Western civilization refers to all heritage, ethical values, social norms, artifacts, technologies, and traditional customs like religious belief which have their roots in Europe. Western civilization is not limited to Western Europe but also applies to countries whose history is mostly marked by immigration and settlement by Western Europe.
Western civilization has its roots in three distinct traditions, these are
- Christian religion
- Classical culture of Rome and Greece
- Modern Era Enlightenment
Classical culture of Rome and Greece
Greece contributed the idea of Liberty, and republic, while Rome contributed the idea of empire and law. These ideas when combined gave rise to an Important Western concept of Liberty under Law.
Christian religion
Christianity on the other hand shaped western civilization in a great way. The establishment of Sanctity of the believer as an individual advocated for obedience to Christ, who was of higher authority than secular sovereign. This idea further influenced the concept of Liberty Under Law as it helped to refine and gave support to it. The struggle between the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire and the monarch gave rise to the idea of power limitations through separation of institutions.
Modern Era Enlightenment
The Modern enlightenment gave rise to the idea of the free market, Liberal democracy, science, and reasoning.
As a result of the integration of the three traditions, many significant traditions and themes developed. These include:
- Architecture, Arts, Cultural and Philosophical traditions which include influential works by Caesar, Aristotle, and Plato.
- Evangelical and Biblical traditions, Christian traditions which include Christian philosophy and theology, and many more philosophical ethics and disciplines.
- Enlightenment and rationalism thoughts based on critical attitude and open-religion questioning of the authority that the church has, this have resulted in reformist ideas and open-minded attitude and pursuit of Liberation theology.
- The Roman law has resulted in great ideas and tradition of important Laws in the world.
- Renaissance letters and arts
- Human Rights, Parliametarism, Natural laws and liberal democracy as a departure from monarchy system of government.
- Scientific systems and methods.
Religion Involvement and the First Crusades
November 27th, 1095, was marked an important day for religious involvement in Western civilization. It was the day when Pope Urban II gave a crucial speech calling upon all Western European nobility, mostly the Franks to go to the East to assist the Byzantines, their Christian counterparts, against the attacks by the Muslim Turks. It was also a call for Jerusalem’s liberation, as the Pope regarded it as the most beloved and sacred city in Christendom, from the occupation and rule by the Muslims who had taken it from Byzantines in 639 A.D.
The Franks responded to the call by the Pope in their thousands with great passion. They moved to the east with a big bang. On July 15th, 1099, they had managed to take over Jerusalem, leaving a mark on Western Imagination and created a permanent, positive, and negative Christian and Islamic legacy.
The First Crusade
The franks, who responded to the call by Pope Urban for the liberation of Jerusalem and assistance to Byzantines, were mostly peasant farmers and poor Knights who did not have enough time to prepare for the confrontation with Turks Muslims. In fact, their response was not per the expectation of Pope Urban II. Some of the crusaders massacred German Jews along the way as they considered them as enemies to Christians. This caught the church by surprise, as such; the church had to painfully suppress these massacres against the Jews. On arrival in Asian Minor, the crusaders were massacred by the Turks who were well prepared for the battle.
In the summer of 1096, the Frankish tycoon well accustomed to war and with all the vital preparation set out in numerous war contingents toward Jerusalem, taking various routes to confront the Turks Muslims. Papal Legates and High nobles provided the leadership in this crusade, as opposed to the leadership by kings and governments. This was known as the first crusade. Some of the best-known leaders who provided leadership in this battle included; Raymond of Toulouse, Bohemond of Taranto, Adhmar, Papal Legate, and Bishop of Le Pub, and Godfrey of Bouillon among others.
The journey to Jerusalem was hard and dangerous although the first crusader managed to reach there in the summer of 1099, taking control of the town. Four Latin States were established as a result. These States were; The Kingdom of Jerusalem, The principality of Antioch, The county of Edessa, and the county of Tripoli. After this surprising success, many crusaders returned home after fulfilling their vows at Holy Sepulchre church.
Those crusaders who were left behind continued to build the Outremer society, becoming part of the Middle East world. This society was viewed as part of the players in the struggle for power in the region. They formed the Military Order, a combination of Knightly and Monastic duties. Soon, their comfort would be disrupted by the emergence of Muslim Leaders, who quickly united the Muslims against the Christian Franks. A form of Jihad known as the Islamic Counter Crusade emerged.
Under the Leadership of Zengi, the Turkish Troop destroyed the Capital of the County of Edessa on the Christmas Eve of 1144. What resulted was a strong reaction from the West in what was known as the Second Crusade.
The participation of Christians in very organized battles due to their God and Religion laid the groundwork for the crusading. This was a great departure from the beginning when Christians were very hesitant in battles and warfare engagement. It was not until the Roman Government became Christian officially that the doctrine of Just War was developed. This doctrine assumed that violence and war were evil but compliance to the enemy was more evil. To meet these conditions, Christians could engage in warfare as long as they had the right intentions.
The structure of Just war meant that the war could be waged to rectify past injuries or to avoid injuries. The force used against the enemy must not be excess but must be enough to overcome the degree of violence.