Culture is the sum of inherited beliefs, values, knowledge, and ideas shared for a group of people. The Spanish Inquisition, a tribunal made to make sure people converted to Catholicism, occurred in the Middle Ages. It affected the culture of the Middle Ages and is a very significant event in history. It left a big impact on the government of Spain and the reputation of the Roman Catholic religion. Many people were tortured because of superstitious offenses, and heresy became a popular concern as the Spanish Inquisition emerged in the year 1478. During the Middle Ages, the Spanish Inquisition manipulated religion and altered the government of Spain; therefore, it is necessary to fathom the events of the Spanish Inquisition to fully understand the culture of the Middle Ages.
In the Middle Ages, culture revolved around religion and politics, and the Spanish Inquisition was a tool for the government to convert people to a certain religion. When Pope Sixtus IV, in alliance with King Ferdinand II of Spain and Queen Isabella, legalized the Inquisition in Spain, the Inquisition was used to show that the Church was omnipotent and supreme. The Inquisition was used as a weapon to show people that Christianity was all-powerful to Spain and no one should question the authority of the Church or they will be persecuted. The Church wanted to punish the nonbelievers and spread Christianity. Inquisition Productions, Inc. states:
But for the Pope the most terrifying threat came from upstart Christian sects who challenged church doctrine and the absolute power of the Roman Pope. To preserve the purity of the faith and the unquestioned authority of the Pope, the Church began to crack down on all dissenting with a new weapon: the Inquisition. For over half a millennium a system of mass terror reigned. Thousands were subject to secret courts, torture and punishment.
The Spanish Inquisition was appreciated by the Spanish people and that is why it lasted for 350 years. In the Medieval era, the development of Christianity became the center of attention, and the Spanish Inquisition made changes to the reputation of the Church. According to Madden, “It [The Spanish Inquisition] stood guard against error and heresy, protecting the faith of Spain and ensuring the favor of God,” (2003). The Inquisition represented Spain’s view of what was important during the time: religion and government. Spain was purified when Jewish and Islamic people converted. Leaders of the Spanish government wanted more people to convert to Catholicism. Those who did not convert were claimed to be heretics. Spain united as a whole country when it was centered on one religion and everyone had the same beliefs.
The government changed due to the Spanish Inquisition. “Christian Europe was so endangered by heresy, and penal legislation concerning Catharism had gone so far, that the Inquisition seemed to be a political necessity. That these sects were a menace to Christian society had been long recognized by the Byzantine rulers,” (Blötzer 1910). While trying to unify its identity and power after the Crusades, Spanish leaders realized that Catholicism was their national religion. Catholicism made Spain very powerful. Catholics began to believe that different religions were a threat to their own. They began to torture those that did not convert to Catholicism. Spanish leaders took the Spanish Inquisition too far, and it became an extreme necessity to persecute nonbelievers of Christianity.
The Spanish Inquisition was a very important event in the Middle Ages. The culture of the Middle Ages revolved around ideas focused on in the Spanish Inquisition. It affected the government of Spain and the Church in various ways. Religious persecutions in the Spanish Inquisition portrayed inherited ideas of medieval culture. Understanding the concepts and beliefs during the Spanish Inquisition will lead a person to get to know the whole entire culture of the Middle Ages.
Works Cited:
Blötzer, J. (1910). Inquisition. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08026a.htm
Inquisition Productions, Inc. Secret files of the inquisition. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/inquisition/
Madden, Thomas. (2003). The truth about the spanish inquisition. Retrieved from http://catholiceducation.org/articles/history/world/wh0075.html
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