The New Inquisitions: Heretic-Hunting and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Totalitarianism
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Author Description
The only book of its kind, The New Inquisitions is an exhilarating investigation into the intellectual origins of totalitarianism. Arthur Versluis unveils the connections between heretic hunting in early and medieval Christianity, and the emergence of totalitarianism in the twentieth century. He shows how secular political thinkers in the nineteenth century inaugurated a tradition of defending the Inquisition, and how Inquisition-style heretic-hunting later manifested across the spectrum of twentieth-century totalitarianism. An exceptionally wide-ranging work, The New Inquisitions begins with early Christianity, and traces heretic-hunting as a phenomenon through the middle ages and right into the twentieth century, showing how the same inquisitional modes of thought recur both on the political Left and on the political Right.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the historical and intellectual continuity between medieval heretic-hunting practices and the rise of modern totalitarian regimes. Arthur Versluis, a scholar of Western esotericism and intellectual history, utilizes a comparative framework to analyze how inquisitional modes of thought transitioned from religious contexts into secular political ideologies. He argues that the mechanisms of ideological purity and the persecution of dissenters are not unique to the twentieth century but are rooted in a long-standing tradition of intellectual intolerance.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of the historical evolution of the Inquisition from early Christianity through the Middle Ages.
- Examination of nineteenth-century political thinkers who defended inquisitional methods.
- Comparative study of heretic-hunting patterns across both the political Left and the political Right in the twentieth century.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide a comprehensive history of every totalitarian regime, focusing instead on the specific intellectual lineage of inquisitional thought.
- It does not offer a sociological study of mass movements, prioritizing the history of ideas over behavioral analysis.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and readers frequently note the academic rigor and the provocative nature of Versluis's thesis regarding the secularization of religious intolerance. Experts highlight this as a significant contribution to the study of political extremism and the intellectual roots of modern authoritarianism.
Page Count:
202
Publication Date:
2006-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190294396
ISBN-13:
9780190294397
Religion
History
Philosophy
Intellectual History