Michael A. Smith, Ongoing Historical Contributor Provides Essay Every Religious Individual Must Read!

 

From Crusade to Jihad: 

How the Language of Holy War Still Shapes Us...

Michael A. Smith

Historian, Author, Public Theologian

December 2, 2025

When we hear terms like “holy war," "Jihad," or “crusade,” our minds often leap to modern conflicts involving Muslim fundamentalists. Yet these words were first forged in the crucible of medieval Christendom. The First Crusade (1096–1099) gave us a vocabulary of violence sanctified by faith—language that continues to echo across centuries, often detached from its original context.

The Origins of "Holy War"

The Crusades were launched under papal authority as wars of liberation and conquest, framed as divine missions.

• “Crusade” comes from crux, the Latin word for cross, symbolizing the soldiers’ vow to fight under Christ’s banner.
• “Holy War” was not a Muslim invention but a Christian one, used to justify campaigns against Muslims, Jews, and even fellow Christians.
• The idea of sacralized violence—that killing could be sanctified if done for God—was revolutionary and deeply troubling.

The Parallel of "Jihad"

In Islam, jihad originally meant “struggle” or “striving,” often spiritual rather than military. But during the Crusades, Muslim leaders adopted the term to describe resistance against invading Christian armies. Over time, jihad became associated with armed struggle, mirroring the Christian concept of holy war.

Thus, the Crusades did not just shape Europe—they reshaped Islamic thought, creating a linguistic and ideological symmetry between two faiths locked in conflict.

The Lingering Legacy

Today, these terms are weaponized in political and religious discourse:

• “Crusade” is invoked by Western leaders to describe campaigns against terrorism or drugs, often unintentionally, perhaps,  evoking medieval violence.
• “Jihad” is used by extremists to justify acts of terror, though its broader meaning in Islam remains spiritual.
• “Holy War” has become shorthand for any conflict framed in religious terms, regardless of tradition.

The irony is stark: language born in medieval Europe to sanctify Christian violence is now most often associated with Muslim fundamentalism.

Why This Matters for Us

For professionals, educators, and leaders, understanding this history is more than academic. It reminds us:

• Words carry centuries of baggage.
• Religious language can be co-opted to justify violence, even when it distorts the original teachings.
• The rhetoric of “holy war” continues to polarize communities, shaping perceptions of faith and conflict.

Where dialogue often centers on leadership and global awareness, reflecting on this history can sharpen our sensitivity to how language frames power, identity, and struggle.

Closing Thought

The Crusades remind us that faith can inspire compassion—or be twisted into conquest. The words we use—crusade, jihad, holy war—are not neutral. They are echoes of battles fought long ago, still reverberating in our headlines today. To lead responsibly in the modern world, we must recognize the weight of this vocabulary and resist its misuse.

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I so appreciate Michael Smith's willingness to share his posts on a world-wide distribution as seen via Book Readers Heaven... While I agree with his latest Essay, I do want to share my own response as well...

The Historian Speaks Intellectually...

I Speak Organically

War - What is it Good For?!

Once I might have written a similar report as Smith has. But I have read almost steadily for about 20 years now... And I've read some terrible things... Like, for instance, when the crusades were happening, people in Spain were murdered because they didn't want to follow Christianity...

As pointed out by one of the videos at the top, it soon became clear that these soldiers were not being sent out "for God's sake" but for retaining power and property--or gaining more...

The very same that is happening here in the Year 2025, by various men who have captured the highest seat in their countries and immediately wanted more! Most people are like me, we try to live our lives as best we can...until these men of "war" choose to attempt to rise again... Just like they probably followed Barabbas to the local pub and there planned what their next crime would be. Let's face it, most men do not one day awake and decide to join an army fighting other people. They are either taught or forced to participate. We have seen what happened thereafter. They either get killed in action, or come back home so disoriented that they cannot easily move back into normal life--but by that time, leaders have normally forgotten them and they rejoin the rest of us who are just trying to figure out how to do the best we can...

Then there are those, like Barabbas, who went back to his earlier life and decided to continue on as he had been. After all, He didn't even know the man, Jesus... "It was the luck of the draw... and He was the people's choice..." Not even realizing what was happening, he soon forgot about the man, Jesus, who had died that day instead of him...

And there are many, many--just like those who were already prepared, and still are--who like to fight, like to kill and plan to kill, purely for the fun of it. They began to collect guns, carried them even into the churches where Jesus was being worshipped...claiming they were securing the building... And, still others, merely walked into a church, synagogue, or other meeting places used for worship of God, and started killing as many as he could... BTW, as far as I am aware, there has never been a female who acted as these men have... women are, instead, the mothers of all those who have been killed by wars, by serial killers, and by countries where leaders are more interested in power and greed, than...people...

Well, you knew I would be getting more specific. My war, however, has been with words. Have you noticed that many writers create fiction novels so that they can over and over have the good guy (law) when over the bad guys (criminals). 

Now, fiction writers are no longer the only writers fighting. More and more books or videos, or songs are out these days, working to show through their words, too, that these few individuals who desire power and greed more than anything else, can not be tolerated! Especially since they began to use religion as part of their plan of destruction...

Let's look at leaders such as Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu, in particular... and, perhaps, Iran though they have fought through terrorists rather than weapons of war...  Jews--the people who rejected the Son of God--have a man who willingly continues to kill people...knowing that if the war ends, he might be back into legal courts soon... Trump...the cult who chose to break up the Christian faith and create a christian nationalist group who want to fight for...their god... Putin? If he has a faith, it has never meant anything to him...his goals of domination have always been clear, haven't they?

The think that still boggles my mind is that a major religious group were the ones who elected and still, apparently, support his actions even now as people are being killed on our streets by federal staff!

But can it be solved? The Pope is taking a position against Trump's war actions in South America... Each of us must choose our own actions to take a stand... Do you speak of God's Truth and Love?

There are many pastors and individual Christian leaders speaking out... But, let's face it, there are still questions when the son of a major past religious Christian leader is now being questioned in the news... Myself, I depend upon the Words of Jesus, His Son...

Folks, of all that Trump/MAGA has done, the destruction of our religious lives has been the top priority for me. I was waiting for someone with proper credentials--Professor Michael A. Smith--to make a firm statement of our history and the abuse of God's Laws on Truth and Love. He has done so today and I thank him personally for setting the stage I needed to give my "second opinion" on the reality of the situation...

I believe in God, the Great I AM

Religion is a tool created by men who wanted to lead, for whatever reason. Some have been open, like the present and last Pope, but others have not. We all know that.

I supported Reverend Billy Graham; I do not support his son or any other evangelist that I know of these days.

Gabby