The Kenarchy Journal ISSN 2976-6001

Kenarchy Volume 7.3

Kenarchy Journal: Kenarchy & Peace, 2025, Volume 7

Old Testament Land Promises and the Justification of Violence in the Crusades
Faith Edwards

Abstract

This paper examines the contrasting interpretations of Old Testament land promises and the narrative of Joshua’s conquests as understood by early Christian theologians versus medieval Crusaders. Through an exegesis of Joshua 1:3-6, this paper highlights how early Church Fathers Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Origen utilized typological hermeneutics to allegorize the conquest narratives, seeing Joshua as a prefigurement of Christ’s spiritual victory over evil. In contrast, the Crusaders literalized these texts, using them to justify violence and territorial conquest. This paper exposes the dangers of scriptural misinterpretation and emphasizes the modern implications of such hermeneutics, especially in contexts of political conflict and religious justification of violence as seen in Israel/Palestine today. The findings underscore the importance of responsible scripture reading to promote peace and align with Christ’s teachings in contemporary faith practice.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62950/vupl73

Pages 41-50

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