It's useful now and then to examine history, to see the roots of the problems and conflicts that are currently plaguing the world. With this in mind, A&E's The Crusades: The Complete Story is an outstanding look at the roots of the West's conflict with Islam.

The set actually includes three different A&E/History Channel titles: the two-disc The Crusades: The Crescent and the Cross and Inside Islam, and A&E's 2 disc Christianity: The First 2,000 Years. And you really get the full story of the Crusades (at least, the first three) from these DVDs.

I started off with disc 1 of Christianity: The First 2,000 Years. I was gratified to find the treatment of early Christianity was very even-handed, respectful of Christian beliefs and traditions. I was a bit disappointed in several things in the video, however. The Apostle Paul actually made three missionary trips, but the video combines them all into one, which plays havoc with chronology. Chronology in general seems to be a problem with the presentation — the narrative skips back and forth at times, revisiting people and events with little regard for the actual order of events. Also, the ecumenical councils were vital in the development of the church, but other than Nicea and Chalcedon they aren't mentioned at all.

The video does a good job in tracing the overall development of Christianity into a political force throughout Europe, which is important in understanding the Crusades. If you view it with a 'big picture' perspective in mind, the chronological issues and the omissions will not bother you. The historian in me really enjoyed the portrayal of Irish Christianity and it's idea of scholarship as worship. I was just a bit disappointed the Venerable Bede didn't make the cut when it came to historical figures to highlight. Without Bede, we know very little of early British Christianity.

Next up was Inside Islam. Again, I was impressed with the even-handedness of the portrayal of Islam. The producers seem to have made a special effort to not offend either Christians or Muslims in the depiction of their respective faiths. Traditional stories and beliefs are presented with no real argument or debate; that's important, because understanding how each faith views itself is vital to understanding the Crusades.

I really haven't studied Islam much — two months of study when I was in 8th grade was a LONG time ago, after all, and I haven't kept up since. This DVD was valuable to me just as a resource in understanding Islam. Misunderstandings and miscommunication lead to conflict — often violent conflict. By understanding Islam, we can relate to them better — even if we don't agree with them.

Now that I'd refreshed my understanding of Islam, it was time to dig into the conflict. The Crusades: The Crescent and the Cross presents a view of the Crusades that shows the good and bad of both sides of the wars. We see Crusader knights who are genuinely seeking to do the work of God, and we see opportunists who are seeking land and glory. We see a Pope trying to regain the prestige that his predecessors had squandered, taking advantage of the peril the Byzantine empire found itself in. The Crusades are a period in history where we see up close and personal the effects of theocracy — was is declared not against rivals, but against infidels, heretics — people who God has abandoned. We also see the power of faith, as people overcome seemingly insurmountable adversity to reach their goals.