Editing Religious war (section)

=== Crusades ===
{{Main|Historiography of the Crusades}}
The [[Crusades]] are a prime example of wars whose religious elements have been extensively debated for centuries, with some groups of people in some periods emphasising, restoring or overstating the religious aspects, and other groups of people in some periods denying, nuancing or downplaying the religious aspects of the Crusades in favour of other factors. ''[[Winkler Prins]]''/''[[Encarta]]'' (2002) concluded: "The traditional explanation for the Crusades (a religious enthusiasm that found an outlet in a Holy War) has also retained its value in modern historical scholarship, keeping in mind the fact that it has been pointed out that a complex set of socio-economic and political factors allowed this enthusiasm to manifest itself."<ref>''Encarta Winkler Prins Encyclopaedia'' (1993–2002) s.v. "kruistochten". Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum.</ref>

The Crusades against [[Early Muslim conquests|Muslim expansion]] in the 11th century were recognized as a "holy war" or a ''bellum sacrum'' by later writers in the 17th century. The early modern wars against the [[Ottoman Empire]] were seen as a seamless continuation of this conflict by contemporaries.<ref>E.g. ''Bellum sacrum Ecclesiae militantis contra Turcum'' by Léonard de Vaux (1685).</ref>{{primary source inline|date=March 2022}}