Deus vult

"Deus lo vult" is the motto of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre (1824).

Deus vult (Ecclesiastical Latin: 'God wills it') is a Christian motto relating to Divine providence.[1][2] It was first chanted by Catholics during the First Crusade in 1096 as a rallying cry, most likely under the form Deus le veult or Deus lo vult, as reported by the Gesta Francorum (c. 1100) and the Historia Belli Sacri (c. 1130).[a][1]

In modern times, the Latin motto has different meanings depending on the context. It has been used as a metaphor referring to "God's will",[3][4] by Christians throughout history, such as the Puritans,[5] or as a motto by chivalric orders such as the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.[6] In the 21st century, Christian nationalist movements, as well as Christian right and far-right groups, have adopted the motto as a catchphrase.[7] Medievalist scholars have criticized this use as harmful and historically inaccurate.[8]

  1. ^ a b Molloy, Michael (6 April 2017). The Christian Experience: An Introduction to Christianity. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4725-8285-0. In Europe, Christians were convinced that God wanted them to bring the whole region back into the originally Christian fold. Their motto was Deus vult (God wills it).
  2. ^ "Definition of Deus Vult". Merriam-Webster.
  3. ^ Agnew, John (2010). "Deus Vult: The Geopolitics of the Catholic Church". Geopolitics. 15 (1): 39–61. doi:10.1080/14650040903420388. ISSN 1465-0045. S2CID 144793259.
  4. ^ Gomez, Adam (2012). "Deus Vult: John L. O'Sullivan, Manifest Destiny, and American Democratic Messianism". American Political Thought. 1 (2): 236–262. doi:10.1086/667616. ISSN 2161-1580. S2CID 153831773.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mahan1972 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Kim, Dorothy (November 5, 2018). "The Alt-Right and Medieval Religions". Georgetown University Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs.
  7. ^ Arnold, Kate (2 January 2023). "Pop and the 'Palästinalied': a crusade song revived at the turn of a new millennium". Crusades. 22 (1): 115–126. doi:10.1080/14765276.2023.2189386.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ulaby was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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