author

James MacCaffrey

1875–1935

An Irish priest and historian, he wrote clear, wide-ranging works on Catholic Church history and spent most of his life at Maynooth. His books bring together scholarship, teaching, and a strong interest in the church’s past in Ireland and Europe.

2 Audiobooks

History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution — Volume 1

History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution — Volume 1

by James MacCaffrey

History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution — Volume 2

History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution — Volume 2

by James MacCaffrey

About the author

Born in County Tyrone in 1875, James MacCaffrey was educated at St Macartan’s Seminary in Monaghan and at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. He was ordained in 1899, pursued further study in places including Freiburg and Paris, and remained closely connected with Maynooth for the rest of his life.

MacCaffrey became known as a priest, theologian, and historian. He taught church history, edited Archivium Hibernicum, contributed to the Catholic Encyclopedia, and later served as president of Maynooth from 1918 until his death in 1935.

His best-known books include History of the Catholic Church in the Nineteenth Century, History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution, and A History of the Catholic Church for Schools and Colleges. His writing is remembered for turning large stretches of religious history into organized, readable narrative.