Julian of Norwich: a theological reappraisal

Abstract

In recent years there has developed a popular interest in the medieval recluse and visionary, Dame Julian of Norwich. Her single book, Revelations of Divine Love, records sixteen "showings" which she received during the day and night of May 8, 1373. The Revelations is primarily a theological, rather than autobiographical, work, and touches upon virtually every aspect of Christian doctrine. Julian is better known, however, as a source of meditation, than as a theologian. Some aspects of her thought which have been noted in the literature include her concept of the "motherhood of God", her statement that sin "has no manner of substance nor particle of being" (i.e., that it has no positive existence), and her bald assertion that "there is no wrath in God". She has also been quoted, in poetry as well as in critical works, for her optimistic vision of the Last Judgement, that "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well". Out of context, these elements of the Revelations have been subjected to a variety of interpretations, including the (heretical) ones that God is never displeased with sin, that sin does not exist, or that all souls shall be equally "saved" on the Last Day.

At the present time, no comprehensive study of Julian's theology has been published, with the exception of one account which limits itself to the nature of her visions and her description of contemplative prayer. While there is considerable disagreement in the literature regarding her value as a theologian, and the character of her thought as a whole, it has been widely assumed that she borrows Neoplatonic concepts available to her through other English mystics of her time, notably Walter Hilton and the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing; or from other sources including the translated works of Pseudo-Dionysius, the Victorine mystics, Meister Eckhardt, or Jan van Ruysbroeck. Published accounts of her work consist largely of comparisons of her thought with that of her more eminent contemporaries; and of attempts either to establish her as a mystic along the lines of Platonic mysticism (seen especially in the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius) or along "traditional" Catholic lines (laid down primarily by the Spanish Carmelite mystics, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, nearly two centuries later).