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The Inquisition: A History From Beginning to End
The Inquisition * * *Download for FREE on Kindle Unlimited + Free BONUS Inside!* * * Read On Your Computer, MAC, Smartphone, Kindle Reader, iPad, or Tablet. The Roman Catholic Inquisition was one of the most controversial organizations in human history. Although it has been painted in a negative light, the Inquisition was too broad in scope to define as simply good or bad. It was a period where conflict and bloodshed were inevitable. It was a time where war, famine, plague, and poverty were common factors of human life. From the 1180s to the 1830s, the Inquisition was the judicial arm of the Catholic Church. Created to root out and punish heretics within the Catholic faith, the Inquisition became an institution that would carve its name into history. Inside you will read about... ✓ The Conception of the Inquisition ✓ The Hammer of Witches ✓ The Spanish Inquisition ✓ The Portuguese Inquisition ✓ The Roman Inquisition ✓ Shades of the Inquisition in Modern Society And much more! Throughout its many variations, the Inquisition took hold in France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy and in the process, both hastened and stunted progress in Western society. The Inquisition was as multi-faceted in its failure as it was in its successes. Though it was responsible for the deaths of thousands, it was also responsible for the sparing of thousands more. The Inquisition put to death some of the brightest minds of the time, and yet their brutality quickened the pace of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. In short, the Inquisition was many things—easy to define is not one of them. This concise, compressed guidebook reveals the history, failures, and successes of the Roman Catholic Inquisition from its birth to its final death rattle.
116 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2017
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Hourly History
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 30, 2022
Again a concise history of inquisition. I read this with crusades and other aspect of Christian religion and hence have a larger picture. We must stay vigilant and ask ourselves if we do not see a little bit of the inquisition in modern society of we are to avoid repeating history and making the same mistakes all over again.
August 6, 2017
Very interesting
This Book was packed from cover to cover with Immensely valuable and interesting information if your interested in this Topic or period in history check this out
This Book was packed from cover to cover with Immensely valuable and interesting information if your interested in this Topic or period in history check this out
April 25, 2022
1st hourly History book Ive ever read, its not bad a all, good synthesis and its perfect to read something quick if you dont wanna go to wikipedia, BUT the big problem is NONE of bibliography, so sometimes I dont know if they used realiable sources.
So just read it if you dont really care.
So just read it if you dont really care.
October 15, 2019
Not bad for one hour reading.
June 3, 2019
I read Hourly Histories for get a quick introduction to persons and events that I'm only familiar with casually and want to know more about without too much of a time investment.
Most of these books satisfy that end. This title is an exception.
I'll include my review on Amazon here:
These short histories may not be top notch but this one sunk to the lowest levels by interjecting contemporary political commentary, misguided at best.
Hourly History should scrap this version and get someone else, a historian perhaps, to rewrite it.
Most of these books satisfy that end. This title is an exception.
I'll include my review on Amazon here:
These short histories may not be top notch but this one sunk to the lowest levels by interjecting contemporary political commentary, misguided at best.
Hourly History should scrap this version and get someone else, a historian perhaps, to rewrite it.
November 10, 2019
The Inquisition is something that shows just how bad organized religion can become. The Inquisition lasted from 1184 to 1826. No exact number of people killed under its auspices is known but the number is probably in the thousands. (10,000 seems to be a reasonable number according to some articles I read although the number who died in prison was probably at least 10 times that many as were actually killed outright.)
The Inquisition targeted any group that dared to speak out against the Catholic Church and anyone the Church felt needed to be dealt with. This ranged from the Cathars all the way through those accused of witchcraft.
The book says three things set this all off; a fear of change, secularization and the fear of losing power (and I'll add the money that power brought in.)
Another thing I'll add here is that a form of this actually dates back much longer than the actual Inquisition. The Church since very early on carried out a program of shutting down any groups known as Gnostics. This included book burning (like Hitler did).
