The Spanish Inquisition (Historical Association Studies) Book

Drawing on the latest research by American, British, and European scholars, this provocative book challenges the reputation of the Spanish Inquisition as an instrument of religious persecution, torture, and repression. The book traces the history of the Spanish Inquisition from 1478 when it was founded, through its agenda against dissenters, to its demise and abolition in the early nineteenth century. Taking account of the work of a new generation of international historians, it demonstrates that the Inquisition was a far less brutal instrument of control than hitherto envisaged, that torture and the death penalty were only rarely applied, and then almost exclusively during the early years of its history. The book also draws attention to the wider role of the Inquisition as an educative force in society that strengthened the bonds between church and state.Read More