Characters Of The Inquisition

The book attempts a sympathetic account of the Inquisition and is not altogether unsuccessful. Some of it is turgid, recounting now long forgotten disputes in far too much detail. There are also lengthy bookends giving the authors views on a host of religious topics which have little to do with the central theme but are nevertheless not without interest. Also notable is the author’s firm yet unsubstantiated “of its time” belief in a long standing international Jewish attack on the Catholic Church; which coming as it does from an otherwise seemingly generous mind is also instructive to read if one can do so without rancour. Overall, I enjoyed it as a rare counterbalance to an emotive topic, engaging and varied in style and content. However, if you are reading the book for its historical content only, you should be aware that it is rather old and I am sure there are more modern, if less charmingly idiosyncratic books which also present a balanced view of the subject, but take into account modern research.