There were some things in the 14th to 16th centuries that made matters worse and these were the Black Death, the Hundred Years War and bad weather (which some blamed on witches.)
There were also various localized Inquisitions such as in Spain, Portugal and Rome. The Roman one was aimed at scientists since what they were writing and saying was not acceptable to the Church.
(The Church, though, is not the only organization to be responsible for the deaths of many people. Stalin had around 20 million killed. The Nazis had at least 6 million Jews killed. They also had around 3 million others killed for other reasons. )
People in power having others killed has not been an uncommon thing in human history.
The Inquisition targeted any group that dared to speak out against the Catholic Church and anyone the Church felt needed to be dealt with. This ranged from the Cathars all the way through those accused of witchcraft.
The book says three things set this all off; a fear of change, secularization and the fear of losing power (and I'll add the money that power brought in.)
Another thing I'll add here is that a form of this actually dates back much longer than the actual Inquisition. The Church since very early on carried out a program of shutting down any groups known as Gnostics. This included book burning (like Hitler did).
There were some things in the 14th to 16th centuries that made matters worse and these were the Black Death, the Hundred Years War and bad weather (which some blamed on witches.)
There were also various localized Inquisitions such as in Spain, Portugal and Rome. The Roman one was aimed at scientists since what they were writing and saying was not acceptable to the Church.
(The Church, though, is not the only organization to be responsible for the deaths of many people. Stalin had around 20 million killed. The Nazis had at least 6 million Jews killed. They also had around 3 million others killed for other reasons. )
People in power having others killed has not been an uncommon thing in human history.
December 31, 2023
This was the last of my quick reads so I could make it to 30 books for 2023. I enjoyed my dip into Hourly History, but this particular one was so badly written it is hard to tell how accurate it is. It's an odd combination of purple prose and ungrammatical sentences, and almost feels as though it was badly translated from another language.
Nevertheless, it did provide a quick overview of the attempts by the Roman Catholic Church to suppress dissent and fight back against the Reformation, and it had a few moments of history and ideas that were new to me. The first inquisition, for instance, was carried out against a sect known as the Cathars in southern France, a Gnostic group who believed there was a god of good and a god of evil, and insisted the Catholic Church was worshiping the wrong god. This apparently led to a horrific massacre of 20,000 inhabitants of one city, most of whom were Catholic, but who had shown tolerance and acceptance of the Cathars. I also knew nothing of the much later Portuguese inquisition in colonial Goa, which suppressed the local Hindu population.
I was also intrigued by the idea that returning Crusaders were some of the main advocates of dissent, after having been exposed to new ideas and new religions on their trips to the Holy Land.
Finally, there is the argument that even though the Spanish Inquisition was infamous for its torture instruments like the head vice and the rack, it still only executed 1 percent of those put on trial, and it may have actually doled out lesser punishments than many secular rulers of the day did.
At the very least, this has persuaded me to learn more about the true history of this centuries long chapter in the Catholic Church.
Nevertheless, it did provide a quick overview of the attempts by the Roman Catholic Church to suppress dissent and fight back against the Reformation, and it had a few moments of history and ideas that were new to me. The first inquisition, for instance, was carried out against a sect known as the Cathars in southern France, a Gnostic group who believed there was a god of good and a god of evil, and insisted the Catholic Church was worshiping the wrong god. This apparently led to a horrific massacre of 20,000 inhabitants of one city, most of whom were Catholic, but who had shown tolerance and acceptance of the Cathars. I also knew nothing of the much later Portuguese inquisition in colonial Goa, which suppressed the local Hindu population.
I was also intrigued by the idea that returning Crusaders were some of the main advocates of dissent, after having been exposed to new ideas and new religions on their trips to the Holy Land.
Finally, there is the argument that even though the Spanish Inquisition was infamous for its torture instruments like the head vice and the rack, it still only executed 1 percent of those put on trial, and it may have actually doled out lesser punishments than many secular rulers of the day did.
At the very least, this has persuaded me to learn more about the true history of this centuries long chapter in the Catholic Church.
