Posted: January 18th, 2023

Sebastien Michaelis: emergence & role in French inquisition

Sebastien Michaelis: emergence & role in French inquisition
Sebastien Michaelis was a French inquisitor and theologian who emerged as a prominent figure in the French Inquisition during the late 17th century. He is best known for his role in the trials of the French Prophets, a group of religious dissenters who were accused of heresy. Michaelis’s emergence as a prominent figure in the French Inquisition and his role in the trials of the French Prophets have been the subject of much historical analysis and debate.
He was born in 1658 in the city of Metz, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. He was trained as a theologian and was ordained as a priest in 1683. He later joined the Dominican Order, a religious order known for its emphasis on preaching and education. Michaelis quickly rose through the ranks of the Dominican Order and was appointed as an inquisitor in 1688.
Michaelis’s role in the French Inquisition began to take shape in the late 17th century with the emergence of the French Prophets. The French Prophets were a group of religious dissenters who believed in the imminent arrival of the end times and the arrival of a new era of spiritual enlightenment. They were accused of heresy by the Catholic Church and were subsequently brought to trial by the Inquisition. Michaelis played a key role in the trials of the French Prophets, serving as one of the chief inquisitors in the proceedings.
Notably, his approach to the trials of the French Prophets was characterized by his strong belief in the need to uphold the authority of the Catholic Church and to root out heresy. He was known for his harsh and uncompromising approach to the trials, and he was not above using torture to extract confessions from the accused. He was also known for his use of the “question extraordinaire,” a form of torture that involved suspending the accused by the arms and applying pressure to the shoulders and armpits.
Michaelis’s role in the trials of the French Prophets has been the subject of much historical analysis and debate. Some historians have argued that Michaelis’s harsh and uncompromising approach to the trials was a necessary measure to root out heresy and maintain the authority of the Catholic Church. Others have argued that his approach was excessive and inhumane, and that it was a reflection of the Church’s growing paranoia and fear of dissent in the late 17th century.
Sebastien Michaelis was a French inquisitor and theologian who emerged as a prominent figure in the French Inquisition during the late 17th century. He is best known for his role in the trials of the French Prophets, a group of religious dissenters who were accused of heresy. Michaelis’s emergence as a prominent figure in the French Inquisition and his role in the trials of the French Prophets have been the subject of much historical analysis and debate, with some historians arguing that his approach was necessary to root out heresy, while others argue it was excessive and inhumane.

Works Cited
“Sébastien Michaelis.” Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World, edited by Jonathan Dewald, vol. 4, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2004, pp. 678-679.
“French Prophets.” The Oxford Handbook of the Prophets, edited by John Barton, Oxford University Press, 2016, pp. 447-463.
“Sébastien Michaelis