The Index of Prohibited Books: Four Centuries of Struggle over Word and Image for the Greater Glory of God

by Robin Vose

The first comprehensive history of the Catholic Church’s notorious Index , with resonance for ongoing debates over banned books, censorship, and free speech .
 
For more than four hundred years, the Catholic Church’s Index Librorum Prohibitorum struck terror into the hearts of authors, publishers, and booksellers around the world, while arousing ridicule and contempt from many others, especially those in Protestant and non-Christian circles. Biased, inconsistent, and frequently absurd in its attempt to ban objectionable texts of every conceivable description—with sometimes fatal consequences—the Index also reflected the deep learning and careful consideration of many hundreds of intellectual contributors over the long span of its storied evolution. This book constitutes the first full study of the Index of Prohibited Books to be published in English. It examines the reasons behind the Church’s attempts to censor religious, scientific, and artistic works, and considers not only why this most sustained of campaigns failed, but what lessons can be learned for today’s debates over freedom of expression and cancel culture.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

352 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really highly recommend. Good overview of the history of censorship within the Catholic Church and a cautionary tale for the present world.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

At a time when, at least where I live in the United States, book challenges and removals are at an all-time high, how could I resist a book that looks to one of the oldest efforts to systematically keep dangerous books out of the hands of the public? In The Index of Prohibited Books, Robin Vose takes us through the four-hundred-year history of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. The Latin name—and the power of the Catholic Church behind it—makes the Index sound ominous, but Vose reveals a much more complicated history than I expected. Even before its first edition appeared in 1560, Catholic officials and scholars had to fight against an unstoppable flood of newly printed material on all topics. Even if the Catholic Church could keep up with the rising tide of books and pamphlets, they didn’t have the reach or authority to enforce their proscriptions. I couldn’t help but read this book with a smirk on my face. Book censors are always doomed to fail...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, for review consideration.