A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages; volume I

Religious authority and legal procedure meet in Henry Charles Lea's account of the medieval Inquisition. This first volume examines the institution's origins and organization, beginning with the power of the Church, the growth of heresy, and the influence of the mendicant orders. In his preface, Lea explains why the spiritual and intellectual movements of the Middle Ages must be considered alongside the development of its courts.

The discussion follows disputes over who could judge religious dissent and impose penalties. Bishops and inquisitors negotiate their powers, while regional differences in Italy, Germany, and southern France shape the institution's reach. A council at Narbonne supplies rules for inquisitorial action, and financial interests complicate the division of responsibility. Readers interested in European religious history will find a study of how belief, jurisdiction, and institutional authority became closely connected.