What role did devotion play in the lives of our grandparents and their parents? How did the belief in sin, redemption and saints, influence their attitude towards life, belief, their body or sexuality? And how did this devotion translate into the most exotic cult objects? These and numerous other questions are being answered from an anthropological point of view in 6 essays that dare the reader to open up towards the religious spirit that characterised our western culture for centuries. Mechelen was proclaimed the Archdiocese of Mechelen in 1559. At the time the archdiocese covered most of the Low Countries (the southern part of the Netherlands, Belgium and part of northern France). To commemorate the 450th anniversary the city is holding a three month cultural festival entitled City Visions. The organisers want to focus on the role of Mechelen in the past, present and looking towards the future. This fascinating publication focuses on the history of the faith of ordinary people and the objects that expressed their beliefs.