Projection publique et projection diffuse de l’Inquisition

Through the reflections exposed in my contribution, I would think about the Inquisition’s capacity to influence the society of its time. Thus, I would concentrate on the two aspects that made the Inquisition’s social presence felt in Spain down to Modern Times. Those aspects can be defined as a public showing and a diffuse showing of the Court of Faith; both are linked to one another, and contribute assistance to each other to help them win and retain their power. By public showing I mean all the activities that, directly or indirectly, projected the institution’s image and its ideology towards society. As I am trying to explain hereafter, those activities helped to give a powerful visible presence to the meaning of the institution in the social sphere. The concept of diffuse showing is a reference to the extended period the Inquisition did last beyond its limits as an institution. That was made possible through a dense network of social relationships the members had at various levels, outside the proper inquisitorial field