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Revelations of Divine Love

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If you have never read Julian of Norwich before, this is the place to start. If you've read other editions, I think you'll like this translation.

Julian of Norwich wrote her revelations in Middle English, and is perhaps the first woman ever to write a book in the English language. Because Middle English is fairly accessible, what is needed is not so much a translation as a re-casting into modern English. John Skinner does a masterful job of retaining Julian's voice and brings many of her terms over into modern English. Rather than supply the Latinized "union with God" (or even more abstract sounding "divine union") he keeps Julian's own words "our oneing with God," as he does with words such as "again-making" and "dear-worthy" giving a strong sense of actually hearing Julian's own voice.

And what a lovely voice it is. Her language is, as she would say, "homely and courteous," simple yet refined and elegant. Her mind is clear, honest, intelligent, and wise. Although she is often termed a "visionary," the visions that she spent her life pondering happened in a single day. In fact, what she experienced is what modern people would call a "near-death experience." As she lay in a state somewhere between life and death, she saw a series of visions, beginning with an image of Jesus dying slowly on the cross. In my first approach to her writings, I was somewhat put off by the Medieval-ness of what she saw. But, like Julian herself, I needed to press through the first impression, and seek for the meaning that she drew from what she saw.

What most endears Julian to me is that she thinks. First of all, she admits that after regaining normal consciousness, she said of her visions, "I raved," meaning that she dismissed what she had seen as merely delirium. But in some manner the visions were repeated, and she realized that she was in danger of dismissing a spiritual experience of great depth and meaning. Julian then reflected on the meaning of what she had seen for the rest of her life. These "showings" became the basis for continuing spiritual insight, as she wrestled with the symbolism, the conflict they presented to accepted doctrine, and the need to understand what she had experienced so vividly.

Julian goes back to God again and again, asking questions, asking for understanding, wanting "with all her might" as she says, to know the truth. And God most courteously deepens her understanding. But not everything can be known or said.

Her parable of the lord and the servant opens up a view of Original Sin that turns that doctrine from a stumbling block to a source of comfort. She also sees the Trinity as ultimately including "all who will be saved," which is her way of saying (without quite saying) all of humanity.

It is fascinating to see Julians's mind and spirit deal with the fact that when she was face to face with God, she could not see the existence of sin. She debates within herself, and with God, asking, Is it not a fact that we are all sinners? The church teaches it and experience proves it. She feels torn between what she believes, and what God now showed her. And with all her mind and all her spirit, she seeks a way to reconcile the conflict. In the end, she comes to a view of sin that, if we could all catch her vision, would be the means of making all things well, as God promised her.

God's love for humanity pervades Julian's thought and her very words seem to me to be full of light and grace.

Skinner uses footnotes sparingly, although some of the footnotes he does include are cryptic and confusing. His glossary is very helpful in understanding Julian's language and thought. But in one key term, there is, I believe a punctuation mistake which alters the meaning that I think the translator intends: "sensuality: the sinful side of kind, that is, being transformed by the workings of mercy and grace." If we remove the two commas, the definition makes more sense. But I question whether Julian sees our "sensuality" (our sense-knowledge of ourselves, I think she means) as the sinful side of our nature (kind = nature, as in mankind.) Sensual knowledge is inadequate, true; but to read "sinful" into it, after all she has said about God not seeing sin in us, strikes me as wrong. This term "sensuality" is significant in understanding her work, so I would ask other readers to consider for yourself what she means by it.

But I cannot end this review on a negative note, so I will end by quoting her own conclusion:

"I often desired to know our Lord's meaning (in giving me these showings. ) And fifteen years and more after, I was answered in spiritual understanding, with this saying: 'Would you know your Lord's meaning in this thing? Know it well:love was his meaning. Who showed you? Love. What did he show you? Love. Wherefore did he show it you? For love. Hold yourself therein and you shall know and learn more in the same; but you will never know nor learn another thing therein without end.' Thus was I taught that love was our Lord's meaning. And I saw full surely in this and in all that before God made us he loved us; which love was never slaked, nor never shall be."

