The Spanish Inquisition: A HistoryThis is the story of 350 years of terror. Established by papal bull in 1478, the first task of the Spanish Inquisition was to question Jewish converts to Christianity and to expose and execute those found guilty of reversion. Authorities then turned on Spanish Jews in general, sending 300,000 into exile. Next in line were humanists and Lutherans. No rank was exempt. Children informed on their parents, merchants on their rivals, and priests upon their bishops. Those denounced were guilty unless they could prove their innocence. Nearly 32,000 people were publicly burned at the stake; the "fortunate” ones were flogged, fined, or imprisoned. Joseph P rez tells the history of the Spanish Inquisition from its medieval beginnings to its nineteenth-century ending. He discovers its origins in fear and jealousy and its longevity in usefulness to the state. He explores the inner workings of its councils, and shows how its officers, inquisitors, and leaders lived and worked. He describes its techniques of interrogation and torture, and shows how it refined displays of punishment as instruments of social control. The author ends his fascinating account by assessing the impact of the Inquisition over three and a half centuries on Spain’s culture, economy, and intellectual life. |
Contents
Defending the faith | 58 |
Illuminism | 64 |
The antimystical turning point of 1559 | 72 |
The Inquisition and witches | 79 |
Faith and behaviour | 85 |
The end of the Inquisition | 93 |
The administrative apparatus of the Holy Office | 101 |
The trial | 133 |
The Inquisition and society | 176 |
The Inquisition and the political authorities | 196 |
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Common terms and phrases
accused affair aljamas alumbrados Ancien Régime anti-semitism Antonio appeared appointed archbishop arrested authorised authorities auto da fé banned beatas bishops blood purity burnt canon Carranza Castilian Catholic sovereigns ceremony Charles chuetas Church Cisneros clergy condemned confess confiscated conversos Cordova Cortes Council crime crypto-Judaism death sentences declared denounced detainee ecclesiastical edict of faith eighteenth century Erasmus example favour Ferdinand France Fray Luis Granada grand inquisitor guilty heresy heretics Holy Office Iberian peninsula Index Inquisition's inquisitorial court Isabella Jesuits Jewish Jews Juan Judaisers king kingdom of Aragon kingdom of Castile Llorente Logroño Lutheran Madrid Manrique marranos matter monks Moriscos Muslims offence Olavide Old Christians penalties Pérez Philip Philip II political pope Portuguese priests prison prosecutor Protestants punished religion religious Saint sambenito Seville situation sixteenth century Spain Spaniards Spanish Inquisition spiritual Suprema suspect theologians tion Toledo took Torquemada torture town trial Valdés Valencia Valladolid victims witchcraft witches