LibGuides: Topic: Banned Books Week: Banned Historical Works

Books Banned for Religious Reasons

cover of Index auctorum et librorum prohibitorum

Starting in 16th century, a series on papal indexes were released to indicated which books were not authorized by The Church. Books could not be published without official sanction. Following are a few of the numerous titles on the list.

Méditations Métaphysiques et 6 autres livres by Descartes
Contes et Nouvelles by La Fontaine
Lettres philosophiques by Voltaire
Histoire des croisades by Voltaire
Cantiques des Cantiques by Voltaire
Du Contrat Social by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
La Nouvelle Héloïse by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Complete Works by Denis Diderot
Mémoires by Casanova
Complete Works by Balzac
Les misérables jusqu'en 1959 by Victor Hugo
Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo
Mme Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
All Bibles Authorized by Martin Luther
All Unauthorized Vernacular Bibles Prohibited (German, French, Spanish, Italian, English, Dutch, etc.)
All her love stories by George Sand
THE STATE PAPERS by John Milton
CRITIQUE OF PURE REASON by Immanual Kant
PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL by John Stuart Mill
A Book of Common Prayers and Administration of Sacraments with Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church for the Use of All Christians in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland by Gandolphy, Peter
Banned by the Holy See for religious content.
A sentimental journey through France and Italy by Yorick
Banned by Holy See in 1819 for religious content.

Other Banned Historical Works

Ars Amatoria by Ovid
Banned in Italy 0008 A.D., 1497.
Lysistrata; The Birds; The Clouds by Aristophanes (c.448-c.380 B.C.)
Banned in United States, Greece, Italy, 0066 A.D.
1942-1967.
The Talmud
Banned in Egypt, Holy See, France, Spain, USSR (until December 1991). 1190, 1244
1490, 1926
La Divina Commedia by Dante, Alighieri [1265-1321]
Banned in Italy, Portugal, 1497, 1581
Address to the German Nobility by Luther, Martin [1483-1546]
Banned in France, Holy See, Germany, 1517-1521

Additional Sources

Websites that list historical works that have been banned over the centuries.

Index Librorum Prohibitorum Index of Prohibited Books from the Roman Office of the Inquisition, 1559
Includes books, versions and parts of the Bible also banned.
INDEX LIBRORVM PROHIBITORVM -- 1948
Modern History Sourcebook: Index librorum prohibitorum, 1557-1966 [Index of Prohibited Books]
List of books forbidden by Pope Paul IV. From Fordham.

Topic: Banned Books Week — Banned Historical Works

Books Banned for Religious Reasons

Other Banned Historical Works

Additional Sources