Juliana of Norwich

The biographical details of Juliana’s life may be obscure—even her name is uncertain—but her text, Revelations of a Divine Love, is a landmark of medieval mysticism and theological literature in general. In 1373, suffering from an acute illness, she experienced a healing vision of Christ and the Virgin. Twenty years later, she wrote the Revelations, a meditation on the compassion and joy of God’s love. Her optimistic perspective on Christian faith found a ready audience and she became a counselor whose advice was sought on spiritual matters. She lived as a recluse at Saint Julian’s Church in Norwich.