They are known as the Brides of Christ.

They wear all-black robes tied with heavy rosary beads and crucifixes that would make any child wince. They cover their heads with vast, winglike hoods. They have no legs but roll along on silent casters. They do not flinch from handing out swift and painful smacks with a switch, cane, or paddle.

With photographs of these secretive sisters doing a few of their favorite things—frolicking in the sea, shooting guns, and lying prostrate on the floor, among them—Scary Nunsexplores what goes on behind closed convent doors.

Included are brief histories of some of the most notorious nuns and orders, as well as thoughts from famous thinkers on what it is to be a nun, that illuminate the mysteries of these wimple-wearing women who roam Gothic cathedrals around the world.

Nuns are scary. You don't have to be a lapsed Catholic to think so. But if you are, you'll findScary Nunsterrifying.