• Course begins November 6, 2025

  • Live sessions with the instructor each week, including Q&A

  • Sessions 3:30 - 5:30pm Eastern U.S. time

Week 1

Origins

This week we will explore the environment which gave rise to the idea of the Knights Templar. Specifically we will discuss the legacy of the First Crusade, the history of the early Crusader States, and developments within the Catholic Church at the time of the Templars’ creation.

Week 2

Rise to Power

The Templars grew very rapidly in the early-mid 12th century in large part because thousands of patrons donated vast quantities of money and resources to their support. This week we will explore the Templars’ early actions in the Crusader States, the reception of the idea of the Templars in Western Christendom and the rapid growth of support for the order, as well as theological responses to the concept of the Templars.

Week 3

Trouble and Troublemakers

This week we will focus on the Templars’ involvement in the events surrounding Saladin’s victory at the battle of Hattin and his subsequent reconquest of Jerusalem (1187). We will consider how the Templars contributed to these events and how they responded to them. We shall also explore the concept of the ‘military order’ and how other religious-military institutions emerged across Christendom in imitation of the Templars. The Templars’ own involvement in the wars of Iberia and elsewhere will also be considered.

Week 4

Rebuilding the Crusader States and Economics

Following Saladin’s victory at Hattin (1187), the Templars devoted themselves to the goals of reconquering Jerusalem and rebuilding the Crusader States. This week will focus on their actions and policies in the Middle East up to the year 1244 and also their increasingly complex economy which funded their military, charitable and political activities.

Week 5

Fall of the Crusader States and the Struggle for Public Image

This week concerns the last decades of the Crusader States leading up to their final collapse in 1291. It also shows how the mounting defeats experienced by the Templars in the Middle East impacted their public image and reputation back in Western Christendom.

Week 6

Trial and Heresy

We conclude the course by exploring the Templars’ last years. Accused of heresy by King Philip IV of France, the Templars stood trial and were eventually dissolved by the papacy. But were the accusations levelled against them accurate? Why didn’t the papacy mount a stronger defense of the order? We shall discuss these and other important questions whilst analyzing the Templars’ dramatic downfall.

Meet your Instructor

Nicholas Morton

Dr. Nicholas Morton is an Associate Professor in History at Nottingham Trent University (UK). He is the author or editor of many works on Medieval Middle Eastern history. His most recent book is: The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East (Basic Books, 2022). Other books include: The Crusader States and their Neighbours: A Military History, 1099-1187 (Oxford University Press, 2020) and The Field of Blood: The Battle for Aleppo and the Remaking of the Medieval Middle East (Basic Books, 2018). He also runs a You Tube channel with videos covering the history of the Medieval Middle East (handle: @MedievalNearEast).

  • Start Learning

    First session November 6, 2025 at 3:30pm Eastern U.S. time

  • Access

    Course materials are available for three months from the first course session.