The Passio Raginaldi of Peter of Blois: Martyrdom and Eschatology in the Preaching of the Third Crusade

Abstract

This article offers the first in-depth exploration of the Passio Raginaldi, a text written by Peter of Blois (ca. 1130-1211) for the purpose of mobilizing the Third Crusade (1187-1192). This source presents the crusader Reynald of Châtillon as a virtuous martyr, having been executed by Saladin himself after the Battle of Hattin, an example with which Peter seeks to incite his audience to the crusade. The article comprises three primary investigations: (a) A consideration of the manuscript evidence, which demonstrates that the text was meant as a sermon; (b) An examination of the meaning and implications of Reynald’s martyrdom, which shows that Peter presents it as an assurance for personal salvation independent of one’s former social or spiritual position; and (c) An analysis of eschatological elements, which shows how vital these are to this text: they endow both Reynald’s martyrdom and the crusade in general with an apocalyptic dimension, as Peter’s bold statements about the closeness of the End of Days demonstrate.