Taking the Cross: The Motives of the Crusaders
This article discusses the motivations behind the crusades.
The Height and Decline of the Papacy (1073–1517 A.D.)
This article on church history records the rise of the Roman Catholic Church under Gregory VII, the pope. The author discusses the influence of Monasticism and the Crusades on the church. Corruption and chaos were the major contributors to the decline of the Roman Catholic's power and influence.