The Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 is often considered as the high water-mark for the Medieval Church with its decisions affecting the cultural, social, religious and intellectual history of the Later Medieval World. The council was also a major event in the history of the crusades not only because the reform of the church and the recovery of the Holy Land were the central concerns of Pope Innocent III (1198-1216), but also because at the time of the council political decisions were made which affected all theatres of crusading and the canons of the council dealt with issues concerning piety and economics which had very long-term implications for the crusading movement. This book, bringing together an international team of scholars, is the first to deal with Fourth Lateran and the crusades in entirety and argues for the centrality of the council in the history of the crusades.