The Inquisition

Few remember the name Tomas de Torquemada, but it is estimated that this Dominican monk oversaw the burning of over 2,000 people accused and declared guilty of heresy. Torquemada and his torture regime fit the popular image of the Inquisition, but the Inquisition actually took place in several countries and over several centuries. Meant as a bulwark against the threats, real and imagined, of Islam, Judaism, Protestantism, unorthodox Catholicism, and a host of cultural practices such as...
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Few remember the name Tomas de Torquemada, but it is estimated that this Dominican monk oversaw the burning of over 2,000 people accused and declared guilty of heresy. Torquemada and his torture regime fit the popular image of the Inquisition, but the Inquisition actually took place in several countries and over several centuries. Meant as a bulwark against the threats, real and imagined, of Islam, Judaism, Protestantism, unorthodox Catholicism, and a host of cultural practices such as polygamy and usury, the Inquisition aimed to curb deviant behavior and bolster the influence of the Catholic Church. This compelling edition examines the knotty history of the Inquisition, with accessible discussions that facilitate student research. Chapters dive into critical topics such as examining the Inquisition impartially; the origins, methods, and victims of the medieval Inquisition; the methods and punishments of the Spanish Inquisition, and the Inquisition's many targets.