Social Connections, Perceptions, and Inquisition Punishments in Medieval Languedoc : A Computational Analysis
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| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Despite significant interest in the way that medieval inquisitors approached the task of quelling religious dissidence – above all the way they detected or even “constructed” heresy among their subjects – the factors that influenced the precise weight of the punishments they meted out have thus far received little systematic attention. Computational analysis of inquisition records, however, can potentially transform our understanding of this field. It can be assumed that inquisitors aimed, at least in part, to punish in accordance with the type, duration, and repetition of heretical activity they perceived. But given that inquisitors sought to root out what they saw as a social “disease” and the extent to which they recorded details of social context and interaction, we must also ask to what extent medieval inquisitors were influenced by what they perceived to be the social position of their suspects. If some attention has already been given to the influence of gender and social status, one can go further, both through more systematic analysis, and through a greater focus on questions of social connectivity. Were dissidents punished differently for knowing famous heretics, or committing actions in concert with others? Did recognised social ties to other sentenced or suspected individuals warrant graver sentences? |
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