March 20, 2018
The book's succinct.
(Kindle Location 49-58)
...The greater the power, the greater the fear, and thus the Catholic Church had much to fear in a world that would struggle violently to wrest itself from the grasp of mighty Rome. The First Crusade brought back wealth beyond measure, and with that wealth came ideas. Those who left their homes and ventured into the east, returned changed. While taking the Holy Land of Jerusalem, these men were exposed to a great many ideas that challenged what the Church had told them. When these men returned, they brought with them these ideas and shared them with their brethren. In a short time, those who once answered the call of the Catholic Church without question began to question every aspect of the narrative the Church had given them. These same men were sometimes men of power and influence, who spread their ideologies like wildfire among the people. It became obvious that these heretics needed to be stamped out, or the Catholic Church would suffer a collapse from within, as did the ancient Roman Empire. The lesson of the fall of the Roman Empire was well learned by the Catholic Church. The very foundation on which the Church stood was the ruin of the ancient Roman Empire. They were no stranger to how hard one can fall when they have become too large for their support structures. If decay were to spread among the very smallest supports at the bottom and were allowed to reach the larger structures, then everything the Church had fought to gain would be undone. The Catholic Church needed a weapon to combat the rise in religious sectarianism, and that weapon would become the Inquisition...
(Kindle Location 49-58)
...The greater the power, the greater the fear, and thus the Catholic Church had much to fear in a world that would struggle violently to wrest itself from the grasp of mighty Rome. The First Crusade brought back wealth beyond measure, and with that wealth came ideas. Those who left their homes and ventured into the east, returned changed. While taking the Holy Land of Jerusalem, these men were exposed to a great many ideas that challenged what the Church had told them. When these men returned, they brought with them these ideas and shared them with their brethren. In a short time, those who once answered the call of the Catholic Church without question began to question every aspect of the narrative the Church had given them. These same men were sometimes men of power and influence, who spread their ideologies like wildfire among the people. It became obvious that these heretics needed to be stamped out, or the Catholic Church would suffer a collapse from within, as did the ancient Roman Empire. The lesson of the fall of the Roman Empire was well learned by the Catholic Church. The very foundation on which the Church stood was the ruin of the ancient Roman Empire. They were no stranger to how hard one can fall when they have become too large for their support structures. If decay were to spread among the very smallest supports at the bottom and were allowed to reach the larger structures, then everything the Church had fought to gain would be undone. The Catholic Church needed a weapon to combat the rise in religious sectarianism, and that weapon would become the Inquisition...
July 30, 2017
When most people think of the Inquisition, they picture either scenes of the Spanish Inquisition, where people were tortured and eventually executed as heretics for their free thinking, or where predominately women, were tried and burned as witches. Although this was all part of the process, the Inquisition has a much longer history. Lasting for more than nine hundred years, the last Inquisition execution was carried 1826.
The beginnings of this phenomena can be traced to the First Crusade. Returning knights and warriors brought back, not only great riches but also new ideas. The Catholic Church was the most powerful entity in Europe; wielding more power than any king or prince. The Church was built upon the ruins of Rome; something they remembered and feared greatly. The same Rome that conquered and held great tracks of the known world. The same Rome that eventually crumbled from within. Anything that threatens the Church, must be eradicated. The higher you rise, the farther you fall and the Church was terrified at having to relinquish its unlimited power. The inquisitors were against free thinking and anything that would bring their doctrines into question.
This short history doesn’t try to defend the Inquisition, nor does it condemn it. Instead, the Inquisition is given its proper place in history and explores its effect on our world today. I enjoyed this book and not only learned a few things but think differently about this ecclesiastical action and its place in history.
The beginnings of this phenomena can be traced to the First Crusade. Returning knights and warriors brought back, not only great riches but also new ideas. The Catholic Church was the most powerful entity in Europe; wielding more power than any king or prince. The Church was built upon the ruins of Rome; something they remembered and feared greatly. The same Rome that conquered and held great tracks of the known world. The same Rome that eventually crumbled from within. Anything that threatens the Church, must be eradicated. The higher you rise, the farther you fall and the Church was terrified at having to relinquish its unlimited power. The inquisitors were against free thinking and anything that would bring their doctrines into question.
