6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Classic work of English mysticism, 2006-11-15
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.'
37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
Profound and inspiring, 2000-12-06
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.
27 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
Wordy and Obtuse, 2000-10-14
Julian of Norwich, an anchoress from 14th century England who is best known for this theological tract, sets out an interesting belief system in which she concentrates on the womanly nature of Christ and God. Julian had sixteen visions which she referred to as "showings" while she was suffering an illness. These showings revealed divine messages from God that Julian then set to paper through scribes.
In my opinion, most of her revelations are tiresome to slog through, and she is a master of reptition. Also, her descriptions of the crucifixition are pretty gory and unsettling, which might bother some readers. This book is probably best read in very short bursts so that it's easier to absorb the material and ponder what Julian is trying to say.
There are certainly good things to say about this book. Her parable about man falling in sin is excellent and fun to read. I'll probably read this section again and again. I'm also glad I read this as part of a class on the Middle Ages. The background I learned in this class makes some of the text a bit clearer. It's important to understand that Europe was being rocked by the Black Death and that the Church was wrapped up in a schism while Julian was pondering her visions. The upsetting descriptions of Christ's suffering and his motherly attention to man makes more sense when the reader understands that half of Europe was dying and faith was being seriously challenged. Be sure and look at the appendices, because there is a reprint of a brief selection of the Revelations written in Middle English. It's neat to read it as it was written and try and make sense of the words.
I won't read the whole book again, but I would say that it should be read once, especially for those studying European history or theological systems.
32 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
Julian is #1, 2000-09-03
I really liked her book. She made me feel good inside and she made me smile. I like to smile. My mom says everyone should read her book. Mommy's also helping me write this letter. I like her book and I wish everyone could read it.
Kristy
58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
God as Lover, 2000-08-20
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.