Mad for God: Bartolomé Sánchez, the Secret Messiah of Cardenete

Rating:
Summary: (Mad for) Mad for God
Review: The Spanish Inquisition evokes an image of inquisitors bringing innocent people to trial, rendering them guilty of heresy and burning them at the stake. Torture, confessions made under duress, and the murder of large numbers of Protestants are visualized. Inquisitors and their informants were everywhere, and watched everything. These perceptions of the Spanish Inquisition have come from numerous sources, including books, articles, movies, and are ingrained in many people's view of the Inquisition. The question raised, then, is how historically accurate are these portrayals? Was this the way thing were always done, or is there another side to the story?

While not attempting to take on the challenge of the Spanish Inquisition in its entirety, Sara Nalle presents us with a very different picture of the Inquisition and the inquisitors than are normally seen in the literature. Nalle introduces us to Bartolomé Sánchez, a man who condemned the Catholic Church, the priesthood, the Holy Trinity, and then announcing that he was the second savior, sent to finish Christ's work. Sánchez was taken before the Inquisitor, Cortes for trial.

Cortes is atypical of the traditional view of the inquisitors as bloodthirsty men driven to exterminate those who did not profess the beliefs of the Catholic Church. Sánchez's claim that the Holy Spirit was not part of the Trinity, but that rather Mary was, certainly disturbed Cortes. Sánchez also refused to show deference to the cross, which he stated was evil, because it was a tool of those that killed Christ. Yet, through all of those things, Cortes, the inquisitor, sought a way for Sánchez to escape a death sentence.

Nalle constructed Mad for God from the trial records of Sánchez, and therefore she derived the account from the official records of the Inquisition's offices. While the possibility exists that there were omissions, the record appears to give a balanced view of the events that transpired in the courtroom.

This is very well written book, that sheds some light on the Spanish Inquisition, and provides a different view than is often seen in books and movies. It is easy to read, very well noted, and you may very well finish it in only one or two sittings.

Rating:
Summary: (Mad for) Mad for God
Review: The Spanish Inquisition evokes an image of inquisitors bringing innocent people to trial, rendering them guilty of heresy and burning them at the stake. Torture, confessions made under duress, and the murder of large numbers of Protestants are visualized. Inquisitors and their informants were everywhere, and watched everything. These perceptions of the Spanish Inquisition have come from numerous sources, including books, articles, movies, and are ingrained in many people's view of the Inquisition. The question raised, then, is how historically accurate are these portrayals? Was this the way thing were always done, or is there another side to the story?

While not attempting to take on the challenge of the Spanish Inquisition in its entirety, Sara Nalle presents us with a very different picture of the Inquisition and the inquisitors than are normally seen in the literature. Nalle introduces us to Bartolomé Sánchez, a man who condemned the Catholic Church, the priesthood, the Holy Trinity, and then announcing that he was the second savior, sent to finish Christ's work. Sánchez was taken before the Inquisitor, Cortes for trial.

Cortes is atypical of the traditional view of the inquisitors as bloodthirsty men driven to exterminate those who did not profess the beliefs of the Catholic Church. Sánchez's claim that the Holy Spirit was not part of the Trinity, but that rather Mary was, certainly disturbed Cortes. Sánchez also refused to show deference to the cross, which he stated was evil, because it was a tool of those that killed Christ. Yet, through all of those things, Cortes, the inquisitor, sought a way for Sánchez to escape a death sentence.

Nalle constructed Mad for God from the trial records of Sánchez, and therefore she derived the account from the official records of the Inquisition's offices. While the possibility exists that there were omissions, the record appears to give a balanced view of the events that transpired in the courtroom.

This is very well written book, that sheds some light on the Spanish Inquisition, and provides a different view than is often seen in books and movies. It is easy to read, very well noted, and you may very well finish it in only one or two sittings.