This short history doesn’t try to defend the Inquisition, nor does it condemn it. Instead, the Inquisition is given its proper place in history and explores its effect on our world today. I enjoyed this book and not only learned a few things but think differently about this ecclesiastical action and its place in history.
June 15, 2023
In many ways this is the weakest of all the Hourly History books I have read. Starting with the poor grammar and spelling (" this is better then that" and "decent" instead of "dissent" may have gotten me looking for flaws. But there is not much information other than timelines of the various stages of the Inquisition(s) and a few repeated factoids about a couple of locations.
This feels like an apologist's history written by someone in the Roman Catholic Church. Most of the last few chapters spend way too much time trying to say "Okay, things were bad so they make a good example of how not to behave" and "this shaped laws, the justice system, and governance into what it is today". That's not mentioning " things could have been worse" and "it wasn't as bad as other options".
Hourly History, please spend more time on the history giving more information and less opinions.
This feels like an apologist's history written by someone in the Roman Catholic Church. Most of the last few chapters spend way too much time trying to say "Okay, things were bad so they make a good example of how not to behave" and "this shaped laws, the justice system, and governance into what it is today". That's not mentioning " things could have been worse" and "it wasn't as bad as other options".
Hourly History, please spend more time on the history giving more information and less opinions.
May 15, 2024
It was a good thing- the Inquisition!
In the author’s final analysis we are told that the Inquisition was actually a good thing and beneficial to mankind. Without it there would have been no stability to foster the Reformation, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. What a crock of nonsense. The Catholic Church as the very foundation of the Inquisition, has been exonerated of all past sins as the author places the blame on local authorities, landowners and even families for all the crimes, abuses and suffering. There also seems to be a special interest for torture in all its forms that appeals to the authors sensibilities. This is a very short and incomplete whitewashing of a centuries long history of human suffering devised and perpetuated by the evil empire of the Catholic Church. But in this case it was a good thing.
In the author’s final analysis we are told that the Inquisition was actually a good thing and beneficial to mankind. Without it there would have been no stability to foster the Reformation, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. What a crock of nonsense. The Catholic Church as the very foundation of the Inquisition, has been exonerated of all past sins as the author places the blame on local authorities, landowners and even families for all the crimes, abuses and suffering. There also seems to be a special interest for torture in all its forms that appeals to the authors sensibilities. This is a very short and incomplete whitewashing of a centuries long history of human suffering devised and perpetuated by the evil empire of the Catholic Church. But in this case it was a good thing.
August 30, 2018
Another quick recap of history
A short, average read on the long span of the inquisition. A good refresher account of events I’m sure I learned in school, but since forgotten. Joan of Arc’s name certainly rings a bell for most people but who remembers the details of how she was caught up in the inquisition? Towards the end, I got the feeling the author was saying the inquisition had been a good thing that propelled humanity towards the renaissance and enlightenment and actually helped lay down laws that would prevent torture as a legal form of coercion. I wasn’t convinced.
A short, average read on the long span of the inquisition. A good refresher account of events I’m sure I learned in school, but since forgotten. Joan of Arc’s name certainly rings a bell for most people but who remembers the details of how she was caught up in the inquisition? Towards the end, I got the feeling the author was saying the inquisition had been a good thing that propelled humanity towards the renaissance and enlightenment and actually helped lay down laws that would prevent torture as a legal form of coercion. I wasn’t convinced.
December 6, 2023
The Inquisition
I have read many books by Hourly History. They are all wonderful and follow a simple formula. They give a bunch of information in an easy-to-follow story. If the information is unreliable or unknown, the author makes it very clear. If there are differing accounts they pick the more common sides and tell them. I love that they stick to the facts as much as possible, and are clear about adding stories that might not be true. Another thing I like is the variation of topics. For example, if they write a book about a person, it isn’t limited to world leaders or leaders of armies. It could be famous activists, movie stars, musicians, etc.
