A journey across centuries of religious conflict

Toby Green’s incredible new book brings a vast panorama to life by focusing on the untold stories of individuals from all walks of life and every section of society who were affected by the Inquisition. From witches in Mexico, bigamists in Brazil, Freemasons, Hindus, Jews, Moslems and Protestants, the Inquisition reached every aspect of society. This history, though filled with stories of terror and the unspeakable ways in which human beings can treat one another, is ultimately one of hope, underscoring the resilience of the human spirit. Stretching from the unification of Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella in the fifteenth century to the Napoleanic wars, The Inquisition details this incredible history in all its richness and complexity.

Toby Green is the author of three previous books, Saddled With Darwin, Meeting of the Invisible Man, and Thomas More’s Magician. He has traveled widely in Africa and Latin America, and now lives with his family in the west of England.

Toby Green’s Inquisition: The Reign of Fear describes centuries of religious conflict and brings a vast panorama to life by focusing on the untold stories of individuals from all walks of life and every section of society who were affected by the Inquisition. From witches in Mexico, bigamists in Brazil, Freemasons, Hindus, Jews, Moslems and Protestants, the Inquisition reached every aspect of society. Stretching from the unification of Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella in the fifteenth century to the Napoleanic wars, The Inquisition details this incredible history in all its richness and complexity.

"Green unflinchingly tackles one of civilization's most notorious ventures into authoritarian religious intolerance and racism: the Spanish Inquisition, endowed by papal bull in 1478 and ended by decree only in 1834. Much of the documentation here is from the Iberian Peninsula, which became obsessed with heresy after ending seven centuries of tolerant Islamic rule in the 15th century. Spain and Portugal were under one reign for 90 years of the relevant period, and even when governed separately favored the same repressive methodology: paranoia fostered by those in power, evidence of heresy or deviance from Catholic doctrine taken from secret witnesses and torture employed to extract confessions. It all culminated in a feverish public auto-da-fé (trial of faith), during which those deemed the worst offenders were burned alive, lesser ones garroted first or given sentences of prison or servitude. Green is incisive in spotting both extremes and subtle variations as this traveling show moved from city to town over the centuries. Former Jews who had converted under duress (conversos) were harassed in the 15th century, their Islamic counterparts (moriscos) a hundred years later, and both groups were eventually expelled from Spain at the expense of diversity. (Portugal assimilated its Moorish population.) The author points out that the Church in Rome regularly decried these extreme actions, but never actively opposed monarchies that saw fear as a primary means of imposing civil order. Ultimately, the Inquisition was a tool more political than religious, the author concludes. Between the lines lies a haunting message supported by massive evidence: Suspects under torture will confess to anything and falsely inform on others to end their suffering, even if this testimony assures their own deaths. A persuasive proposal that two rich empires took a dark detour from Europe's Enlightenment and never completely recovered."—Kirkus Reviews

"For this historical exploration of Catholicism’s Inquisition, Green focuses on Spain, Portugal, and their empires. Considerable archival research lies behind the author’s treatment, which is especially evident in his narratives of specific cases and of Inquisitorial vigilance against heretics. This creates an episodic effect, in which the chronology of the Inquisition in Iberia (1478–1834) relaxes before aspects of the Inquisition that Green emphasizes. He grounds the institution in the context of its establishment, the Christian reconquest of Spain and the associated conversion or expulsion of Jews and Muslims. Details of specific investigations prompt Green’s interpretation that factors in addition to theological enforcement brought suspects before the Inquisition: local politics, vengeance, or avarice could doom a victim to an auto-da-fé. This approach accords a social and political complexity to the Inquisition that informs readers of the popular support it received and how its power emanated through the means of fear."—Booklist

"In contrast to recent highly specialized and geographically targeted works, Green's detailed and episodic history of the Inquisition paints a broad picture of religious persecution in Spain, Portugal, and their colonies in Africa and the New World. Moving from continent to continent, Green focuses on the role of fear in advancing the reach of inquisitorial power: 'Fear spread through society with the power of the Inquisition to deliver social and financial ruin.' Using examples drawn from archival research, the author looks at the psychological issues involved, such as envy, the use of informers, the spread of paranoia, and the application of terror tactics. Green asks if the attitudes and actions of the Inquisition are 'an inevitable precursor to the modern human condition' that created such phenomena as the East German Stasi's network of informers. But just as the Inquisition contributed to the decline of Spanish and Portuguese power, Green believes that the contemporary use of fear and terror tactics will inevitably destroy their perpetrators. This complex work is recommended for academic libraries."—Diane Harvey, Library Journal