In this first global comparative study, Francisco Bethencourt examines the Inquisition's activities in Spain, Italy, Portugal and overseas Iberian colonies. He forcefully challenges revisionist accounts to underline the fundamental role of the Inquisition in the Counter-Reformation and in shaping the Catholic Church, Southern European societies and the colonial Iberian world.
This global comparative study reveals the Inquisition's crucial role in shaping the Catholic Church, Southern European and colonial Iberian societies.