History of Book-Burning

By hawilhel
  • 1121

    Peter Abelard - Sic et Non, "Yes or No"

    Peter Abelard - Sic et Non, "Yes or No"
    Abelard, Peter. (1120) Sic et Non. France. (12 surviving texts, one at Cambridge University Library)
    Abelard's books were burned by the order of Pope Clement VII, as Abelard challenged the edicts of the Catholic Church. The books were burned before the Council of Soissons in Catholic France, with Abelard being imprisoned and later escaping. Abelard followed the teachings of Aristotle, who specifically stated that all thinking (specifically the majority) should be challenged.
  • 1530

    1530 - William Tyndale - The Practyse of the Prelates

    1530 - William Tyndale - The Practyse of the Prelates
    Tyndale, William. (1530) The Practyse of the Prelates. London. Last of the Hans Luft of Marburg imprints.
    Tyndale is best known for the first English translation of the new testament on the printing press. The Practyse of the Prelates criticized the marriage annulments of Henry VIII, which led to this book being burned in England due to the challenge to the monarchy's practices.

  • 1637 - John Milton - Justa Edourdo King Naufrago

    1637 - John Milton - Justa Edourdo King Naufrago
    Milton, John. (1637) Justa Edourdo King Naufrago. London.
    Milton's books were burned in France and England due to his challenging the monarch's reign. Milton questioned the rule of a monarchy through democratic discussions and hints via his books of poems. The Justa Edourdo King Naufrago was dedicated to Edward King, another individual that challenged the status quo.

  • 1932 - Karl Marx - The Manifesto of the Communist Party

    1932 - Karl Marx - The Manifesto of the Communist Party
    Marx, Karl. (1848) The Manifesto of the Coomunist Party. Germany.
    In 1932 the book burnings started under the leadership of the Nazi Party, with their focus on books by Karl Marx. Hitler and the Nazis despised Communism, so this book was specifically targeted at the beginning of the book burnings. The burnings continued to spread to encompass entire genres and topics, such as religion, philosophy, art and science.

  • 2012 - The New Testament - Al Quaeda book burning parties

    2012 - The New Testament - Al Quaeda book burning parties
    Pure Cambridge Edition. (2010) The Bible: King James Version. KJVPCE.
    In 2012, when Al Quaeda took control of Christian villages throughout Iraq, there were book burnings of all Christian books, with the New Testament being the primary target.