HIST - 309. Heretics, Witches, and lnquisitors–Medieval and Early Modern Heresy and Inquisition

“The Inquisition” holds a special fascination for many people, invoking images of torture and forced confessions. There have been many inquisitions, beginning in the Middle Ages, attaining institutional form in the Early Modern Era, and, it could be argued, achieving a new form in the present day. How does our imagination color our perception of historical inquisitions? Have the tactics of the first inquisitions been modified for the twentieth and twenty-first centuries? This course will explore heresy and inquisition in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. We will examine a few different approaches or trends in the historiography of medieval and early modern inquisition, and will discover what we can learn from the rich and exciting primary source documents as students of history. In this course, students will encounter and analyze a variety of primary sources that may include but are not limited to inquisitorial depositions, theological works, and literary texts. Students will also have the opportunity to reflect on fundamental questions about personal belief and conscience, religious freedom, coercion and torture, and the societal responsibility to protect the rights of minority populations.

Prerequisite(s): HIST 101  or HIST 102  or HIST 103  or HIST 104  or HIST 105  or HIST 190  or RELG 101  or RELG 121  or RELG 141  or RELG 181  
Equivalent: RELG 309  
Attribute: CFH, HEUR, LAS, MRST, RSHS