Hello all, I just purchased and received "Religion in the Renaissance" by Crabtree, part of their "Renaissance World" series, and was profoundly disturbed to read how they covered the Spanish Inquisition and the situation of the Jews at the time. I understand these texts are limited in word length, and there is no question is it is quite hard to cover a span of several hundred years in a few paragraphs, HOWEVER, I did have to take issue with two particular statements. Please let me know if I am off base, or just your own thoughts on this:
P. 24(Section titled "The Inquisition"): "In 1478 King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella established the Supreme Council of the Inquisition with papal approval. They wanted to expose Jews who had pretended to convert to Christianity." It goes on to say that the Inquisition also targeted those who had converted from Islam, that these two groups, along with Protestants, were felt to be a danger to the country and Church. I had to take exception to that sentence. I feel that it gives an implication that Jews (and in the later section Muslims) pretended to convert to Christianity for deceptive purposes, and makes no mention whatsoever that these conversos were converted under threats and demonstrations of intimidation, violence, torture and death.... My next issue is with this statement: p.29: (Religious freedom) "Rebuilding for some religious groups meant leaving their homeland to find another place to live where they could practice their beliefs freely and without being persecuted" (goes on to list various religious groups and their destinations..)"Huguenots fled persecution in France for England, America, or the Netherlands. And Jews from throughout Europe left for the Americas to find a new life." Am I wrong to feel that was a cop out add on sentence to finish the section? If you are talking Renaissance times, which this book is supposed to focus on, if I am not mistaken, while there definitely was Jewish emigration to America, and the Caribbean and South America at this time, the main thrust of emigration was on the part of Sephardi Jews mainly to Netherlands, Italy and Greece..The heavier emigration from "throughout Europe" was concentrated more towards the later 1700's, 1800's and early 1900's due to pogroms in middle and Eastern Europe. And in any case, that is such a general statement as to be almost useless within the context. Am I off base to see the text this way? I have already sent a similar email to Crabtree, and have notified them that I plan to return our copy of this book. Shabbat Shalom, Talya Talya Pardo, MLIS Librarian Solomon Schechter Academy 5555 Cote St Luc Rd Montreal, Quebec H3X 2C9 Tel: (514) 485-0866 x118 http://www.solomonschechter.ca
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