The Secrets of Sacred Art

StarQuest Media
StarQuest Media
  • 4.5 (15)
  • Visual Arts
  • Updated Weekly

Artists Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray get into the art Catholics have made and prayed with for 2,000 years: icons and Byzantine mosaics, illuminated manuscripts, Renaissance and Baroque painting, stained glass, and the sacred art being made right now. Each episode takes a single work or tradition and explains the symbolism, the history, and the theology behind it. Why is there gold behind a saint’s head? What’s actually happening in an altarpiece? If you’ve ever stood in a cathedral and wished someone could tell you what you were looking at, that’s this show.

  1. Jul 13

    The Keys of the Kingdom

    A Scottish priest spends six decades in China and never once bullies anyone into belief. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray dig into The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) — Gregory Peck's first Oscar-nominated role — and the power of Golden Age faith on film. The post The Keys of the Kingdom appeared first on StarQuest Media.

    The Keys of the Kingdom

  2. Jun 29

    Grace and Dragons: Stavkirker of Norway

    Built without a single nail, carved with dragons, and still standing 800 years later. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray trace the history, theology, and Catholic heritage of Norway's medieval stave churches — and their surprising American descendants. The post Grace and Dragons: Stavkirker of Norway appeared first on StarQuest Media.

    Grace and Dragons: Stavkirker of Norway

  3. Jun 15

    Here There Be Dragons!

    Dragons haunt sacred art from Genesis to Revelation, carrying meanings that shift with every century. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray trace them from the Aberdeen Bestiary through saints, scripture, and the serpent that wore a woman's face. The post Here There Be Dragons! appeared first on StarQuest Media.

    Here There Be Dragons!

  4. Jun 1

    Whale of a Tale: Fishy Pulpits

    Whale-shaped pulpits are real, they're Baroque, and they're loaded with theology. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray trace the Jonah-Christ connection behind the most spectacular preaching platforms in Christendom. The post Whale of a Tale: Fishy Pulpits appeared first on StarQuest Media.

    Whale of a Tale: Fishy Pulpits

  5. May 18

    Our Lady of Coromoto: Patroness of Venezuela

    A proud Venezuelan chief threatened to shoot an arrow at the Virgin Mary. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray trace the dramatic 1652 apparition, a miraculous image smaller than a fingertip, and the art and feasts of Venezuela's beloved patroness. The post Our Lady of Coromoto: Patroness of Venezuela appeared first on StarQuest Media.

    Our Lady of Coromoto: Patroness of Venezuela

  6. May 4

    Captivating Cathedrals: Shrewsbury Cathedral

    England's smallest cathedral holds one of its most layered stories. Alix Murray and Kathryn Laffrey walk through Shrewsbury Cathedral — its fraught Catholic origins, Margaret Rope's stained glass, and a restoration uncovering what whitewash hid. The post Captivating Cathedrals: Shrewsbury Cathedral appeared first on StarQuest Media.

    Captivating Cathedrals: Shrewsbury Cathedral

  7. Apr 20

    The Secret Lives of Sacred Fruits

    Every apple, pomegranate, strawberry, and almond in sacred art carries theology — and most viewers walk right past it. For episode 50, Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray mark the milestone with a guided tasting of fruit hidden in the margins. The post The Secret Lives of Sacred Fruits appeared first on StarQuest Media.

    The Secret Lives of Sacred Fruits

  8. Apr 6

    Our Lady of Guadalupe: A Garden of Promise

    The tilma's stars play a song. Reflections in Our Lady's eyes show up to 12 figures. Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray unpack the hidden science and 3,000-year-old Mesoamerican prophecy woven into the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The post Our Lady of Guadalupe: A Garden of Promise appeared first on StarQuest Media.

    Our Lady of Guadalupe: A Garden of Promise
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About

Artists Kathryn Laffrey and Alix Murray get into the art Catholics have made and prayed with for 2,000 years: icons and Byzantine mosaics, illuminated manuscripts, Renaissance and Baroque painting, stained glass, and the sacred art being made right now. Each episode takes a single work or tradition and explains the symbolism, the history, and the theology behind it. Why is there gold behind a saint’s head? What’s actually happening in an altarpiece? If you’ve ever stood in a cathedral and wished someone could tell you what you were looking at, that’s this show.

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