Faith on Trial
A gripping history of how the Catholic Church hunted heretics, burned books, and turned faith into a legal weapon through centuries of inquisition.
ChristianityEuropean HistoryMedieval HistoryPropaganda & Social ControlReligion & Spirituality
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Chapters
15 total- 01Prologue
- 02Chapter One - Heretic Season
- 03Chapter Two - The Cathars Must Burn
- 04Chapter Three - The Medieval Inquisition
- 05Chapter Four - God’s Legal Team
- 06Chapter Five - Confession by Design
- 07Chapter Six - The Spanish Turn Up the Heat
- 08Chapter Seven - The Auto-da-Fé
- 09Chapter Eight - The Index of Forbidden Books
- 10Chapter Nine - The Inquisition Goes Global
- 11Chapter Ten - Witches, Midwives, and Madwomen
- 12Chapter Eleven - Reform and Revolt
- 13Chapter Twelve - The Enlightenment Blows It Open
- 14Chapter Thirteen - Memory in Ashes
- 15Chapter Fourteen - Modern Inquisitions
Edition notes and short pages
Faith on Trial
Faith on Trial
A History of Heresy and Inquisition
by James Johnson
Dedication
For the ones who were silenced.
The heretics, the questioners, the thinkers, the ones who stood too close to the fire.
And for the ones today who wonder why it still feels hot.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THANKS TO EVERY historian who preserved the names, the records, and the ruins.
Thanks to the readers who keep cracking open doors we were told not to touch.
And thanks, always, to those who keep their minds open, even when it would be easier to close them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JJ IS THE author of over 250 books exploring history, power, belief, and culture.
His work blends sharp research with real human insight, making the past readable, the systems visible, and the unspeakable speak again.
When he's not writing, he's thinking about writing.
Find more at jjarchives.com or wherever books refuse to stay silent.
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 JAMES JOHNSON
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise — without prior written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews or scholarly discussion.
This book is a work of historical nonfiction. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of facts, dates, and citations, but some events have been interpreted or dramatized for narrative clarity. The views expressed herein are those of the author and are not intended to represent any institution or organization.