Editions of Julian’s work.

1. Fr. John-Julian, OJN. A Lesson of Love: The Revelations of Julian of Norwich, ed. and trans. for devotional use, 2nd ed. iUniverse, 2003. The presentation of this very fine translation into “sense lines” is a great aid to the reader in understanding Julian’s complex theology; in this new edition, the text is also divided into daily readings

2. M. L. del Mastro. The Revelation of Divine Love Made to Dame Julian of Norwich. (Triumph Books) Liguori, 1994. This translation gives a slight feminist slant to Julian; some readers find the modern idiom helps in grasping Julian’s perceptions.

3. Nicholas Watson and Jacqueline Jenkins. The Writings of Julian of Norwich: A Vision Showed to a Devout Woman and A Revelation of Love. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006. Both the Short and Long text in Middle English, an analytic edition of the Short Text being printed underneath the Long Text; facing-page explanatory notes plus translations of difficult words and phrases, cross references and citations; textual endnotes; various appendices. Despite the compactness of the presentation, the edition is very user-friendly.

Commentaries on Julian’s work.

4. Robert Llewelyn, With Pity Not With Blame: The Spirituality of Julian of Norwich and the Cloud of Unknowing for Today, 3rd ed. Darton Longman & Todd, 1994. A sensitive study by the former Chaplain of the Julian Shrine.

5. _________, “Julian Then and Now: The Mercy and Forgiveness of God”, the 1997 Julian Day lecture. Beautiful and simple presentation of Julian’s radical theology of Love (pamphlet).

6. Sheila Upjohn. Why Julian Now? Eerdmans, 1997. A searching commentary on the applicability of Julian’s writing to our times; an excellent preliminary to reading the text itself.

7. Grace Jantzen. Julian of Norwich: Mystic and Theologian. Paulist Press, 1999, 2nd ed. A very thorough study. The introductory essay in the new edition takes up the question “what is involved in being an anchorite in modern times” and is very thought-provoking.

8. Christopher Abbott. Julian of Norwich: Autobiography and Theology. D. S. Brewer, 1999. Explores the relationship between Julian’s predicament as a writer who must derive her authority from experience rather than ecclesiastical office; and the precise character of her theology as it issues from that predicament.

9. Frederick C. Bauerschmidt. Julian of Norwich and the Mystical Body Politic of Christ. Univ. of Notre Dame Press, 1999. A reading of Julian which brings into the foreground Julian’s images of Christ’s body and the lord and the servant parable as ways of understanding God through the human community—how can Julian’s theology be put into action.

10. Denise Baker. Julian of Norwich’s Showings: From Vision to Book. Princeton University Press, 1994. The development of Julian’s theology; good study of Julian’s treatment of evil.

11. Paul Molinari. Julian of Norwich: The Teaching of a 14th Century Mystic. Longmans, 1959. Particularly good on relating Julian’s intuitions as a mystic to the formulated doctrines of the Church.

On the Life of an Anchorite (as Julian was, a solitary vowed religious)

12. Anne Savage and Nicholas Watson (trans.). Anchoritic Spirituality: Ancrene Wisse and Associated Works. Paulist Press, 1991. The Ancrene Wisse (or Ancrene Riwle) was most likely the Rule which Julian herself followed. The general introduction to this book is very valuable.