The War On Ideas (S01E03)

In 1522 Italy, the lavish lifestyle of a Medici Pope in Rome infuriates the devoted Martin Luther, a priest in Germany. In response to the Protestant Reformation, a zealous monk embarks on a mission to eradicate what he deems heresy, ultimately establishing the Roman Inquisition. This monk will earn the title of the most reviled Pope in history. Influential members of the Catholic Church face arrest and imprisonment for indulging in forbidden literature, while free-thinking students are silenced. A shadow falls over the hubs of education and Renaissance thought, with the repercussions of the Roman Inquisition echoing well into the twentieth century.