On Wednesday, February 10th, Dr. Godelinde Gertrude Perk gives a talk titled “Beginningles Remaking in Julian of Norwich’s Vernacular Theology” via Zoom at 4PM GMT. For details, please contact pusey.chapel@stx.ox.ac.uk

Beginningless remaking in Julian of Norwich’s vernacular theology
Vernacular theologian Julian of Norwich, (c. 1343 – c. 1416) devoted much of her adult life to revising the account of her visionary experience; the earlier, shorter Vision Showed to a Devout Woman and the later, longer Revelation of Love both bear witness to incessant reviewing of form and content. Reading these revisions alongside anchoritic liturgy, I argue that both how Julian’s text and thought evolve, and that they evolve constitute “dissimilar similarities”. These are similitudes like and unlike the celestial glory they image — a paradox earlier theorized by the Pseudo-Dionysius — of the beginningless, maternal remaking Julian ascribes to Christ.