Pope Urban II speech reflect much more clearly what later authors thought Urban II should have said to launch the First Crusade than what Urban II actually did say. As a better means of evaluating Urban's true motives in calling for a crusade to the Holy Lands, there are four extant letters written by Pope Urban himself: one to the Flemish (dated December 1095); one to the Bolognese (dated September 1096); one to Vallombrosa (dated October 1096); and one to the counts of Catalonia (dated either 1089 or 1096–1099). However, whereas the three former letters were concerned with rallying popular support for the
Areopagus sermon what I am going to proclaim to you." Paul then explained concepts such as the resurrection of the dead and salvation, in effect a prelude to the future discussions of Christology. After the sermon a number of people became followers of Paul. These included a woman named Damaris, and Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus (not to be confused with Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite or Dionysius, the first Bishop of Paris). In the 20th century, Pope John Paul II likened the modern media to the "New Areopagus", where Christian ideas needed to be explained and defended anew, against disbelief and the