Julian of Norwich

Julian of Norwich was a Catholic anchoress who is estimated to have lived from 1342 to 1416. Although her name is unknown, she is referred to as Julian of Norwich because she became an anchoress at St. Julian’s church in Norwich, England. An anchoress (male term is anchorite) is a person who was shut into a cell of their own free will. They pledged themselves to a life of servitude and contemplative prayer. As they were interred, they would be given their last rites as recognition that they had undergone a type of death by entering into the cell and that they would never leave. These cells were often attached to a church so that the anchoress could partake in the services with everyone else. They also commonly had a window to the outside where local people would come to seek advice and wisdom from the anchoress during appointed hours.

As an anchoress, Julian also wrote extensively for a woman of her time writing The Revelations of Divine Love , the first recorded work written in English by a woman. Julian of Norwich wrote this text as a response to visions she experienced while she was very sick at the age of 30. The book is broken down into 16 chapters based on the 16 visions she experienced. Each one attempts to impart spiritual wisdom and new understanding of God to the reader. She first wrote the "short text" of this book which is a much-abbreviated version of the "long text" which expanded on her ideas. She explains each of her ideas very clearly while honoring her emotional experiences of her visions. Julian would pray that she would be struck down by some disease so that she could go back to God, and she also prayed that she would be able to go back to the foot of the cross where Jesus was crucified and watch the scene unfold with Mary Magdalene and the disciples.

As a rhetor, Julian of Norwich employed very persuasive writing and creative imagery in her work to show how visceral her visions were and also how intensely she felt the emotions of awe and adoration for God. She specifically refers to Christ as the "mother" which is a departure from traditional church doctrine. She also challenges the story of Genesis holding Adam more responsible for original sin. These revolutionary ideas are contrasted with Julian's devotion to the church as a figure of respect and prominence. Many speculate that her works were only circulated posthumously so she was able to avoid large scale criticism from the church while she was alive. She would also use rhetorical devices to cow to the church such as referring to herself as unlearned at the beginning of her work. Her "long text" was kept alive and transcribed by nuns in Paris in Cambria. As a result, the text has been preserved for modern readers. She is most famous for her claim "alle maner of thyng shalle be wele" or "all shall be well."