Reconsidering the ‘Christian’ crusades of the Middle Ages

Paul Luckraft reviews 'When the Cross Became a Sword' by Merrill Bolender (2011, 80 pages)

This book is described as a primer on the origin and consequences of Replacement Theology and as such it is slight in terms of pages and inexpensive. Its value is that its size makes it a simple reference guide and it has large print for easy reading.

The author admits his intention is not to provide a comprehensive treatment but "to paint a clear picture with 'broad brush strokes'" (p11). He adds that he is not trying to demean or judge others, but to help people to "learn and move ahead so that we can avoid repeating similar mistakes in the future" (p12).

Endorsing a Hebraic Mindset

He upholds the view of those who insist that Replacement Theology is nowhere to be found in the Bible being based on nothing more than presupposition, but he is aware that its impact can be highly destructive. He shows how small errors made early in its history has thrown the Church off course and has led over time to greater and greater divergence from biblical truth.

Bolender starts with an examination of Romans 11 and exhorts a Hebrew mindset which enables us to interpret Scripture in a plain and literal way, without always having to resort to an allegorical or spiritualising approach. He shows how the early Church Fathers abandoned their Hebraic roots and embraced Greek thinking, in particular a 'Christianised' form of Plato's philosophy.

Bolender's book is a short and inexpensive primer on the origin and consequences of Replacement Theology – ideal for giving away to those new to the topic.

From Cross to Sword

As he works his way historically from Constantine through the atrocities of the Middle Ages to the Crusades there are plenty of examples and quotes which back up his main thesis that indeed the Cross became a sword. A particularly telling comment is that "the early apostles would not have recognised the Church in her new form" (p37).

In keeping with the overall aim of providing a brief introduction, Bolender provides short chapters (in some cases just two or three pages) on the Inquisition, examples from Russian history, the Reformation and Luther, and inevitably the Holocaust. Much of this material is found elsewhere in much more detail (see, for instance, other books previously reviewed in Prophecy Today, those by Gordon Pettie and Joel Richardson) but this book is perhaps the one that is the easiest to give away to those who need their eyes opening to this important topic. There is a good four-page glossary at the end to help those coming to this for the first time, and a useful two-page bibliography to enable further reading.

The author wants Gentiles to see how blessed they are by being grafted in to all the wonderful advantages of a rich Jewish heritage.

Above all, the author wants Gentiles to see how blessed they are by being grafted in to all the wonderful advantages of a rich Jewish heritage, and he strongly advocates that although we cannot correct past wrongs, we can certainly can do something about the present and, in so doing, we can help change the future.

'When the Cross Became a Sword' is available as an e-book for £3.07 via Amazon Kindle. Available elsewhere in paperback.