The Origins of the Inquisition in Fifteenth Century Spain

B. Netanyahu

New York Review of Books, Sep 30, 2001 - Religion - 1384 pages

The Spanish Inquisition remains a fearful symbol of state terror. Its principal target was the conversos, descendants of Spanish Jews who had been forced to convert to Christianity some three generations earlier. Since thousands of them confessed to charges of practicing Judaism in secret, historians have long understood the Inquisition as an attempt to suppress the Jews of Spain. In this magisterial reexamination of the origins of the Inquisition, Netanyahu argues for a different view: that the conversos were in fact almost all genuine Christians who were persecuted for political ends. The Inquisition's attacks not only on the conversos' religious beliefs but also on their "impure blood" gave birth to an anti-Semitism based on race that would have terrible consequences for centuries to come.

This book has become essential reading and an indispensable reference book for both the interested layman and the scholar of history and religion.

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User Review -

This book is very informative and absorbing, but it is too long and too heavy. When would it be available in digital form, such as in NOOK? That way, I could enlarge the font for easier reading. it's such an excellent book!

Review: The Origins of the Inquisition in Fifteenth Century Spain

User Review  - Badger - Goodreads

Still digging. God knows how I'll ever get through these 1400 pages. Innocently researching Benyamin Netanyahu for a post I was writing, I discovered his father Benzion was a scholar of no mean repute ...

Contents

• The Jewish Question: 3
• The Spanish Scene: 28
• The Struggle for Monarchic Superiority: 217
• The Great Debate: 351
• The SentenciaEstatuto: 367
• Converso CounterAttack: 385
• Juan de Torquemada: 421
• Second Attack on the Conversos: 486
• The Privilege: 512
• Diego de Valera: 578
• The Political Views of the Toledan Rebels: 584
• Old Christian Apologies for the Conversos: 606
• Alonso D1az de Montalvo: 619
• The Cronicas: 628
• Reverses and Triumphs: 662
• End of Alvaro de Luna: 681
• Closing the Circle: 709
• His Aims and Tactics: 715
• The Delusive Peace: 724
• Later Old Christian Controversy: 814
• The Alboraique: 848
• Alonso de Oropesa: 855
• The Chroniclers of Enrique IV: 897
• The Early Period: 915
• The Major Causes: 925
• The SocialEconomic Reasons: 950
• Sidelights and Afterthoughts: 1048
• The Insidious Pretext: 1074
• Expulsion: 1087
• A The Number of the Marranos in Spain: 1095
• B Diego de Anaya and His Advocacy of Limpieza: 1103
• Juan de Torquemada: 1110
• On the Reliability of Torquemadas Testimony: 1117
• F The Death of Enrique IV: 1127
• When Did It Begin?: 1133
• J Racism in Germany and Spain: 1141
• K The Converso Conspiracies Against the Inquisition: 1147
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: 1349

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Origins of the Inquisition in Fifteenth Century Spain; New York Review Books Collection; New York Review books
• Author: B. Netanyahu
• Edition: 2, reprint
• Publisher: New York Review of Books, 2001
• ISBN: 0940322390, 9780940322394
• Length: 1384 pages
• Subjects: History / Europe / Spain & Portugal; History / Jewish; Religion / Christianity / General; Religion / History; Religion / Judaism / General