Catholic Families & the Arts: A Long & Living Tradition
How have Catholic families over the centuries nurtured the practice and flourishing of beautiful artwork within their homes and more broadly in their societies? Ms. McShea will weave together little-known stories from medieval to modern times about faithfully Catholic artists and patrons of the arts.
Dr. Bronwen McShea is a historian of Catholicism from medieval to modern times. She is the author of three books, including her most recent work, Women of the Church: What Every Catholic Should Know (Ignatius Press, 2024). Her writings have also appeared in a variety of scholarly and popular forums, the latter including The Wall Street Journal, America Magazine, First Things, and The Pillar, where she is a columnist. McShea has held teaching and research positions at Columbia University, Princeton University, Loyola University Chicago, and several other institutions. She holds a Ph.D. in Early Modern History from Yale University and both a masters in the History of Christianity and B.A. in Intellectual History from Harvard University. Independent of her academic career, Ms. McShea also enjoys painting, drawing, and art history.