La pauvreté volontaire et la croisade d’Innocent III

The aim of this article is to analyse an aspect of the reconceptualization of the crusade that took place under Pope Innocent III, drawing on the scholarly concepts of necessity (necessitas) and poverty (paupertas). I will first trace some major changes in the conception of the crusade by comparing Innocent III’s main crusade calls with those from the late eleventh and twelfth centuries. Secondly, I will explore the intellectual tradition that Innocent III encountered during his studies in Paris, centred around Peter the Chanter and the milieu from which the University of Paris emerged, in order to show precisely how this scholarly tradition shaped his reconceptualization. This intellectual tradition was centred upon discussions concerning the just distribution of worldly goods and, accordingly, the right of the deprived to receive what they needed to live, as well as the duty of the wealthy to embrace voluntary poverty by placing their goods at the disposal of those in need. It will be shown how Innocent III developed and applied this line of thought in order to present the crusade as an ideal, indeed necessary, enterprise for the attainment of salvation.