The relationship between the crown and the church (the Inquisition and the papacy), the causes of the Revolt of the Moriscos, the effect of Catholic reforms on popular beliefs in Spain.
PAST PAPERS
To what extent was Philip II the most catholic king?
How effectively did the Spanish inquisition fulfil its role in mainland Spain during the reign of Philip II?
How far did Philip II fulfil his duties as the ‘Catholic King’ in his dealings with the Spanish Church and the papacy?
To what extent did Philip’s policy towards the papacy fulfil his obligations as ‘the Most Catholic King’?
Assess how far Philip’s treatment of the Moriscos was consistent with his religious policy within Spain.
How far did the reign of Philip strengthen the Spanish church?
Explain why the role of the Spanish inquisition under Philip II has been the cause of controversy among historians.
Assess how far Philip's religious policy strengthened or weakened Spain.
How successful was Philip Ii as the ‘Most Catholic King’?
How successful was Philip in his religious policies?
A key area of the course is the religious policies that Philip II followed during his reign. He was given the title of ‘Most Catholic King’ and historians have debated whether he followed this role or acted according to other interests such as power, prestige, security, opportunist.
If Philip had placed Catholicism at the centre of his policies and if he had been successful he would have :
1)Remain a Devout Catholic
2)Eradicated heresy
3)Strengthened and reformed the church through the Tridentine decrees
4)Maintained a good relationship with the papacy
5)Defended Catholicism
6)Uniformity
7)Increase numbers within the Catholic faith
8)Maintain a positive reputation of the church
Devout Catholic
•Clear evidence that he was – attended mass / built Escorial
•Described by historians like Woodward as the ‘ Most Catholic King’
•P2 openly claimed he would not suffer heretics
•Historian Motley claims he was a Religious fanatic
•P2 saw his cause and gods as one
Eradicate Heresy
•Use of inquisition – Auto de fes – persecuting heretics and stamping out heresy
•Protestant Cells in Seville and Valladolid 1558 quickly stamped out
•Tridentine Decrees aimed at improving the faith and church to combat heresy
•Index introduced / Students stopped from studying aboard
•Limpieza (purity of blood) excluded conversos and moriscos from church orders.
•Criticised as being too repressive and leading to ‘black legend’ of P2, cutting Spain off culturally
•Impact debatable – only 45 inquisitors for population of 8 millions, relied on informers
•Nalle argues however that the inquisition was never marginal to the lives of people in Spain
•Kamen sees the inquisition have a role as a gigantic teaching machine helping to reform and educate Spain religiously
•However inquisition part of state not church under control of P2 – power abused over Perez affair when attempted to use inquisition to arrest Perez for political not religious reasons.
Reform the Church – Tridentine Decress
•Clear issues in structure of church and practice of the faith e.g. absenteeism, pagan practices, lack of resources, thinly spread, poor priesthood
•Tridentine Decrees finally introduced 1564 after negotiations being started at the Council of Trent by Philip’s father in 1546
•New bible / Seminaries established across Spain / New bishoprics / New bishops appointed e.g. Ribera
•Historian Kamen claims the decrees revolutionise the church (structure/organisation)
•Difficult to measure how effective in terms of the faith and uniformity – little evidence from lower orders – records from Toledo show that ability to recite Lord’s prayer rose from 40% 1555 to around 82% 1600
•However – church not fully supportive, only 20 seminaries, tridentine decrees only accepted gradually, semi pagan activities remained in rural areas, Kamen claims ‘ no more Christianized in 1600 than in 1500’, attempts to covert those in the New World only dilute the practice of Catholicism
•Reforms not at expense of own control
•P2 more interested in structural / admin change for his own authority than Spanish enlightenment
Relations with the Papacy
•Co-operation or conflict?
•Contemporaries claimed ‘ No Pope in Spain’ which shows P2’s power / control and Pope’s position/relationship
•Carranza Affair
•Excommunication of Elizabeth – P2 attempted to prevent this - clash
•War against Turks 1571 – co-operation however 1578 truce with Turks - clash
•Clashes over England – Pope keen for Armada earlier
•Continued war against Henry IV after conversion to Catholicism resulting in triple alliance 1596 against Spain of France, England and Dutch Rebels.
•Papacy tried to balance position between Sp and Fr didn’t wish to become over reliant on Sp or Fr
Final analysis
Maintained control of church and Spain remained united under Catholicism.
Did not face the civil unrest and religious wars experienced by France.
Very little heresy, church reformed but level of uniformity debatable.
Foreign policy – attempted to defend Catholicism however closer examination suggests more strategic than religious.
Inquisition
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2 comments:
I'm sorry if this sounds stupid but when Sarah Nalle says 'the inquisition was never marginal to the lives of the Spanish people' that means they were insignificant because there numbers were so few doesn't it??
(opposed to they weren't marginal because they were in the Spanish peoples lives all the time - if you see what I'm saying)
What Sarah Nalle actually means in her comments of 'the inquisition was never marginal to the lives of the Spanish people', is that marginal means little impact or on the edge of - Nalle believes that the inquisition had a BIG input on peoples lives in Spain. Not just the eradicating heresy, they were part of the Spanish way of life in the 16th century. There is debate on this impact - cultural decay, reform, educational tool, repressive etc, powerbase etc. The artical on the inquisition is the best read.
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