Julian of Norwich: A Medieval Mystic for the Modern Day

A Voice from the Anchorhold

Julian of Norwich is perhaps best known to us as a 14th-century English mystic, writer, and anchoress who experienced profound visions in 1373, leading her to write the influential Revelations of Divine Love, in both a long and short form, which contain unusually modern views on the nature of God and his unconditional love for humanity.

Following a series of visions of Jesus, in her late thirties, Julian of Norwich (c 1342 - after 1416) opted to become an anchoress. In medieval times, an anchoress was a religious woman who, after receiving permission from a bishop, became permanently walled into a small cell (anchorhold), usually attached to a church. Anchoresses, as they came to be known, voluntarily chose a solitary life of prayer and contemplation, rather than joining a formal religious order. Even so, being holed up in a small cell for the rest of one's life, was considered a profound commitment to God. As such anchorites answered only to a local bishop, and not to any other ecclesiastical superior.

While anchorites were considered dead to the material world (in some instances choosing a rite of consecration that resembled the Office for the Dead at their initiation) they nonetheless interacted regularly with visitors, and became popular as spiritual advisors. A noted visitor to Julian was the medieval mystic Margery Kempe (1373 - after 1438). Margery is the author of the earliest surviving autobiography, written in Middle English (we understand it as the language of Chaucer, for instance). In The Book of Margery Kempe she describes meeting with Julian, after being asked by Christ to visit her. Margery "told her about the grace, that God had put into her soul, of compunction, contrition, sweetness and devotion [...] and also many wonderful revelations, which she described to the anchoress to find out if there were any deception in them, for the anchoress was expert in such things and could give good advice."

Yet, to make this clearly restricted life work, a complex set of rules was attached, laid out in texts such as the Ancrene Wisse, which provided detailed guidance on all aspects of an anchorite's life. This included the work detail of servants allotted to them, who brought necessities and helped with their toilet. Guidance also covered spiritual discipline, daily routines and permissions regarding personal possessions and pets. Some anchoresses, such as Julian of Norwich, were considered living saints.

She became attached to St Julian's Church in Norwich, from which she took her name. Julian had opted to follow the life of an anchoress after a life-threatening illness, at the age of 30, during which Julian had a series of sixteen visions, or "shewings" as they were called at the time. These visions appear to have transformed her life, revealing aspects of God's love and grace. Julian devoted her life to interpreting the meaning of her visions. She accounts of her experiences, in a work called Revelations of Divine Love (or Showings, as it is sometimes called), which is now considered one of the most important works of medieval Christian mysticism and was the first book written by a woman in English.

Revelations of Divine Love

Her text contains two parts: the Short Text, thought to have been written shortly after her near-fatal illness in 1373, and the Long Text completed some twenty years later. As the title suggests, it analyses and expands upon her original work. Even so, her ideas were radical at the time, putting a spin on her understanding of God that contrasted with rather austere church teaching of the day. Julian believed in a supportive God.

Although uncoordinated somewhat with her theological contemporaries, she became extremely popular. Her seclusion, if you can call it that, coincided with immense social and religious turmoil. The Black Death (1347-1353) and the Peasants Revolt (1381) were key points in her lifetime and would have unnerved the people of Norwich sufficiently to seek spiritual guidance and a better understanding perhaps of the tumult around them. While the Black Death (1346 - 1353) significantly impacted Norwich, it also created opportunities for social mobility, and immigration from the countryside helped restore its population and boost the textile industry. By the time Julian assumed residence at St Julian's, some twenty years later, a substantial cadre of rich traders and merchants regularly attended services at the church, visiting Julian no doubt a feature of their devotions, though memories of rebuilding their lives after the plague, would not have been forgotten.

The Black Death and Social Turmoil

The Black Death denuded the population of England by about a third, and it had a tremendously adverse effect on both the economy and the wellbeing of people. Many communities were denuded and survivors would have suffered from some form of long term stress disorder, similar to what we understand today as PTSD. How it affected Julian, we do not know.

