I created this video using photographs that Fran and I took in Norwich, along with a few book covers and a wonderful photo of the stained glass of Julian in Norwich Cathedral, used by permission of the photographer.
It’s just a brief little introduction to who Julian is, and why she matters. Less than 3 minutes long. Hope you enjoy it. And please, share it far and wide!
The books that are featured in the video are two of my favorite contemporary language translations of Julian:
Revelations of Divine Love translated by M. L. Del Mastro
The Showings of Julian of Norwich translated by Mirabai Starr (also available on the Kindle)
Other translations I enjoy include John Skinner’s Revelation of Love and Halcyon Backhouse’s Revelation of Divine Love.
So if you aren’t familiar with Julian, consider getting one of those books. Like I say in the video, Julian is meant to be read prayerfully and slowly. Read it like you are reading poetry. Listen for the silence between the words.
In some places Julian can be challenging to read, because of her medieval emphasis on Christ’s suffering and trauma (maybe it’s appropriate reading for Holy Week, though) — if that kind of explicit description of the crucifixion is painful or difficult for you to read, try to persevere with Julian. Most of the time she emphasizes Christ’s love and joy — and even when she talks about his suffering, she does so in the sense of “he loves us so much he willingly suffered for us.”
Incidentally, if you are interested in reading an excellent introductory book on Julian, check out a wonderful book that will be published in June 2018: An Explorer’s Guide to Julian of Norwich by Veronica Mary Rolf. I had the privilege of reading the book in a pre-publication copy, and it’s quite a good overview of Julian, her life and her times (and for a more in-depth study of Julian, check out Rolf’s first book, Julian’s Gospel).
