'Just complicated' system with a just inquisitor? Modelling sentencing of medieval inquisition in Peter Seila's register
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Despite significant research on the techniques of repression employed by medieval inquisitors against religious dissidents, the case-level influences on the penances they meted out are understood only vaguely: the extent to which sentencing “systems” existed is unknown. To overcome this, we apply formal methods – an exploratory analysis supported by crisp-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis, and statistical modeling founded on multiple linear regression – to the large and historically significant register of Peter Seila (1241–2), captured as structured data _via_ a statement-based approach entitled “Computer-Assisted Semantic Text Modelling” (CASTEMO). The results show that Peter systematically weighted different types of crimes and dissident interactions when sentencing; they do not suggest, however, that he was influenced by accomplicity or kinship among the sentenced. The found system of penance is a showcase of robust and elaborate social control enacted by a trial institution in pre-modern conditions. |
| Related projects: |