The medieval mystic Julian of Norwich is a devotional favorite of mine. I will soon be offering short meditations on her work, with breath prayers to carry you through your day, along with presentations and retreats that you can book for your church or group. Posts about her writing on my Home page are tagged “Julian of Norwich” so that you can find them easily. And below are some excellent resources to aid your exploration; this list will continue to grow, especially as the 650th anniversary of Julian’s experience of the “revelations of divine love” approaches in 2023.
Julian of Norwich website, curated by the Friends of Julian and the staff of St. Julian’s Church in Norwich, UK.
Julian of Norwich Facebook page, administered by Veronica Mary Wolf, who researches and writes about Julian.
(Episcopal) Fr. David Simmons, Love Was His Meaning, short expositions of Julian’s Revelations along with Daily Office scripture and prayers, by Fr. David Simmons
Fr. John-Julian, OJN, ed. and trans. The Complete Julian of Norwich. Paraclete Giants. Brewster, MA: Paraclete, 2009. The Long Text of the Showings, with many notes and lots of supplemental information and discussion.
Frykholm, Amy. Julian of Norwich. Brewster, MA: Paraclete, 2010. Creative biography that helps us imagine Julian’s life.
Hall, Amy Laura. Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2018. Explorations of some of Julian’s key insights–more personal and accessible than you might expect from a university press publication.
MacKenzie, Victoria. For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain. London: Bloomsbury, 2023. An inspired novel alternating between the voices of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe, English mystics who met each other (on Julian’s porch!) near the end of Julian’s life. The voices are very different, reflecting contrasting personalities and ways of life in medieval England, yet these women’s shared passion for God draws them close.
Poleg, Eyal. Approaching the Bible in Medieval England. Manchester Medieval Studies. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 2013. This one is quite academic, and it doesn’t refer specifically to Julian, but it’s fascinating if you’re interested in what Julian might have known of the Bible, given that she did not read or write Latin.
Wolf, Veronica Mary. An Explorer’s Guide to Julian of Norwich. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018. A great help for understanding Julian’s writings within their historical context.
Ruth Goring 