The Sepulchre of Christ and the Medieval West

The tomb of Christ at Jerusalem was a vital influence in the making of Western Europe. Pilgrimage there influenced the development of society and its structures. The desire to "bring the Sepulchre to the West" in copies or memorials shaped art and religion, while the ambition to control Christ's tomb was a central objective of the crusades. Western Europe responded to the loss of Jerusalem by creating a new pilgrimage to the East, by making kingdoms "holy lands" for their subjects, and by creating new pilgrim centers at home. This book brings together social, political, and religious themes often considered in isolation. Features: *The first book to focus on the tomb of Christ as a vital cultural influence on Western Europe * Takes a genuinely new approach to the Crusades * Explores the rivalry between Muslims and Christians over Jerusalem, and thus the roots of hostility between different faiths in the Middle East.