The book being reviewed for this essay is titled A Question of Identity: Iberian Converso’s in Historical Perspective, written by Renee Levine Melammed. It is divided into eight different chapters that deal with the complicated relationship between Christians, Converso’s, and the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula. The plan of forced conversions in 1391 was indeed successful, but nobody was prepared for the aftermath of what transpired. How to deal with the massive influx of converts into Christianity was an enormous problem, and the question of identity became the central area of concern. As one will see, religious incentive was the dominant motivator for forcible conversion that ultimately led to the problematic question of identity amongst the …show more content…
The Inquisition began in 1484 in Castile, headquartered in Aragon. Unlike other Inquisitions sanctioned by the Pope, the Spanish inquisition was unique, in that it was largely autonomous from Rome with its own set of rules and guidelines. Melammed argues that it functioned to protect a distinctive form of Spanish Christian culture . To protect this culture, the Inquisition originated with the idea of allowing a grace period for Converso’s who had relapsed back into Jewish practice; they could confess and be reconciled to the Church. The first confession would result in reconciliation, but a second relapse and attempted confession would normally result in the death penalty. During this time, witnesses also had the obligation to come forward and testify if they suspected Converso’s of transpiring with the Jews. The personal narratives of confessions from Converso’s and testimony from witnesses make up the majority of this …show more content…
One has read, and examined three different reviews. The three reviews are by: Horacio Chiong Rivero - The Sixteenth Century Journal, Enrique García Santo-Tomás – Iberoamericana, and David Graizbord - The American Historical Review. All three reviews take a completely different approach in how they view this piece of literature. Horacio Chiong Rivero gives a positive review of this book. He states that Melammed has made important and significant contributions to the history of Converso’s in the Iberian Peninsula. He also states that Melammed furnishes insights into the social, political, religious, and cultural factors that contributed to the forging of a Converso identity. The second review, by Enrique García Santo-Tomás, gives a very neutral stance on the book. His review does not take an attitude either way on how he personally feels about the literature. The review basically is a summary of what is to be expected if one reads the book. In his review, he discusses how religion played an intricate role during this time period for Old Christians, New Christians and Jews. However, he does not state definitively how successful he believes Melammed was in writing this piece of literature. Finally, the last review that was analyzed is from David Graizbord. He gives a very negative review, as he believes Melammed was not successful in proving how a Converso’s identity