The Index of Prohibited Books: Four Centuries of Struggle over Word and Image for the Greater Glory of God [Hardcover]

The first comprehensive history of the Catholic Church’s notoriousIndex, with resonance for ongoing debates over banned books, censorship, and free speech.
 
For more than four hundred years, the Catholic Church’sIndex Librorum Prohibitorumstruck terror into the hearts of authors, publishers, and booksellers around the world, while arousing ridicule and contempt from many others, especially those in Protestant and non-Christian circles. Biased, inconsistent, and frequently absurd in its attempt to ban objectionable texts of every conceivable description—with sometimes fatal consequences—theIndexalso reflected the deep learning and careful consideration of many hundreds of intellectual contributors over the long span of its storied evolution. This book constitutes the first full study of theIndex of Prohibited Booksto be published in English. It examines the reasons behind the Church’s attempts to censor religious, scientific, and artistic works, and considers not only why this most sustained of campaigns failed, but what lessons can be learned for today’s debates over freedom of expression and cancel culture.Robin Voseis professor of history at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. He is the author ofDominicans, Muslims and Jews in the Medieval Crown of Aragonand has served as aNational Geographicexpert on expeditions to Spain and Morocco.