Abstract The Black Legend of the Inquisition is part of a larger Enlightenment narrative that celebrates modernity and its institutions as a darkness overcome. However, torture is not just a relic of the past. It has emerged as a tool of state that will exist as long as the “war on terror” divides the world. We must denounce terrorism, but in doing so we should not create new Inquisitions of our own. The way to do penance for the Inquisition is to resist torture as it is practiced now, and in doing so establish real dialogue among people of all faiths.