The Crusades and the Inquisition, two separate historical events, are more closely related than most people realize. It is no accident that the Inquisition followed quickly on the heels of the Crusades, just as it is no coincidence that the Crusades as well as the Inquisition have been greatly misunderstood over the centuries, with popular historians focusing on and, indeed, exaggerating the "atrocities" committed by Christian armies and Inquisitors. Recent research has reversed many of these misconceptions, and the results will be enlightening to anyone curious about this much-disputed period in Christian history. In this unique book, which combines discussion of both events and shows how they are related, Fr. John Vidmar, OP, offers a magisterial synthesis of the latest research and brings his own extensive knowledge as a historian of this era to provide an accessible, eminently readable book that will be indispensable to students and average readers alike. +
