What Was The Medieval Inquisition?

The Inquisition is one of those things that everyone has heard of, but few people know all that much about. Often times, what they do know about it is based on stereotype and historical inaccuracy. In this video, we try to take a nuanced look at the inquisition as it existed in the Middle Ages in order to understand what it was, why it existed, and how it fit into medieval society. As always, this video is only an overview, and I encourage you to do further research if you are interested.
Recommendations for further reading:
-Paweł Kras, The System of Inquisition in Medieval Europe.
-Jill Moore, Inquisition and its Organisation in Italy, 1250-1350.
-Inquisition in the Fourteenth Century: The Manuals of Bernard Gui and Nicholas Eymerich.
-Gabriel Audisio, ed., Inquisition et Pouvoir.
#inquisition #inquisitor #middleages #medievalhistory #history #heresy #heretics #law

[@sleachy1981]

Nobody expected a video about the Medieval Inquisition

[@notsocrates9529]

You feel better now?

[@TheYeIIowDucK]

This is such a great channel. I'm amazed it doesn't have more views/subscribers. I love listening to actual academics talking about their area of expertise.

[@laub847]

I love this chanel! So glad I discovered it

[@Jimmylad.]

Love the content you do

[@matheuspinho4987]

Very needed video

[@GabrielWilliamsOfficial]

great video

[@insulaarachnid]

I read an article where an academic argued that the group known as the "Cathars" didn't really exist.

[@poetryflynn3712]

Misnomer, the paper argues that the Cathars didn't exist in the way we know them today as. The primary argument is that there's too little evidence from credible sources to say such a specific, organized group did exist. However, it is possible that Cathers did somehow exist particularly including an unorganized, uneducated group that would probably be a smaller collection of people. It further argues that the inquisition certainly tried to target a group called the Cathars.

[@studiumhistoriae]

I've heard of that as well. It's an interesting possibility. From my understanding though it's more that the standard idea of the Cathars beliefs was based on assumptions that were not grounded in reality. There were certainly Cathars, but whether they believed what the Catholic church thought they did or whether these ideas were imposed upon them is debatable. It's similar to the Free Spirits heresy being imposed upon the Beguines, though in this case there is more solid evidence that it likely never was a thing.

[@davidmckown3590]

@@studiumhistoriae I also heard that the Cathars became terrorists/insurrectionists murdering an papal envoy which prompted the crusade against them.

[@studiumhistoriae]

@@davidmckown3590 There was an envoy investigating the Cathars who was murdered which did indeed stoke the flames. I don't know that it was the sole reason for the crusade, but it was certainly something that was on a lot of people's minds, confirming their beliefs that the Cathars were dangerous. Of course, the Cathars themselves were afraid of being found out and potentially executed.

[@jtzoltan]

​@@studiumhistoriae the Cathars are super interesting, putatively being essentially Manichaen, which is also basically Gnostic, and having associations with both the Troubadours and the Knights Templar who would sometimes retire as Perfecti amongst the Cathars in their older age. At least according to what I heard about them, though that may be tied to somewhat more speculative analysis rather than conservative.

[@niklavssenkans8341]

PLASE MAKE MORE VIDEOS about burning at the stake history and WHY IT WAS USED IN THE MIDDLE AGES BURNING AT THE STAKE

[@studiumhistoriae]

I have a video on why it was done with heresy cases on my channel. Look for my video on the heresy trial of Orleans in 1022, which was the first time it was done if you haven't seen it already

[@olmynuwen]

It sounds like the medieval inquisition has an unfair bad press nowadays

[@marioksoresalhillick299]

I wonder if you'll ever do a video on the specific persecution of Jewish people by similar sorts of authorities during the Middle Ages, if that was a thing?

[@studiumhistoriae]

I do plan on doing some videos on Jews in Medieval Europe at some point. As a brief overview though, Jews were mostly allowed to practice unobstructed by the church and secular authorities. When they were persecuted, it was usually sporadic attacks by commoners, often against the wishes of the church and state. The big exception to this was the several instances where kings forced Jews to leave their kingdom, as happened in England in the 1200s and Spain at the end of the Middle Ages. In the case of Spain this was the context for the creation of the Spanish inquisition which investigated Jews that had converted in order to stay in the country and make sure they weren't continuing to practice in secret.

[@marioksoresalhillick299]

@@studiumhistoriae Thanks, I mostly knew that history but I need to be reminded. I think it was the instance in Spain that I was thinking about. 😅

[@marioksoresalhillick299]

@@studiumhistoriae Oh, and if you go beyond Medieval Europe again, you should take a look at the Ethiopian Jews and the Indian Jews (Cochinim mostly, since they have been there for the longest amount of time)! I would love to hear a treatment of that subject by you.

[@white-hart]

long since been a big supporter of the inquisition, was truly a righteous time.

[@rothnirtull4254]

nobody expects an inquisition