The Plenary Indulgence (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes
The Plenary Indulgence
Introduction: the Gregorian Reform Movement and imitatio Christi
Before understanding the plenary indulgence, it's important to grasp the religious context that made it so powerful. The Gregorian Reform Movement was a group of churchmen led by Pope Gregory VII who aimed to improve the Church by returning it to an earlier, more devout form. This movement popularised the concept of imitatio Christi (copying the life of Christ), which medieval Christians believed was the surest way to guarantee entry into heaven.
The concept of imitatio Christi (imitating Christ) became central to medieval spirituality. Christians believed that by living as Christ had lived—simply and humbly—they could improve their chances of salvation. This idea made the hardships of crusading spiritually meaningful rather than merely difficult.
The crusade naturally fitted this ideal because it forced knights to abandon their comfortable lifestyles. By leaving behind castles, fine food, and other luxuries, crusaders were living a simple life that mirrored Christ's own existence. This made crusading spiritually attractive even before the plenary indulgence was introduced.
What was the plenary indulgence?
By the 12th century, the papacy recognised that the earlier remissio peccatorum (remission of sins) wasn't convincing enough for some Christians. They therefore developed a new, more powerful incentive: the plenary indulgence. This was a straightforward but revolutionary offer—if someone promised to go on a crusade, they would be released from all penalties for the sins they had committed up to that point.
Why was this new indulgence necessary?
Religious beliefs were evolving in ways that made people increasingly anxious about salvation. Christians were being taught that no matter how hard they tried, they could never do enough good works to fully compensate for their sins. This created a deep spiritual anxiety that the plenary indulgence directly addressed.
This growing belief that human effort alone could never achieve salvation created profound anxiety among medieval Christians. The plenary indulgence offered a solution to this seemingly impossible problem, making it an extraordinarily powerful motivator for crusading.
What made the plenary indulgence better than the earlier version?
The plenary indulgence had two crucial advantages that made it more appealing:
- It was presented as a gift – This meant there was no question of whether someone had "earned" it through their actions. It removed the uncertainty about whether enough penance had been done
- It was backed by proper theological theory – The Catholic Church developed the Treasury of the Church to justify the indulgence. This theory stated that the Church possessed a store of merit accumulated from Christ and the saints, which it could distribute as it deemed appropriate
The Treasury of the Church was a theological concept that explained how the Church could grant indulgences. According to this theory, Christ and the saints had accumulated more merit than they needed for their own salvation. This surplus merit formed a "treasury" that the Church could draw upon to compensate for the spiritual debts of ordinary Christians.
When did the plenary indulgence become established?
The development of the plenary indulgence followed a clear timeline:
- 1145 – Pope Eugenius III first used this version of the indulgence
- 1145 – Bernard of Clairvaux preached the plenary indulgence when recruiting for the Second Crusade
- 1198 – The plenary indulgence became the standard form of crusading indulgence
This shows how the indulgence evolved and became more central to crusading appeals over the course of the 12th century.
Jerusalem as the crusading destination
Why was Jerusalem chosen for the First Crusade?
Jerusalem held enormous religious significance for medieval Christians because it had been the setting for the final days of Christ's life. Two locations within the city were considered especially sacred:
- Calvary – The hill where Christ was crucified
- The Holy Sepulchre – The cave tomb from which Christ was believed to have risen from the dead (been resurrected)
These sites transformed Jerusalem into a traditional destination for Christian pilgrims long before the crusades began.
The pilgrimage tradition to Jerusalem
The tradition of pilgrimage to Jerusalem was well-established by the 11th century. It had been initiated by Empress Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, who undertook the first pilgrimage there in the early 4th century. By the time of the First Crusade, this tradition was deeply embedded in Christian culture and many believers made the difficult journey.
The scale of Jerusalem pilgrimages before the crusades was substantial. For instance, during the 1060s, approximately 7,000 German pilgrims set off together for the Holy Land. This existing pilgrimage tradition meant that the crusading idea could build on centuries of devotional practice and desire to visit Jerusalem.
What changed in the 1090s?
Muslim control and Christian access
Muslims had controlled Jerusalem since 638, but crucially, they had permitted Christian pilgrims to visit the city throughout this period. The situation hadn't been a major source of conflict for centuries. However, by the 1090s, circumstances were beginning to shift.
The rise of the Seljuk Turks
The emergence of the Seljuk Turks as a power in Asia Minor and the Holy Land created new difficulties for pilgrims attempting to reach Jerusalem. Their expansion had several practical effects:
- The pilgrimage route became less secure, with increased risk of raids and attacks
- Fewer cities along the route remained under Byzantine control, reducing safe stopping points
- Tolls charged to pilgrims became increasingly extortionate, making the journey prohibitively expensive for many
While no dramatic single event had occurred by 1095, the overall trend was clear: maintaining western pilgrims' access to Jerusalem looked increasingly uncertain as the 11th century drew to a close. This growing difficulty helped create the context in which Pope Urban II's crusading appeal would resonate powerfully.
What threats did Jerusalem face?
The crusading concept and Jerusalem's sacred nature
The unique element that crusading added to the traditional pilgrimage was the idea that Jerusalem's sacred nature was now under threat because of its occupation by Muslims. This became a central theme in how the crusade was preached and understood.
Chronicle accounts of Pope Urban II's sermon
We know about Urban's message at the Council of Clermont in 1095 through four different chronicle accounts. Three of these directly discussed Jerusalem, though they emphasised different aspects of its importance:
Baudri of Dol claimed that Urban focused specifically on how the sacred nature of Jerusalem had been polluted by the presence of Muslims. This framing presented the crusade as a purification mission to restore the city's holiness.
Robert of Reims reported that Urban described Jerusalem as an exceptionally attractive, wealthy, and spiritual location for pilgrims. Like Baudri, he also emphasised the theme of pollution caused by Muslim occupation.
Guibert of Nogent offered a different perspective. He suggested that Urban explored the role Jerusalem played in the story of Christ's Passion (the events from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion) rather than focusing on a direct threat to the city. This approach connected the crusade to the most sacred moments of Christian belief.
Exam focus: analysing the sources
These different chronicle accounts reveal how Jerusalem was presented as a reason for crusading, but they also show historians' challenges. The chroniclers wrote after the events and may have emphasised different aspects based on their own perspectives or audiences.
When using these sources in exams, consider:
- Why might different chroniclers emphasise different themes?
- How reliable are accounts written after the event?
- What do the differences tell us about how the crusade was understood?
Remember that medieval chroniclers often shaped their accounts to suit their own purposes or the expectations of their audiences. This doesn't make the sources worthless, but it does mean we must approach them critically.
Key Points to Remember:
- The plenary indulgence was a new type of indulgence created in the 12th century that offered complete remission of penalties for sins committed if someone promised to crusade
- It was more effective than earlier indulgences because it was presented as a gift and was backed by the theological theory of the Treasury of the Church
- The plenary indulgence was first used in 1145 by Pope Eugenius III and became the standard crusading indulgence by 1198
- Jerusalem was chosen as the destination because of its immense religious significance, particularly Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre
- By the 1090s, the rise of the Seljuk Turks made pilgrimage to Jerusalem increasingly difficult, though Muslims had controlled the city since 638
- Different chroniclers (Baudri of Dol, Robert of Reims, Guibert of Nogent) emphasised different aspects of Jerusalem's importance in their accounts of Urban II's sermon, including themes of pollution and Christ's Passion