trying to kill your men and sell your women and children into slavery.
In the 1100's, a few decades into the Crusades, Bernard of Clairvoux wrote a treatise called "In Praise of the New Knighthood" where he laid out what was essentially a theology of Christian combat (and for what it's worth, Bernard was someone who John Calvin frequently cited approvingly), arguing that for those called to that office, fighting evil when necessary in defense of righteousness is service to Christ. In his book on the Crusades, historian Jonathan Riley-Smith says that "the crusading movement flourished against a background of ideas on violence which were upheld by most educated [Christian] men." That is true, and the centuries from about 1100-1400, despite the plenty of abuses and corruption and excess that accompany all human activity, saw lots of examples as well of true Christian heroism in defense of the innocent.
It's a spirit that we have sadly lost, and it's a tragedy and a shame that Europe today, as hollow secularism has largely displaced Christian faith, has been inviting Jihadists right in and laying down for the Islam that it spent centuries fighting against.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews