What is Paul Johnson’s history of Christianity about?
Paul Johnson’s History of Christianity is an in-depth history of the Christian church, from the first century through most of the 20th century. It is a deep, intellectual dive into church history. This is an institutional and ideological history of the Christian church.
What role did the Inquisition play in the history of Spain?
The medieval inquisition had played a considerable role in Christian Spain during the 13th century, but the struggle against the Moors had kept the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula busy and served to strengthen their faith.
When did the Spanish Inquisition end?
The Spanish Inquisition was suppressed by Joseph Bonaparte in 1808, restored by Ferdinand VII in 1814, suppressed in 1820, restored in 1823, and finally suppressed permanently in 1834. The Portuguese Inquisition was suppressed in 1821. Edward A. Ryan The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica History at your fingertips
What is the Papal Inquisition?
The papal Inquisition—founded in 1542 and formally known as the Congregation of the Holy Roman and Universal Inquisition, or Holy Office—was reorganized by Pope Paul VI and renamed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1965.
What was the point of Christianity after the Dark Ages?
The point of religion was thought to be how it can assure the safe propulsion of your immortal soul into the basket-hoop of eternal bliss. This wasn’t taken lightly. After you died, unless you were a spotless lambkin, your soul was still in contention between bliss and torment. So those with money laid down in their wills that there should be masses conducted for their souls after death, and these masses should be performed on a daily basis. Many hundreds of monks and others were employed in just praying for dead rich people. People thought it worked like that – X amount of prayer will get you Y amount of bliss.
What is Goodreads for?
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
What are some examples of mechanical Christianity?
Another example of mechanical Christianity is infant baptism – many examples litter mediaeval literature of the horror felt at the child dying before being baptised. But if you ticked the box, you were okay. Completely mechanical.
How many villages were there in the monastery of Goldenkron?
10) Dig the size of some of these monasteries! In 1150 the monastery of Goldenkron in Bohemia owned an area of 1000 square miles, containing about 70 villages. The monks were making money hand over fist with their agricultural surpluses. They were rich, baby! But they couldn’t spend it! Except on cathedrals. And writing materials. And relics. (That’s like old toes and fingers. Gruesome. See below. )
What happens if we reduce our knowledge of Jesus to points where there is unanimity, plausibility and an?
If we reduce our knowledge of Jesus to points where there is unanimity, plausibility and an absence of objections, we are left with a phenomenon almost devoid of significance.
How many pages is Paul Johnson’s book?
Paul Johnson manages in this excellent book to cram the history of this enormously complex religion into a mere 500 pages, mostly without losing the ordinary reader in a welter of theology and weird sect names. He is a great companion, throwing out summaries and judgements boldly and crisply. Here for instance is PJ on the witch craze :
What is Mr Johnson’s prose like?
Mr Johnson’s prose is like a galleon in full sail , which occasionally opens the hatches and lets fly with a cannonball zinger.
Special offers and product promotions
Create your FREE Amazon Business account to save up to 10% with Business-only prices and free shipping.
Editorial Reviews
Malcolm Muggeridge New Statesman (London) Paul Johnson’s study of Christianity, from his namesake Apostle to Pope John XXIII, more particularly in relation to the role in world history of the Roman Catholic Church and other institutional manifestations, can only be described as masterly.
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Customer reviews
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
How long did the Inquisition torture?
For one thing, church law limited torture to one session lasting no more than fifteen minutes, and there could be no danger to life and limb. Nor could blood be shed!”
What is the most shocking truth about the Spanish Inquisition?
He then writes: “But the most shocking truth about the Spanish Inquisition is that everything above is either an outright lie or wild exaggeration !”
How many deaths did the Inquisition cause in Spain?
Stark offers some details here: “The fact is that during the entire period 1480 through 1700, only about ten deaths per year were meted out by the Inquisition all across Spain – and usually to repeat offenders.” He continues, “during the time in question there was no religious toleration anywhere in Europe and capital punishment was the norm for all offences, religious or otherwise. In context, then, the Spanish Inquisition was remarkably restrained.”
What was the purpose of the religious wars?
The religious wars were based on the assumption that only a unitary society was tolerable, and that those who did not conform to the prevailing norms, and who could not be forced or terrified into doing so, should be treated as second-class citizens, expelled, or killed. Thus they reinforced or brought back to life destructive forces which already existed in medieval society. . . . In Spain, the Inquisition was part of the process whereby Castilians penetrated and unified the whole of Spanish society: it was set up in 1478 to examine the credentials of the converts.
