Inquisition and science: where do we stand now?

Part of the special issue "The Inquisition and the censorship of science in early modern Europe: Introduction", coordinated by Francisco Malta Romeiras.

Abstract

In recent years systematic and thorough archival research was conducted and published; specific case-studies were investigated in detail; syntheses were attempted. Yet, despite these very promising indications, it must be agreed that research is still at an early stage. A good indication is, for example, the fact that there is no useful general monograph on the topic. Despite an evident curiosity about the subject, a curiosity that greatly transcends the limits of academia, there is no comprehensive presentation of the topic, accessible both to scholars and the general public, covering the situation in the whole of catholic modern Europe. This set of articles in this issue of Annals of Science, by a new generation of scholars, arises from this recent surge of interest for the question of the relation between Inquisition and science. It is both a confirmation of the perennial interest of the topic, and a showcase for some of the innovative approaches that have appeared in recent years.