Miles Pattenden

Louis XIV, illustration, French, c.1869. New York Public Library. Public Domain.

The Roman Catholic War on Wigs

The Catholic Church’s ban on wigs in the 18th century was as revealing of attitudes towards disability as vanity and sanctity.

Woman holding cacao (and decorated with cacao beans), Maya, AD 250-450 © Bridgeman Images.

The Theology of Chocolate

The introduction of chocolate to the Catholic world caused a dilemma: could it be eaten? Should it be given up for Lent?