The Miles Christi Collection
Miles Christi: The Rise of the Soldiers of Christ (900-1100)
Case File: MCR-003
Collection: Miles Christi Research
Research Institute: NFP
Author: Douglas Estill
Published: 04/20/2026
Long before the Knights Templar became famous across medieval Europe, another kind of warrior was already taking shape. He was not yet a member of a military order, nor did he wear the distinctive white mantle that later generations would associate with holy warfare. This warrior became known by a simple yet powerful title: Miles Christi—the Soldier of Christ.
Miles Christi: Before the Templars and the Rise of the First Soldiers of Christ
Case File: MCR-004
Collection: Miles Christi Research
Research Institute: NFP
Author: Douglas Estill
Published: 04/18/2026
Before there were military orders, there were men who defended churches, protected monasteries, guarded pilgrims, and served as armed protectors of Christian communities. Medieval documents increasingly describe these individuals using a remarkable title: Miles Christi—the Soldier of Christ.
Miles Christi Before the Templars: The Emergence of a Christian Military Identity
Case File: MCR-002
Collection: Miles Christi Research
Research Institute: NFP
Author: Douglas Estill
Published: 04/22/2026
Long before the Templars were founded in Jerusalem in 1119, the concept of the Christian warrior was already taking shape across medieval Europe. The military orders did not emerge from a vacuum. They were the culmination of centuries of social, religious, and political evolution that transformed how Christians viewed warfare, protection, and service to the Church.