Crusades, Jihad, and the Myth of Eternal Religious War

How Modern Politicians Recycle Medieval Language to Sell New Wars to Modern Voters

Let’s get this out of the way, first: Religion didn’t start most wars because leaders were deeply faithful. Power did. Greed did. Ego did.

Religion was just the most convenient excuse.

Take the Crusades. Everyone’s heard of them. From 1095 to the 1200s, waves of European knights stormed the Middle East, supposedly to “free the Holy Land” from Muslim rule.…