I enjoyed reading this book. It is an account of 16 visions which appeared to Mother Julian (1342-1416) along with her meditations of the experience. She was a recluse who lived in Norwich in what is now the British Isles. I had not considered the LORD my God as my lover until I learned this from Julian. In her natural style, she explained to me the love God has for each of us. This statement of hers has meant a great deal to me, " Some of us believe that God is almighty, and may do everything; and that he is all wise and can do everything; but that he is all love, and >>will<< do everything - there we draw back. And as I see it, this ignorance is the greatest of all hindrances to God's lovers." I feel that this is a message from which many may benefit, regardless of creed. In addition, I learned a bit about the solitary religious life which was popular in the Middle Ages. If you are interested in learning of the love God has for you, or in the religion of the Middle Ages, this book will be interesting to you.

Julian's utter devotion to God amazes me. Sure, the medieval imagery, symbols, and style of writing take a little getting used to--but her intense desire for intimacy with her Lord is inspiring.

As a devout (mostly Protestant) Christian, I highly recommend this work. Read it and you'll understand why people have been drawn closer to Him through Julian's writing.

Julian's work is a rich combination of ascetic, sacramental, and doctrinal theology, presented with a haunting simplicity and charm. Through referring entirely to her revelations, apparently a singular incident, Julian, with obviously burning love, manages to set forth truths with great understanding and depth. Readers will miss much of this, if they read it solely as a feminist statement - her treatment of God as Mother, for example, includes references to numerous doctrinal and sacramental implications.

Superb work for anyone interested in Christian mysticism at its best.

At the time she wrote, Julian's "showings" were not considered completely compatible with Church doctrine. However, she was not censured by the people of Norwich or the Church. She is famous for her audacity, in that she claimed her writings were as inspired as the Bible. Moreover for her specific doctrine that God is our Mother as much as he is our Father. Meaning only that his character transcends the way we think of gender and especially the roles we have attribute to it. Julian also stated that in God there is no wrath. I recommend this book to anyone reading for fun, for theological insight, or for any combination of feminist or spiritual curiosity. She was an amazing woman whose work is perpetually relevant as a religious and as a feminist text.

Julian was an anchoress living in medieval England, before the turbulence of the English civil wars and Reformation tore the religious life of the country apart.

England was generally not a fertile ground for mysticism, compared with continental Europe or Greece. While there were some exceptions, generally England did not produce many religious thinkers who could be classified as 'mystics.'

Despite this, there were some great mystics such as Julian. Julian experienced a series of visions at the age of 30 when a serious illness almost killed her. Today we might call such experiences 'near death experiences' and write them off as unusual chemical activity in the brain occuring when it is close to death, but back then Julian interpreted it as God's revelation to her. These visions included visions showing the love God has for the creation, the possible universal salvation of all on the last day, and also about the nature of God's love for us despite the dangers of sin and divine judgement.

In a troubled age as our own we can hope with Julian that God's love will prevail and in the end 'All will be well.'

CS Lewis said Revelation of Love was the most "dangerous" book he has ever read, dangerous in a positive, life-changing way, not life-threatening way.
God's masculine attributes have been explored, disected, expanded throughout the centuries. He is our Father: the Protector, the Provider, the Discipliner... And it is quite theologically and grammatically correct to refer to God with a masculine title "Him" "He" or "Father". The original Greek in our New Testament and in the translation of the Old Testament into Greek (Septuagint) use masculine pronouns in reference to God. Yet the God who created man, also created woman.
Every attribute that we love about our moms ...; caring, compassionate, gentle, etc can be found in our God. Julian stretches one's view of God, even making one uncomfortable as she makes analogies and comparisons with God's feminine nature that one may be unfamiliar with: "until now and even until Doomsday, He feeds us and helps us, according to the high sovereign kindness of His Motherhood that answers our kindly needs of childhood. Fair and sweet is our heavenly Mother in our soul's sight; precious and lovely are His gracious children in the sight of our heavenly Mother...for a child will never dispair of a mother's love".But she, in no way, goes as far as liberal scholars today who want to change the masculine pronouns in the Bible to neutral ones. All this gender discussion should not hinder one from reading this book.
Julian's words are a fresh, gentle breeze or even sometimes a strong gust, to cool the sweat from faces heated by the serious discussions of doctrines and eschatology
"our Lover desires the soul to stay close to Him with all its strength, clinging ever more tightly to His goodness. Of all things the heart may think, this pleases God the most and affords us much progress."
"I (Julian) saw His continual working in every conceivable thing is done so goodly, so wisely, and so mightily that it defies imagination, and all that we can guess or think".
"Take the discomforts of this life as lightly as we can by counting them as nothing"
"He did not say , 'You shall not be tempted, you shall not be in trials, you shall not be distressed,' but He said 'You shall not be overcome'."
Some of the visions in her book were too confusing and feel free to skim over them to search for the refreshing drink of encouraging words Julian offers us. My favorite part is where she describes how Jesus, if He could, would [end life] on the cross over and over again until we lost count, just to show us how much He loves us!

