A Book Of Showings Analysis

A Book of Showings Analysis There have been many stories in early British Literature with a majority of them containing references according to the Bible. However, one of the pieces of literature that display the best insight of the religion would be the compilation of “revelations” known as A Book of Showings to the Anchoress written by Julian of Norwich. This book captivates the relationship discovered between a superior being and humanity as Julian undergoes a series of visions that she believes are similar to that of the passions of Jesus Christ. Rather than having a direct relationship with the Lord himself, Julian of Norwich’s connection starts off as more of a metaphorical one. Ever since she became an anchoress, or …show more content…
The perspective of Marion Glasscoe and Elspeth Kennedy is one of many that explains Julian was looking for something more than just fulfilling the life of sin she led before encountering the almighty God. Glasscoe and Kennedy claim, “The nuclear reactor in Julian’s text is Christ’s Passion,” (Glasscoe). The whole relation revolves around Julian being able to suffer and see the Passion from the Lord’s eyes so she can grow a better understanding to the meaning behind it all. They begin to discuss the first and second revelations, and discover one of Julian’s key realizations. “She comes to know that suffering, and the insecurity of perception concomitant with time, co-exist with a reality of eternal and energetic joy,” (Glasscoe). This epiphany does nothing but spark Julian’s curiosity as she goes more into depth on revealing more layers of her newfound, everlasting relationship with a superior being. Glasscoe and Kennedy also explain how in the first showing, she relates this to Christ bleeding with the crown of thorns on his head, saying that it ultimately shows simultaneous joy for the crown represents all those who are saved and those “who discover the thorns to be the means to precious riches.” Now that Julian has obtained a different mindset on how her pains are related to the Passions of the Christ, the following revelations seem clearer from her perspective. She now notices that everything He has done for us was purely out of love, for in the book it says, “He is our clothing that for love wrappeth us and windeth us, …hangeth about us for tender love that he may never leave us,” (Norwich). This portrays her comprehension that despite everyone’s accusation that He can be a revengeful god, He is nothing but all things