Julian of Norwich (1342-early 1400’s) was a religious mystic (person who claims to have knowledge or awareness of things beyond ordinary human experience). She is famous for her book Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love, in which she described 16 religious visions. She is also known as Juliana of Norwich.
Julian claimed to have had her visions in 1373. She experienced the visions after being healed of a serious illness on May 13 of that year. The visions revealed to her the sufferings of Jesus Christ and of the Virgin Mary. The book was first published in 1670, some 250 years after her death. It ranks among the most remarkable documents of religious experience produced during the Middle Ages. Sixteen Revelations explores such topics as predestination, the foreknowledge of God, and the existence of evil. The book has been praised for its clarity, sincerity, and beauty of expression.
Little is known of Julian of Norwich’s life. She was probably born in Norwich, England. She was probably a Benedictine nun and spent the latter part of her life as an anchoret (hermit) near St. Julian’s Church, Norwich.
