Under these circumstances, what Julian is tossing around in her mind here makes sense. Punishment for sin was much prevalent in that culture than the idea of forgiveness. Seriously, they did anything they could to avoid burning in the fires of Hell for all eternity. By any means necessary.Ĭhristians of the Middle Ages got baptized, attended mass, and perhaps even payed for prayers or purchased indulgences. Foremost in people's minds during this time was staying far, far away from that too-hot place. We wouldn't be surprised if graphic images of Hell are the first things that pop into your head when you think about Christianity in the Middle Ages. But it's all good, because Jesus will forgive you.

In it, he recounts perhaps the most significant spiritual truth she learns from her visions: that sin is necessary. This passage represents Major Revelation Time for Julian. She did not voyage out and mingle out in the world. After experiencing her visions, she became an anchoress, which means she lived for the rest of her life in a very small cell attached to a Church. And then she meditated on it for twenty years, all before revising that original text into what's known as 'the Long Text.' Soon after her visions, she wrote what is referred to as the 'the Short Text' of her Revelation. At least, in Julian's opinion, likely her illness caused her to have a series of sixteen visions of Jesus. She was literate.īut when she was just thirty years old, Julian fell deathly ill.

Quite an accomplishment, don't you think?Īnd, unlike Margery Kempe-a contemporary of Julian's-Julian received an education. She is commonly credited with being the first known female English writer. Julian of Norwich is considered one of the great mystic writers of the Medieval Period. But Jesus, that in this vision informed me of all that me needeth, answered by this word and said: Sin is behovely, but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.' (Chapter 27) This stering was mikel to be forsaken, and nevertheless mourning and sorrow I made therfore without reason and discretion. 'And methought if sin had not been, we should all have been clean and like to our Lord as He made us and thus, in my folly, before this time often I wondered why by the great foreseeing wisdom of God the beginning of sin was not letted for then, thought I, should have been well.

Julian of norwich revelations