Julian of Norwich

Julian of Norwich, in her Revelations of Divine Love, synthesizes the asceticism which had permeated the Roman Catholic Church from its earliest history with the philosophical advancements made by Saint Thomas Aquinas only one hundred and fifty years before her. She does this seamlessly and almost certainly unintentionally, demonstrating that the philosophical developments of Saint Thomas Aquinas were familiar concepts to her such that they shaped her mystic religious view. Despite the…

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…

The “intractable strangeness” of the crucifixion of Christ represents the cornerstone of the revelations of Julian of Norwich. The mystic theologian embraced the immense offering of Jesus and his message of self-reflection and interrogation. While many critics argue against the worship of a crucified criminal, Rowan Williams preaches that the strangeness of the Passion narrative is the very reason for its relevance. His writings attempt to fight against modern ideas of spirituality which tend to…

describe how he looked. According to Catherine Willits, “Julian intricately addresses bodily sight in order to take a position on its role in communing with God”(81), she explains that Julian has bodily sights about God, and how it was a form of communication with God. Julian describes her visions, mentions about seeing the body of Jesus Christ, and his mother, while she was a servant for both Jesus Christ, and mother Mary. Moreover, Julian of Norwich describes her first vision, “And in this…

Midterm Exam Essay: The Traditions’ Basis The Contemplative, Holiness, and Charismatic Traditions all differentiate with one another. Though, they still also flow together to become one. For instance, The Contemplative Tradition is based upon the prayer-filled life while The Holiness Tradition is based more on the virtuous life. The Charismatic Tradition, though, is mostly about the spirit-empowered life, or the Holy Spirit living inside of you. Even so, all Traditions are important and should…

The problem of evil is an atheistic argument, against the existence of God. It is a deductive argument that pits the existence of unjustified evil against the existence of any kind of divine being. Julian of Norwich presents a response to the problem of evil, but there are also some possible holes in Julian’s theory. This paper explores the problem of evil and how it is connected to human suffering, Julian’s theory in response to the problem, and a critique of Julian’s theory. One must assume…

which the traditional theology of the church was centered around the damning and vengeful nature of God towards sinners, Julian of Norwich carefully contradicts the condemning nature of the doctrine of the church and offers a more forward-looking theology grounded in God’s love. Contrary to the church’s view of an angry God reigning down eternal damnation as punishment for sin, Julian reconstructs the character of God in opposition to the views by explaining the act of the Incarnation not as an…

Julian and St. Mechthild were much shorter than the section about St. Hildegard. I feel as though that the sections should have been equal in length. However, the section about St. Mechthild of Magdeburg starts with a different feel because the author immediately…

“Searching for Identity: The Religious Experiences of Norwich, Kempe, and Truth” Women have struggled, much like the fishermen sailing with a stormy sea, to relinquish their identity from the hands of man and regain control of it again. In waves, they have enjoyed brief moments of freedom and respect yet deep ruts of oppression and scorn. Even after years of efforts and progression, the storm, the struggle, is ongoing still. However, without the contribution of past women, there would be no…

Classical female rhetoricians needed to utilise several rhetorical strategies in order to navigate the misogynistic landscape of past societies and to have their arguments heard. Logos, pathos, and ethos can be found within Hortensia, Julian of Norwich, and Christine de Pizan’s works as tools to allow them to speak and record their thoughts during a period where women were forbidden to do so, and subsequently make lasting impacts on society’s view of women. Hortensia uses logos in her “Speech…