Inquisitions
The Inquisitions were judicial institutions established by the Roman Catholic Church to identify, try, and sentence individuals accused of heresy. They served as a means of forcing religious and doctrinal unity in the visible church. Historically, there were four main Inquisitions: the Medieval or Episcopal Inquisition, the Spanish Inquisition, the Portuguese Inquisition, and the Roman Inquisition. These institutions, which lasted approximately 600 years (1184 to 1834), developed sophisticated investigation techniques, including torture, to reveal heresy. The Inquisitions had a profound impact on Western civilization, influencing aspects of social control and surveillance that can be seen in later historical events. While the exact number of deaths is debated, with estimates ranging widely, there were at least one hundred thousand known “trials,” with about 4 percent resulting in death sentences. The Inquisitions were supported by both church and state, with the church prosecuting heretics and the state punishing them, often by burning at the stake. Over time, the Inquisitions evolved from local episcopal control to centralized papal authority, with inquisitors wielding significant power and influence throughout the Holy Roman Empire.