This volume includes 2 versions of this medieval author's work, a long text and short text from the period; Front matter includes a substantial introduction by A C Shearing, and a translator's preface, as well as a reading list of related materials. Three appendices provide additional material on Julian.

The First
Julian is thought to be the first writer in the English language known to be a woman, and one of the few in any European language. She was a mystic, writing in the late 1300s or early 1400s. It is thought this book was written in 1373. The book reports a series of 15 revelations - visions she received in a trance state. She reports on the encounters with Deity and the insights, teachings or instructions she received in each one.

She reports that these visions came as a result of her conscious prayer expressing her desire to become totally devoted to God and to love God more deeply. She received the visions, which she calls "showings," during a deathly illness, which she also says she requested, in order to complete her detachment of focus from selfish cares, to become totally dependent on God. This is characteristic of the extreme measures taken by many mystics to experience oneness with the Ultimate.

Feminine Characteristics of God
One of the unique perspectives she contributes is a strong focus on the "feminine" characteristics of God. One notable feature of her creative theological reflection [unusual in mystics] appears in her presentation of the mother role of God. She reflects on God, the Saviour Jesus and even the Holy Spirit, as mother. She wrestles with the traditional terminology of the simplistic, scholastic theology of the patriarchal medieval world, reinterpreting it in terms of her personal experiences of mystical faith.

Julian seems to break with the popular cult of Mariolatry which grew from the 200s or 300s [some say from the early decades of the new movement] and was rampant and deep in European devotion in the Middle Ages. While nominally acknowledging or accommodating the adoration of Mary, Julian ignores the patriarchal requirements of standard European thought of the time.

Julian instead presents the nurturing mother-role of God or Jesus in direct terms as inherent characteristics of the nature of the Deity. She addresses prayers and devotion to the Godhead as mother - NOT to Mary as Mother of God.

There have been only a few landmark books along my path but this is one of them. If you are fed up with all the misrepresentations of the nature and character of God, then read this. Lady Julian takes us into her depths of revelation as to His true nature and selfless love toward us.

Here is a brief except from the ninth showing:

"We are His bliss, we are His reward, we are His glory, we are His crown. It was a singular marvel and a thing most delightful to behold, that we are His crown. All of this is so great a joy to Jesus that for it He counts all His painful labor, His difficult passion, His cruel and shameful death, as nothing... I saw in truth that He would have died as often as He could have, and love would never let Him rest until He had done it. I looked with great diligence to learn how often He would die if He could, and in truth, the number exceeded the power of my understanding and my wits to such an extent that my reason might not and could not comprehend it or take it in. And even when He had died, or would have died, this many times, He still would count it as nothing for love, for all seems very small compared to His love."

Mother Julian's message reaches across the years and speaks to contemporary Christian spiritual seekers. Many have heard her famous, "And all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." These comforting words are only one of the many jewels to be found in the The Revelation of Love. In particular, I am gently touched by her imagery of Christ as Mother. Having fled the hell-and-brimstone denomination of my youth, Mother Julian affirms that my concept of an all-loving God isn't something we've concocted in recent years to make ourselves feel better.

While Fr. John Julian's translation of this text is my favorite, it is currently out of print. This version is a close second and I highly recommend it to fellow pilgrims.