This work investigates how emotional expression and regulation functioned as a critical component of the crusading movement between 1095 and 1291. Author Steven J. Spencer examines the intersection of medieval theology, social norms, and the lived experience of crusaders. By analyzing primary sources such as chronicles, letters, and sermons, the text argues that emotions were not merely private reactions but were performative tools used to justify, sustain, and critique the crusading enterprise.

Scholars in the field of medieval history recognize this text as a significant contribution to the growing sub-discipline of the history of emotions. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous reliance on primary source analysis to support the author's arguments.