I have read many books by Hourly History. They are all wonderful and follow a simple formula. They give a bunch of information in an easy-to-follow story. If the information is unreliable or unknown, the author makes it very clear. If there are differing accounts they pick the more common sides and tell them. I love that they stick to the facts as much as possible, and are clear about adding stories that might not be true. Another thing I like is the variation of topics. For example, if they write a book about a person, it isn’t limited to world leaders or leaders of armies. It could be famous activists, movie stars, musicians, etc.
January 26, 2025
the catholic church (doesn’t even deserve proper pronoun capitalization) has thousands of years of blood and death and war on their hands and no one even cares because it’s all in “holy” context. Should be studied as the worlds longest reigning most powerful cult. No place or organization of “holy” religion whatever that means to you, should be at the head of every generational genocide for centuries. I will continue to detest churches as a whole for being an exploitative scam cycle on the hopeless population who’s already suffering from the consequences of being delt the shitty hand the church has made for them.
July 28, 2019
"The Inquisition was founded on a principle of providing a more amicable, just process of litigation". According to the author, Inquisition was initially neither supposed to be as barbaric nor was it actually as barbaric as it finally turned out to be. "Medieval punishments were often cruel, barbaric and utterly unjustified" and the Inquisition was initially to bring in some sanity to this madness. However, as it got to be used as a tool for quelling any dissent against the Catholic Church, it acquired the notorious dimensions.
April 21, 2022
Who writes these "history" books???
I've asked before, who is/are the authors of these "history books"??
While some of these seem to be founded in truth, many of these books are written by authors that insist on putting their opinions in what is supposed to be a history book.
Again I ask, why are these books printed without an author listed????
This particular book on the Inquisition has a lot of opinions with no basis in facts.
I believe the reader should be the one forming their opinions, based totally on the facts.
I've asked before, who is/are the authors of these "history books"??
While some of these seem to be founded in truth, many of these books are written by authors that insist on putting their opinions in what is supposed to be a history book.
Again I ask, why are these books printed without an author listed????
This particular book on the Inquisition has a lot of opinions with no basis in facts.
I believe the reader should be the one forming their opinions, based totally on the facts.
December 25, 2021
This is an extremely good short history of the Inquisition which covers its Spanish iteration as well as other versions across the world. Although brief, it delivers a lot of information and will make you curious to learn more. It also examines various aspects of the Inquisition; not only the atrocities it perpetrated, but also how it helped advance Western society toward a more merciful justice system. I highly recommend this book for all those interested in the Inquisition.
February 24, 2019
History and personal opinions don't mix
The history alone should have received a 4 rating. By including his opinions, I downgraded the overall works. The authors conclusion was generic and could be said about other horrendous events of the past. Lastly his negative remarks within the text about countries today were inappropriate.
The history alone should have received a 4 rating. By including his opinions, I downgraded the overall works. The authors conclusion was generic and could be said about other horrendous events of the past. Lastly his negative remarks within the text about countries today were inappropriate.
March 30, 2021
For those who have little understanding of the Inquisition this little book is filled with information that will help to provide insight into the profound impact that this narcissistic arm of the Catholic Church had upon an individual's right to believe his own truth and upon society not only during the years of implementation, but even today. A worthy read.
December 22, 2021
Highly informative book
This review if the inquisition as a whole was highly impressive I was amazed at the level this was presented no finger pointing at the Catholic church as the sole contributor to this sad era of history but the worst of humanity coming to wound and harm rather than help and heal itself an object lesson in our present culture bravo Hourly History bravo
This review if the inquisition as a whole was highly impressive I was amazed at the level this was presented no finger pointing at the Catholic church as the sole contributor to this sad era of history but the worst of humanity coming to wound and harm rather than help and heal itself an object lesson in our present culture bravo Hourly History bravo
May 2, 2023
A.D. 1184 was the official start of the Inquisition, which lasted for centuries before it was abolished in 1826. Despite all of its flaws, it played a significant role in the development of modern society.
