A Lesson of Love: The Revelations of Julian of Norwich(Unabridged) [Paperback]

Fr. John-Julian Swanson Ojn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2003

A translation by Fr. John-Julian, OJN, from the Middle English of The Revelations of Divine Love of Dame Julian of Norwich, a 14th century anchorite in Norwich, England. The translation is in a unique sense-line form, making the author's deep mystical and spiritual insights clear and accessible to modern readers.This elegant translation of a wonderful spiritual classic makes Julian of Norwich beautifully accessible to the modern reader and that is almost the pearl without price.Archbishop Desmond Tutu, ObJNA much sought after translation which is both accurate and prayerful. Many people will be delighted with the reappearance of this highly recommended edition of Julian's RevelationsDr. Sarah Law Director: The Julian Centre Norwich, England A particularly nice edition for reflection and prayers, because it takes account of Julians style, and thus lays out the text in lines that make her thought visible on the page is to be found in A Lesson of LoveDr. Roberta Bondi Professor of Church History Candler School of Theology; Emory University I have just finished A Lesson of Love, and it is wonderful I can also Hardly wait to try it out with my students in the spring. The sense lines open up Julians prose as never before, exposing the logic and layers of her thought The Rev. Julia GattaAuthor: Three Spiritual Directors for our Time But Julian is, without doubt, one of the most wonderful of all Christian voices. She gets greater and greater in my eyes as I grow older, and whereas in the old days I used to be crazy about St. John of the Cross, I would not exchange him now for Julian if you gave me the world and the Indies and all the Spanish mystics rolled up into one bundle. I think Julian of Norwich is, with Newman, the greatest Engli

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Fr. John-Julian, OJN, is an Episcopal priest and monk. He is the founder of the Order of Julian of Norwich, a contemplative Order of the Episcopal Church with both monks and nuns in the same order, under the same vows, and with equal status. The Order of Julian of Norwich, 2812 Summit Avenue Waukesha, WI 53188 A Lesson Of Love The Revelations of Julian of Norwich © 2002 All Rights Reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (January 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595262465
• ISBN-13: 978-0595262465
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,429,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YES YES YES!, August 4, 2004

By 

Lisa Richey "piergazer" (right here) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Lesson of Love: The Revelations of Julian of Norwich(Unabridged) (Paperback)

Whether you're new to Dame Julian or not, Fr John-Julian's translation may soon become one of your favorite books. He's taken Julian's profound message of Optimism and Love and made it even more hope-filled for those of us in today's very real world.
I have dozens of books about and *by* Julian. This is the only one I read every day.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to live with, June 10, 2003

By 

Susan Fiore (Verona, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Lesson of Love: The Revelations of Julian of Norwich(Unabridged) (Paperback)

This new edition of Fr. John-Julian's translation of Julian's revelations is a rare gift. Julian's theology gives us hope, and this edition gives us a way into her thinking. This edition is intended for devotional use, but is excellent for study as well. The translation makes her writing accessible for the modern reader, and the work is divided into easily-digested daily readings. If you have been wanting to read Julian but have found other editions daunting, please try this one. You won't be sorry.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Whole New Julian, September 1, 2008

By 

Josh Thomas "Author of 'Murder at Willow Slough'" (West Lafayette, IN, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Lesson of Love: The Revelations of Julian of Norwich(Unabridged) (Paperback)

This translation of the Revelations is different from all others in several ways: Julian's complex text is broken up into short, powerful readings for daily use; and it is translated not by an academic medieval specialist, but by a person of faith who opened himself to receive God's revelations through Julian, and like her was transformed by immersion in the Blood.

It is, after all, very strange to be reading in the 21st century about a woman called Julian who, on her deathbed, requested and received a vision of Christ's very pain, so that she was able to enter into the experience of Crucifixion herself. We would never ask for or desire such a thing, but she made her prayer desiring such nearness of Christ as to feel his very wounds. She recovered, then spent the next 20 years trying to figure out what happened to her. Julian is no teenaged Bernadette, but a 30-year-old woman who underwent a visitation from the Divine. She made notes shortly afterwards, then prayed and meditated on her experience for two decades before setting down the Revelations in her maturity. Julian's book comes out of her prayer life, and it stands to reason that a modern translation of her work ought to come from the translator's prayer life too. Whatever knowledge a medievalist may bring to the enterprise, a great deal remains lost or hidden without the eyes of a mature faith. The translator of this volume brings his own deep experience of God to the task--including the imperative to translate rather than interpret, add or subtract.

The result is a clarity and depth never before revealed in Julian's simple but difficult writing. The reader gets the experience of encountering Julian directly, and through her, encountering the Holy One. Her insights are so revolutionary that we are only beginning to absorb their impact: God does not judge. God is pure love. God cannot and does not get angry with those the Spirit has touched. God is our Mother and our Father. God is nearer to us than our own soul.

Since his first encounter with Julian, the former Fr. John has seen his life completely transformed. He is now Fr. John-Julian, founder of the Order of Julian of Norwich. The last thing he planned was to be a monk, but he's been swept away by the River of God. Isn't that transformation from sin to love what we all want?

Come, encounter this remarkable woman through this meticulous translation. By reading a page a day, your spiritual journey will begin, then accelerate, and finally take off for riches unknown.