This seminar is an introduction to some dimension of the history of a nation, region, people, culture, institution, or historical phenomenon selected by the respective instructor. Students will come to understand, and develop an appreciation for: the origins and evolution of the people, cultures, and/or political, economic, and/or social institutions of a particular region(s) of the world. They may explore how human encounters shaped individual and collective identities and the political, economic, and social orders of the region/nation/communities under study. Instructors prioritize critical reading, engaged participation, and focused writing assignments.

In the 1230’s, Pope Gregory IX used his authority as head of the Church to initiate an “inquisition into heretical depravity” in order to combat the spread of religious beliefs he considered heretical in southern France. In its most basic sense, inquisition simply means a form of conducting criminal investigations and trials, and Pope Gregory sought to use this procedure alongside other anti-heresy efforts. But the use of inquisitorial procedure soon spread far beyond this limited mission, and inquisition as a method of identifying and punishing religious nonconformity would remain part of many European societies for centuries afterward. It shaped how authorities defined the boundaries between orthodoxy and heresy, determined who belonged within Christian society, and decided the fate of those who allegedly transgressed its norms. We will look at the functioning of inquisitorial structures and procedures, how inquisition was used to identify saints, as well as sinners, and the role it played in facing, and sometimes helping to manufacture, new “threats” to Christian society. Finally, we'll move beyond the Middle Ages to look at the Spanish Inquisition, and the enduring influence of inquisition into the modern era.

Repeat Rules

Requirements class fulfills