“At its core, the Inquisition and the period that it thrived in were founded on fear—fear of the unknown, and fear of what was different.” p.45
“At its core, the Inquisition and the period that it thrived in were founded on fear—fear of the unknown, and fear of what was different.” p.45
January 18, 2025
Another enjoyable read from Hourly History
Another enjoyable read from Hourly History. A good overview of the history and events from the Spanish, Portuguese and Roman Inquisitions. I had never even heard of the inquisition in Goa afore reading this. Gives a bit of a different slant to some aspects of the inquisition.
Another enjoyable read from Hourly History. A good overview of the history and events from the Spanish, Portuguese and Roman Inquisitions. I had never even heard of the inquisition in Goa afore reading this. Gives a bit of a different slant to some aspects of the inquisition.
June 6, 2021
RC Should Stand for Ruthless Criminals Not Roman Catholic
A very informative book except for the author’s defense of the Roman Catholic Church during the various Inquisitions. The Popes during these times acted as a dictator at the head of an Evil and Corrupt Empire.
A very informative book except for the author’s defense of the Roman Catholic Church during the various Inquisitions. The Popes during these times acted as a dictator at the head of an Evil and Corrupt Empire.
October 14, 2021
A condensed version of the history of the Inquisition
If I can paint a lot of history a condensed version without many details of the gore company being position history seems very thorough and a pleasure to read as it is written well.
If I can paint a lot of history a condensed version without many details of the gore company being position history seems very thorough and a pleasure to read as it is written well.
November 12, 2021
The inquisition of liberty
There is no analysis about how inquisition was a tool of political dominance in Spanish colonies. The comparison with current situation is weak. Church is still using orthodoxy for imposing social,political, and even economical views
There is no analysis about how inquisition was a tool of political dominance in Spanish colonies. The comparison with current situation is weak. Church is still using orthodoxy for imposing social,political, and even economical views
October 3, 2022
Inquisition against those who holds something different is still here
Inquisition is a weapon used by those in power to hold on to the power by excluding their perceived enemies, real or imaginary. The Red Scare and the McCarthy craziness are such examples in American history.
Inquisition is a weapon used by those in power to hold on to the power by excluding their perceived enemies, real or imaginary. The Red Scare and the McCarthy craziness are such examples in American history.
October 23, 2022
Power, beliefs ande assesinations
There is no way to justify the power abuse, mostly in the name of God. It is what Catholic Church did from about 9 centuries of inquisitions. This book describe in brief those fatídic events.
There is no way to justify the power abuse, mostly in the name of God. It is what Catholic Church did from about 9 centuries of inquisitions. This book describe in brief those fatídic events.
January 18, 2023
An Informative document to be respected till end of the time
The subject has been dealt with care without being too harsh to describe the dark side,but at the same time effectively brought out the negative aspect of religious fanaticism.
The subject has been dealt with care without being too harsh to describe the dark side,but at the same time effectively brought out the negative aspect of religious fanaticism.
September 11, 2023
Good Book
Enjoyed this read. The influence on modern legal systems of the inquisition is interesting.
The interplay between the Vatican and the monarchy of Spain is likewise very interesting.
Enjoyed this read. The influence on modern legal systems of the inquisition is interesting.
The interplay between the Vatican and the monarchy of Spain is likewise very interesting.
September 16, 2023
High Level - limited context
Very short 50 pages that contain tone of bias and Marxism. Yes, the crusades and Inquisition were terrible. But what does that have to do with slavery? Frankly, this is a cheap method of integrating wokeism.
Very short 50 pages that contain tone of bias and Marxism. Yes, the crusades and Inquisition were terrible. But what does that have to do with slavery? Frankly, this is a cheap method of integrating wokeism.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews