Historians and scholars of religion from the US and Europe explore changing images of specific saints and the societies that created those images to suit varying psychic and social needs; and the nature of the relationship between holy persons, holy objects, and holy places. Among their topics are St. Benedict the Moor from Sicily to the New World, the search for an American Marian cult in New Orleans, and the influence of pilgrimage on artistic traditions in Medieval Ireland. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)