Most of the essays gathered in this volume evolved from papers that were delivered at a conference in the former charterhouse Our Lady of Bethlehem in Roermond (1376). This conference was held on the occasion of The Secret of Silence. The Hidden World of the Carthusians of Roermond (27 March - 21 June 2009), an international exhibition that explored the history and spirituality of the Carthusians, highlighting the Order's outstanding artworks now kept in public and private collections. The current volume explores the history of the Carthusians and their cultural and spiritual heritage in the Low Countries. It presents Carthusian monasticism as a multidimensional phenomenon requiring a multidisciplinary approach that explains the broader historical dimension of the Carthusian Order in relation to its local manifestations, cultural forms, and the centrality of its spirituality.