The Spanish Inquisition: A Crucible of National Values - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471360015 ISBN 13: 9780471360018

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Limited, 1969

Synopsis

The impact of the Spanish Inquisition upon the course of western his¬tory was strong enough to significantly affect the destinies of Europe, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Spanish nation. This is the first volume, however, that brings together a descriptive collection of read¬ings with extensive selections from primary sources on this important period. Organized by Ferdinand and Isabelle in the late fifteenth century as a Catholic system of courts headed by an inquisitor-general, the Inquisi¬tion had virtually the power of life and death over every Spaniard. It was closely allied with the state and came into repeated conflict with the papacy. Its principal targets were converts from Islam and Judaism, but among its victims were such distinguished Catholics as Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Theresa of Avila. From the tenure of Torquemada, the first inquisitor-general, through its official abolishment in Spain in 1820, the Inquisition was introduced throughout the extent of the Spanish Empire and was responsible for the persecution and death of thousands of people. In The Spanish Inquisition, Professor Hauben traces the effects of the tragic interweaving of race, religion, and statehood which, in con¬junction with other events, resulted in the warping of an entire nation's development. He reveals a striking instance of the deformation of a re¬ligion's basic tenets through institutionalization, and points out how Spain's contemporary international situation has some useful analogies for our own "ideological" times.

About this edition

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Limited
• Publication date: 1969
• ISBN 10: 0471360015
• ISBN 13: 9780471360018
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 156
• Editor: Paul J. Hauben