medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On Fri, 16 Feb 2001, Tom Izbicki wrote:
"Of course, the practice of turning over relapsed heretics to the "secular
arm" combined the prohibition on shedding blood with the employment of
indirect means of coercion."
Dear Tom: Although accurate, your statement inadvertently softens reality.
Was the "turn over" normal, even routine? Was the "indirect means of
coercion" especially bloody? And in what context was the killing bloody,
given the punishments generally wreaked on "criminals" in the middle ages?
Lastly, was clerical practice in this regard essentially self-defeating
because, by begging or demanding a service from lay power, it eventually
empowered that authority to subordinate the church itself?
Yours, John
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