The persecution of heretics in the dispute over the true faith is one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Church. Since the 4th century, the Catholic Church had been taking tough action against apostates, and a long era of cruel persecution was to follow.
With Konrad von Marburg, the age of the papal inquisition in Germany began a good 800 years ago. And in an essay on the "stealthy lust for evil," cultural scientist Wolfgang Ullrich explores why conservative writers and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs portray themselves as modern-day heretics.