A Historical Conspiracy Theory

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses David Hatcher Childress' history book that describes the conflict between the Vatican and the Templars, a holy band of brother-soldiers who were enraged that the Church they had helped win land, territory and power had turned against their sect for political purposes. The paper contends that the author's method of drawing together Medieval history, the history of maps and sea navigation, as well as the politics of the European kings and the Roman Catholic popes, makes for a fascinating tale. The paper maintains that the book, in its more factually substantiated parts, is a good introduction to the history of the Church and the navigation of the high seas.

From the Paper:

"To tell the story of the conflict between the Templars and the Vatican, Childress focuses on the greatest unsolved historical mystery regarding the Templars and proposes a solution. It is especially interesting to read this book in today's context, where issues about early Christian secrets, as debated in the fictional Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, the recent media attention given to the radical Catholic splinter sect Opus Dei, and even the election of the new Pope Benedict have brought issues about the influence of secret or mystery sects in the development of the Catholic religion to the forefront of international attention."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. New York: Doubleday, 2003.
• Childress, David. Pirates and The Lost Templar Fleet: The Secret Naval War Between The Knights Templar and The Vatican New York: Adventures Unlimited Press, 2003.

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