Even if the worst of the plague had passed her by, she would have been well aware of the growing discontent among the English population in the 1380s. The Peasants' Revolt was a widespread uprising against the teenage King Richard II and the ruling elite in England, sparked in the main by new taxes, low wages, and inadequate protections against exploitation by feudal lords and landlords. It was led by more than one person. Among them was Wat Tyler and John Ball, a member of the so-called Lollards. John Ball was a Lollard priest, whose sermons focused on the need for equality under the law and criticism of the extreme wealth and exploitative actions of Barons and landowners. The rebels, coming from all parts of southeast England, but mainly Essex, marched on London, destroying buildings and beheading officials, even Simon Sudbury, the then Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor. The 14 year old King Richard II met with the rebels at first at Blackheath and then at Smithfield, where Wat Tyler was stabbed. The king initially promised concessions, but soon reneged on them and had the rebels severely punished.

Norwich: A Medieval Powerhouse

Julian was never then entirely out of the zeitgeist. Norwich in the 13th and 14th centuries was the second largest city in England and a hub of political activity and power. A striking symbol of Norman power, the city was a stronghold, with an extensive system of defensive city walls and gates. Norwich was a thriving centre of trade and industry. Its strategic location on the River Wensum, rich agricultural hinterland, and strong ties with the Low Countries fuelled a booming textile industry and attracted immigrants who further boosted its economy. The city's affluence is evidenced by its large number of medieval buildings. It was also a kind of religious centre, not as important as say Canterbury, but it was famous for having more churches than any other city north of the Alps. Even today, it has a large number of surviving medieval religious buildings, including the impressive Norwich Cathedral. And although all traces of Julian of Norwich's cell have disappeared, a modern chapel at St Julian's Church is dedicated to her memory, and she is honoured in the city with an unofficial feast day on May 13th.

Julian's Theological Contributions

Julian's writings explore complex theological themes of God's love, suffering, and redemption, with the famous assertion, "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well". Unlike the Latin-dominated scholarly works of the time, many female mystics wrote in their vernacular languages, making their mystical teachings more accessible. Julian of Norwich was no exception. Although a contemporary of the English poets Geoffrey Chaucer and William Langland, Julian was, by her own account, unlettered. In other words, uneducated and could not read or write in Latin. Nonetheless, she was taught in Middle English, the language of the common man. And while she did not have access to the growing library of religious tomes in the city, and cognisant of the disparity between rich and poor in the city and the incidence of intermittent plagues and sickness, her writings are nevertheless suffused with hope and trust in God's goodness. While her vision begins with Jesus' crucifixion, she did not remain weeping at the foot of the cross over Christ's pains and her own in the usual late medieval style, but found in the crucifixion a comforting vision of Christ's redeeming love.

Revelations spans the most profound mysteries of the Christian faith - such as the question of predestination; the foreknowledge of God; and the existence of evil. She insisted that "Our Lord wants us to know" about God's unconditional love, mercy, and grace; about the godly will at the very core of our being; about the lack of "wrath or blame" in God. These are themes that are often picked up in modern day theology.

God as Mother

Interestingly, a prominent aspect of Julian's writing is her description of God as Mother: "As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother," underscoring her conviction of God's unconditional love of humanity. "I understand three ways of contemplating motherhood in God. The first is the foundation of our nature's creation; the second is his taking of our nature, where the motherhood of grace begins; the third is the motherhood at work... and it is all one love."

This aspect of her work would not have set her apart in the Middle Ages. Medieval spiritual writers most often associated feminine imagery with the second person of the Trinity, identified with Holy Wisdom (Sophia), a trait specifically attached to the person of Jesus at the time. What separates Julian is that she attaches the feminine (Wisdom) to all members of the Holy Trinity, rather than just Jesus. "...the deep wisdom of the Trinity is our Mother, and the great love of the Trinity is our Lord".

A Modern Voice from Medieval Times

Though unorthodox in her day, Julian is heralded by modern day religious commentators as offering clarity of vision and precision in her theological presentation. She writes with a mix of warm sympathy, tempered with realism of the vagaries of life. As she noted in Chapter 68: "He [Christ] did not say, 'You shall not be perturbed, you shall not be troubled, you shall not be distressed', but he said, 'You shall not be overcome.'"

