Triple C

I thought Jihad, in the strict sense of the word, is only invoked under a set of more specified circumstances than the essay states. My impression is that a true Jihad need some kind of defensive rationale for protecting the Muslim community. Not every war to expand Islam qualifies as Jihad, as the Ottoman Turk expansion was defined under a different name, which is also religious but is a lesser duty than true Jihad.

Christians during the Crusades did in fact has fighting missionaries. The Templars and the Hospitalers were military monastic orders and their members have the dual identity of being knights and monks. They could and did performed religious services such as preaching sermons and giving last rites.

St. Augustine, though falling short of creating a full doctrine of religious warfare, did formulate that conversion of Christianity by the sword is justified. Crusades during the Middle Ages were launched sometimes against heretics such as the Cathars and Albegensians. "Kill them all and God will know his own" originated from a bishop during the Albegensian Crusade.

This doctrine was later thrown out by Martin Luther, because he did not believe that works (external actions and appearance) is of any account in salvation. Coercion by the sword would be at best a futile exercise and at wrost double sacriledge, in using temporal weapons in a spiritual war and violating the sanctity of Christian church by introducing unbelievers among their midst.

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ORBIS NON SUFFICIT.