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122 reviews for:
The Revelation of Divine Love in Sixteen Showings Made to Dame Julian of Norwich
M.L. del Mastro, Julian of Norwich
3.93 AVERAGE
122 reviews for:
The Revelation of Divine Love in Sixteen Showings Made to Dame Julian of Norwich
M.L. del Mastro, Julian of Norwich
3.93 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
"And I saw quite certainly in this and in everything that God loved us before he made us; and his love has never diminished and never shall. And all of his works were done in this love; and in this love he has made everything for our profit; and in this love our life is everlasting."
I don't know what sort of criteria one should use to rate this book, so I'm not going to attempt it. I approached it from the perspective of an agnostic leaning towards atheist, and I came out of my reading experience realizing that the reason I was so unshakably stuck in this position, unable to even consider the possibility of personal belief, is because I was looking at faith in the wrong way. The conservative God of the political right-wing and the forced church attendance of my childhood were never going to have any spiritual impact on me. But a God of love, discovered on my own terms, could and would.
Thinking of God as existing -- not in epistemological terms but in spiritual terms -- in human manifestations of love (family, friends, and the man Jesus) had a powerful effect. So many times, Julian would mention that sin and times of suffering only exist to help bring the sufferer into the fold of God's love, which is stronger and outlasts all suffering. It has been a miserable year for me and I picked this book up not understanding why I did. As I read it, I felt my anxiety relax -- this while standing in the bookstore on a browse trip, even before the realization that a part of me might be susceptible to actual, genuine belief.
I still believe that faith or lack of faith is a highly personal feeling, so it is not something I plan to talk about too much beyond this review. But I will say that personally, I didn't realize how much of an impact this book and #22 in particular had on me:
For although the dear humanity of Christ could only suffer once, his goodness makes him always ready to do so again; he would do it every day if it were possible; and if he said that for love of me he would make new heavens and a new earth, it would be but little in comparison, for he could do this every day if he so wished, without any hardship; but to offer to die for love of me so often that the number of times passes human comprehension, that is the most glorious present that our Lord God could make to a man's soul, it seems to me.
Until I went to church willingly this morning for the first time in years, just to see if it felt differently, and it was so moving to be there after internalizing all of these things (maybe even believing them for once in a rare while) that I almost cried.
Time will tell if this reaction stands. Being naturally skeptical, I'm sort of inclined to chalk up these new feelings to Julian's hypnotically lovely prose rather than any real faith. But again, as I type this and think about the book, my usually tense body is calm. So I don't know.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
I’m more of a Simone Weil stan. My rating reflects that this book wasn’t written for wretches such as myself
An excellent edition for those who want to read Julian primarily for devotional purposes.
Julian’s ideas of motherhood, fatherly goodness, and home as a place of natural love and comfort are the clear filters for her vision and the parameters of her interpretation. There is both beauty and flaws of her vision through these screens of perception. Reading her vision and knowing her screen of perception still
Adds valuable understanding of the Devine. However, if these screens were not in a persons experience, the conclusions she attains are more convoluted to understand.
Adds valuable understanding of the Devine. However, if these screens were not in a persons experience, the conclusions she attains are more convoluted to understand.
2.25 stars
Had to read this for class and I know that getting into this book will be talking mostly about the philosophy of religion. And while I'm not against religious books, I'm not into philosophical books (I always struggled with philosophy) so I did not get much out of it. But the author's visions was something interesting that I was curious in reading because she first got them when she was severely ill and it is impressive that she was able to write those visions clearly. Other than that I was just pushing my way through the audiobook while following the text for the sake of my class and I think I did not read enough Medieval texts in order to get more out of the book.
Had to read this for class and I know that getting into this book will be talking mostly about the philosophy of religion. And while I'm not against religious books, I'm not into philosophical books (I always struggled with philosophy) so I did not get much out of it. But the author's visions was something interesting that I was curious in reading because she first got them when she was severely ill and it is impressive that she was able to write those visions clearly. Other than that I was just pushing my way through the audiobook while following the text for the sake of my class and I think I did not read enough Medieval texts in order to get more out of the book.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
At times theologically shaky, but nonetheless a rich and encouraging text. I’ve apparently been reading this for six months and a day (so slow…), during which my life has undergone some crazy, Spirit-led twists and turns. Still not entirely sure why I’ve ended up where I am. Somehow Julian’s words always found me at just the right moments despite all that. So perhaps it was alright that I took my own slowpoke time getting through this one. Julian makes me feel less of an oddball in experiencing God in very sensory, emotional ways, both in the times of immense joy and in the harrowing depths of spiritual warfare. Her attentiveness to the Spirit and passionate, poetic faith are quite inspiring. I’ll definitely be returning to these words to glean more as I wander round this pilgrimage world.
Thank you to Dr. Kriner for recommending this particular translation to me all those months ago! I appreciated how it was readable but not too easily accessible. The slight language barrier forced me to pay attention and really chew on the more strangely phrased sentences, something I think Julian would have been pleased to know.
Thank you to Dr. Kriner for recommending this particular translation to me all those months ago! I appreciated how it was readable but not too easily accessible. The slight language barrier forced me to pay attention and really chew on the more strangely phrased sentences, something I think Julian would have been pleased to know.
This fair, lovely word 'mother' is so sweet and so kind in itself that it cannot truly be said of anyone or to anyone except of him and to him who is the true mother of life and of all things. (131)
I am not a religious person, but Julian's writing inspired a desire for me to consider God a little more than I do. Needless to say, her rhetoric proves exquisite because of its simple humility and honesty. She knows how to write well and craft enticing language. Although (or because of being) an anchoress, she proves a radical woman of the early modern era because of this writing and her controversial imaginings of Christ (as our mother). I am in awe of Julian's Revelations of Divine Love, and I think everyone, religious or not, should read it. Her words effortlessly give comfort.
all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
I am not a religious person, but Julian's writing inspired a desire for me to consider God a little more than I do. Needless to say, her rhetoric proves exquisite because of its simple humility and honesty. She knows how to write well and craft enticing language. Although (or because of being) an anchoress, she proves a radical woman of the early modern era because of this writing and her controversial imaginings of Christ (as our mother). I am in awe of Julian's Revelations of Divine Love, and I think everyone, religious or not, should read it. Her words effortlessly give comfort.
all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.