Did the Inquisition torture people?
Stark continues: “So there it is. Contrary to the standard myth, the Inquisition made little use of the stake, seldom tortured anyone, and maintained unusually decent prisons.” And again, “The Inquisitors were far more concerned with repentance than with punishment.”
When was the Spanish Inquisition started?
Here I primarily want to consider the case of the Spanish Inquisition, officially started by a papal bull issued by Pope Sixtus IV in 1478. Various things can be said about this. The first and obvious thing I could say as a Protestant is that this was overwhelmingly a Roman Catholic undertaking, and therefore something which of course I can therefore easily condemn.
Was the Inquisition more lenient than the secular courts?
Often the sentence was quite lenient, such as a period of fasting or some community work. He writes, “A comparison with the cruelty and mutilation common in secular tribunals shows the Inquisition in a relatively favourable light. This in conjunction with the usually good level of prison conditions makes it clear that the tribunal had little interest in cruelty and often attempted to temper justice with mercy.”
How did the Inquisition affect Spain?
Ironically, the well-established bureaucratic structure of the Inquisition would help insulate Spain from the effects of ad hoc witchcraft trials that swept Europe and claimed tens of thousands of lives in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The Spanish Inquisition was suppressed by Joseph Bonaparte in 1808, restored by Ferdinand VII in 1814, suppressed in 1820, restored in 1823, and finally suppressed permanently in 1834. The Portuguese Inquisition was suppressed in 1821.
What was the role of the medieval inquisition in Spain?
The medieval inquisition had played a considerable role in Christian Spain during the 13th century, but the struggle against the Moors had kept the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula busy and served to strengthen their faith. When toward the end of the 15th century the Reconquista was all but complete, the desire for religious unity became more and more pronounced. Spain’s Jewish population, which was among the largest in Europe, soon became a target.
Why did the Inquisition happen?
The Inquisition was introduced in 1482 to root out all remnants of Jewish practice among the Marranos, the Jewish converts to Christianity. The non-Christian Jews were expelled in 1492. Then Granada fell and the same process was applied to the Moriscos, the Moorish converts, and the…
How many tribunals were there in the Spanish Inquisition?
Under the supreme council of the Spanish Inquisition were 14 local tribunals in Spain and several in the colonies; the tribunals in Mexico and Peru were particularly harsh. The Spanish Inquisition spread into Sicily in 1517, but efforts to set it up in Naples and Milan failed.
What was the Spanish Inquisition?
Spanish Inquisition, (1478–1834), judicial institution ostensibly established to combat heresy in Spain. In practice, the Spanish Inquisition served to consolidate power in the monarchy of the newly unified Spanish kingdom, but it achieved that end through infamously brutal methods. Spanish Inquisition.
What was the name of the group of Jews who professed conversion but continued to practice their faith in secret?
In addition, there remained a significant population of Jews who had professed conversion but continued to practice their faith in secret. Known as Marranos, those nominal converts from Judaism were perceived to be an even greater threat to the social order than those who had rejected forced conversion.
How were confessions obtained?
At this trial, the accused received no assistance to defend themselves, they were frequently ignorant of the charges against them, and confessions were often obtained through coercion, confiscation of property, or torture.
How many sections are there in the book The New Statesman?
Covering the time form 50 AD to 1975 AD, this book is splitinto 8 sections. A large, thoughtful, poised work by amaster of discrimination who is a good writer and a clearthinker. Tackles a complicated subject in which prejudiceshave a tendency to get in the way of scholarship. This doesnot happen since he has Christian, not sectarian, sympathies. Paul Johnson was editor of the English weekly, The New Statesman, and is now Director of New Statesman Publishing Company.
What is Paul Johnson’s book?
Beginning with Modern Times (1985), Paul Johnson’s books are acknowledged masterpieces of historical analysis. He is a regular columnist for Forbes and The Spectator, and his work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications.
When was Paul Johnson’s tour de force published?
First published in 1976 , Paul Johnson’s exceptional study of Christianity has been loved and widely hailed for its intensive research, writing, and magnitude—"a tour de force, one of the most ambitious surveys of the history of Christianity ever attempted and perhaps the most radical" (New York Review of Books).
Who is Paul Johnson?
He is a regular columnist for Forbes and The Spectator, and his work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications.