Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Inquisition and Index
- Inquisition was ecclesiastical court set up
to investigate & prosecute heretics.
Established in Germany, Italy and Spain
- Spanish Inquisition: by 1520s it
was targeting Erasmus and
Lutherans. In 1559-62 very
active putting some 77
Protestants to death
- After, more concerned
with lapsed converts, and
with investigating acts of
immorality by Spanish
Christians
- Roman Inquisition: aim was to set up
network of tribunals throughout Catholic
Europe. Most countries acted independently of
the Roman court
- Spain and Portugal had
their own organisations
- France and Germany were
unwilling to defer to the papacy
when dealing with heresy
- Much of the time was spent
investigating cases of immorality
and witchcraft, and a few
executions occurred
- Censorship formed
important part of
Inquisition's work
- University faculties of theology and
city councils produced their own
lists of prohibited reading
- Spanish Index: Charles V granted it the right
to censor books in 1545, and further revisions
occurred in 1551
- Roman Index: Begun by Paul IV in 1559. Banned
over 500 authors including Erasmus, Machiavelli
and 50 vernacular Bibles
- Tridentine Index (1564) complied a more select list
- Released after last
session of Council of Trent
by Congregation of the
Index
- Would be model
for every Index to
be released from
this time.
- Spelled the end of the 'free
pass' in all of Italy including
liberal states such as Venice
for some time.
- Overall: Inquisition was
successful in Italy but Europe
not really affected as they had
their own systems; too few to
really be effective
- Revisionist view: some credit
due as it improved literacy
rates - seen as having
educational role - and moral
standards heightened
- Traditional view: more of a
secret police to keep order
and kill Protestats
- Overall: Index not effective
as it was impossible to
police as there was an
extensive book trade in
Protestant books at the
time