Contemporary Female Mystics

Her importance is underlined by the fact that she was one of a rare cadre of female mystics spanning more than 200 years of the Middle Ages. It's a roll of honour that includes figures such as the abbess Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), who wrote almost two hundred years before Julian, but who was also renowned for her visions of the divine and her writings. Then there is St Catherine of Siena, (1347-1380) was an Italian mystic, a contemporary of Julian. However, St Catherine was an activist, and Doctor of the Church, known for her deep faith, extensive writings, and political influence, particularly in bringing the papacy back to Rome. Her life was marked by a strong devotion to the Eucharist, and a commitment to serving the poor and sick, as well as being a respected diplomat.

Then there is the tragic Marguerite Porete (1250-1310) called a Beguine because she was a member of the Beguine movement, a group of laywomen in the Middle Ages who lived lives of spiritual devotion and performed acts of charity without taking formal religious vows or joining a formal religious order. She likely lived as an itinerant Beguine, dedicating herself to mystical contemplation and writing spiritual texts in the vernacular, eventually leading to her condemnation and execution for heresy by ecclesiastical authorities. Mechthild of Magdeburg (1207-1282), was another Beguine who wrote about divine love in the vernacular. These women, often from various social strata, gained spiritual authority through their profound experiences and writings, though their visions sometimes required validation by male clergy. Although they were spiritual authorities, these women mystics often relied on male figures in the Church - such as priests or confessors - to help record and validate their experiences, especially if they were illiterate. Many women experienced divine visions, with some, like Hildegard, having these experiences from a young age, but because Beguines refused to commit to a religious order, their lives were at times difficult and at odds with religious clergy.

Death and Legacy

Julian is thought to have died around 1416 and while her original manuscript has been lost, thanks to the work of 20th century translator Grace Warrack, her writings remain accessible. Today, only seventeenth century copies of earlier manuscripts of the long text, and fragments from the fifteenth century survive.

Equally, virtually nothing is left of the original cell where Julian lived and prayed, authored her book, and ministered to those who came to her window. In the 1950s the cell was reconstructed, along with the church which had been destroyed during WWII bombardment. The reconstructed cell serves as the Julian Shrine, a place of pilgrimage and prayer. Next door to the church the Julian Centre, run by the Friends of Julian, offers hospitality, a library, and a bookshop, and the All Hallows Guesthouse ministers to pilgrims.

Biographical Timeline

• c. 1342-1343: Born, likely in Norwich, England. Her birth name is unknown.
• 1348-1350: Survives the Black Death, which devastates Norwich and shapes her theological outlook.
• May 13, 1373: At age 30, suffers a near-fatal illness and receives 16 mystical visions of Christ's Passion. Julian was lying on, what was thought at the time, to be her deathbed when suddenly she saw Christ bleeding in front of her.
• c. 1373-1375: Composes the Short Text of her visions, known as Showings or Revelations of Divine Love.
• c. 1388-1398: Expands her work into the Long Text, offering deeper theological reflection.
• c. 1413: Visited by Margery Kempe, who records Julian's wise and gentle guidance.
• After 1416: Dies; exact date unknown. Her writings survive in manuscript form.

Legacy Notes

• Revelations of Divine Love is the earliest known English-language book by a woman. The Revelations of Divine Love comes to us in two versions; the first (the short text) written shortly after the revelation given to Julian, the second (the long text) written twenty years later. The long text is greatly expanded to include her meditations on what she had been shown.
• Julian recounts that she was thirty and a half years old when she received her visions and this is how we know that she was born in 1342. (A scribe editor to one of the surviving manuscripts speaks of her as a 'devout woman, who is a recluse at Norwich, and still alive, A.D. 1413'). There is further evidence to be found in a contemporary will that she was alive in 1416, and that she had a maid who lived in a room next to the cell. Apart from that, we know nothing else about Julian's life.
• However, reading Revelations of Divine Love, reveals an intelligent, sensitive, and very down-to-earth woman who maintains her trust in God's goodness whilst addressing doubt, fear, and deep theological questions.
• Famous for her radical hope: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."
• Honoured on May 13th in many Christian traditions, though never formally canonised.