The Spanish Inquisition
by Cecil Roth
On This Page
Description
History abounds in "private inquisitors" who took the lives of heretics from time to time in an excess of religious zeal, but no other organization for religious persecution ever equaled the Spanish Inquisition in intensity, scope, or efficiency of operation. In 1478 Pope Sixtus IV issued the fatal Bull empowering the Spanish sovereigns to set up tribunals to extirpate heresy within their realms, and from then until its abolishment in 1834 the Inquisition pursued a career of blood whose goal show more was no less than the destruction of every person who was not a true Roman Catholic Christian. First and foremost this meant Jews, but the Holy Office later expanded its range of victims to include Protestants, mystics, and nonconformists of every sort. The long series of events leading up to the establishment of the Inquisition and the following three and a half centuries of torment that spread from Spain to Portugal and even to the New World are here documented by Cecil Roth of Oxford, one of the world's great authorities on Jewish history. The text is illustrated with documents and prints from the author's private collection, and two appendices provide the text of an actual "program" of an auto da fe as well as excerpts from a specific trial. - Back cover. Documents the events leading up to the Spanish Inquisition beginning in 1478 and the events that followed for the next three and a half centuries. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
well-researched and informative, this book has a very fluid discussion of the Spanish Inquisition. However, I can see that it has a potential to annoy some readers by frequent comparisons of the persecution conducted by the Inquisition with that of Hitler persecution of Jews (Hitler and the Nazis were not mentioned by name but one can immediately infer that they are the ones being alluded to) Overall a good book, (contains interesting documents and some first hand accounts), on a topic where there are few options to select from.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
127+ Works 2,412 Members
Cecil Roth taught post-biblical Jewish studies at Oxford University for 25 years, and is presently editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia Judaica.
Common Knowledge
- Important places
- Spain
- Important events
- Spanish Inquisition
- Dedication
- To David
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, Religion & Spirituality, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 272.20946 — Religion History of Christianity Persecutions in church history Heretics by Inquisition for Holy Office (Since 1470)
- LCC
- BX1735 .R6 — Philosophy, Psychology and Religion Christian Denominations Christian Denominations Catholic Church History
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 175
- Popularity
- 187,583
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.19)
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 1
