The Cambridge Companion to the Spanish Inquisition

Lu Ann Homza (William & Mary)

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Forthcoming
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English

Cambridge University Press
31 January 2026

History; European history; History: specific events & topics; Violence in society; Religious & theocratic ideologies; Ecclesiastical (canon) law

Series: Cambridge Companions to History

Founded in 1478 and not permanently abolished until 1834, the Spanish Inquisition has always been a notorious institution in history as an engine of religious and racial persecution. Yet, Spaniards themselves did not create its legal processes or its theoretical mission, which was to reconcile heretics to the Catholic Church. In this volume, leading international scholars assess the origins, legal practices, victims, reach, and failures of Spanish inquisitors across centuries and geographies. Grounded in recent scholarship and archival research, the chapters explore the Inquisition's medieval precedents as well as its turbulent foundation and eradication. The volume examines how inquisitors changed their targets over time, and how literal physical settings could affect their investigations and prosecutions. Contributors also demonstrate how deeply Spanish inquisitors cared about social status and legal privilege, and explore the scandals that could envelop inquisitors and their employees. In doing so, this volume offers a nuanced, contextual understanding of the Spanish Inquisition as a historical phenomenon.

Edited by: Lu Ann Homza (William & Mary)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Weight: 250g
ISBN: 9781009456821
ISBN 10: 1009456822
Series: Cambridge Companions to History
Pages: 364
Publication Date: 31 January 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

List of figures; List of contributors; List of abbreviations; Introduction: beginnings, endings, myths Lu Ann Homza; Part I. The Institution: 1. Procedures and goals Lu Ann Homza; 2. Inquisatorial careers Kimberly Lynn; 3. Pursuing life stories: inquisators and suspects José Luis Loriente Torres; 4. Scandals Lu Ann Homza and Amanda L. Scott; Part II. Targets: 5. Conversos Gretchen Starr-LeBeau; 6. Moriscos Stephanie M. Cavanaugh; 7. Alumbrados Jessica J. Fowler; 8. Protestants Doris Moreno-Martínez; 9. Old Christians Cristian Berco; 10. Texts Patricia W. Manning; Part III. Geographical Reach: 11. Sicily Marina Torres Arce; 12. Mexico María Jesús Zamora Calvo; 13. Peru Ana E. Schaposchnik; 14. Cartagena da Indias Ana María Díaz Burgos.

Lu Ann Homza is a Professor of History at William & Mary. Her research focuses on the religious, legal, and cultural history of Europe, especially Spain and Italy, between 1300 and 1650. Previous publications include The Child Witches of Olague (2024), Village Infernos and Witches' Advocates: Witch Hunting in Navarre, 1608–1614 (2022) and The Spanish Inquisition, 1478–1614: An Anthology of Sources (2006), the first collection of translated sources from the Spanish Inquisition.