Julian of Norwich: A Contemplative Biography
Though she is one of the most influential figures in the history of medieval spirituality, remarkably little is known about mystic and writer Julian of Norwich - even her very name and whether she was a laywoman or a nun are uncertain. The author (Rapture Culture) attempts to supplement the reader's knowledge of the solitary Julian by placing the mystic's writing in the context of the vibrant, disease-ridden, and often violent life of 14th-century England. Each chapter is opened by a sentence from Julian's Revelations of Divine Love, the first book to be written in the English language by a woman. That seminal book becomes a focal point to narrate Julian's apparently evolving understanding of her inner life, her place in the broader social and religious movements of the time, and her relationship with those who sought her advice as a spiritual counselor. While the writer does a nice job of imagining a life for Julian, this book may be difficult for readers who prefer their facts footnoted, rather than implied between the lines.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.