For Living Resurrected Lives; What it Means and Why it Matters
co-authored by Eva Natanya PhD (Cascade Books, 2020)
“The case for the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and the bodily resurrection of those who live by faith in him, is presented with clarity and conviction. What it means to believe in the resurrection of the body in the twenty-first century, and to live as those who believe it, is unfolded with gentle erudition, heartfelt passion, and practical wisdom. This labor of love will touch hearts and minds for the better.” --John Saxbee, former Bishop of Lincoln, United Kingdom
“This is a rooted, readable, entertaining, and encyclopaedic resurrection tour de force, guiding us through antiquity, Scriptures, the church fathers, and the schoolmen to forensically examine their take on the subject. Rolf, an upbeat apologist for the resurrection, intelligently demolishes the views of demythologizing scholars, with Natanya’s Ignatian-style meditations on the Gospel narratives enabling the reader to see their every moment as resurrectable. An Easter treasure trove to cheer every Good Friday.” --David Wilbourne, Honorary Assistant Bishop of York
“Living Resurrected Lives combines insightful scholarship and practical spiritual wisdom to unpack the meaning of Christ’s resurrection—showing how the promise and possibility of eternal life can bring joy and meaning to our lives today. It will open your mind and nurture your heart.” --Carl McColman, author of Unteachable Lessons and The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
For Suddenly There Is God: The Story of Our Lives in Sacred Scripture (Cascade Books, 2019)
“Good literature introduces you to yourself. These insightful reflections do just that. Clear and compassionate. This book belongs on your coffee table where your friends and your children can chance upon it. Veronica Mary Rolf is a trustworthy mentor.”
—Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, President, Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas, and author of The Holy Longing
“Suddenly There is God is deeply scholarly, deeply accessible, deeply faithful, deeply scriptural, deeply poetic, deeply personal, deeply integrated, deeply readable, deeply converting, deeply catholic, and deeply connecting. For thirty years I have been selecting and forming people for ordination; if all they did was to read and digest this soigné book, their ministry and spirituality would be remarkable, and their sermons absolutely stunning!”
—David Wilbourne, Honorary Assistant Bishop of York
“Martin Buber said that the Bible is not a theology for us but an anthropology for God. With insightful interpretation of the texts, Veronica Mary Rolf shows us that it is an anthropology for us as well, revealing how God deals with humanity, from biblical characters to our own lives.”
—Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ, Fischer Professor of New Testament, Emerita, Brite Divinity School
"Veronica Mary Rolf has become known to readers of Christian spirituality through two excellent books on Julian of Norwich. She has now gifted us with a powerful book of meditations on scripture themes. Throughout, she uses the stories and insights of scripture to illuminate our everyday lives. The principle ways she does this is by using a developmental approach. The Creation narratives are explored in tandem with our own entry into the world. The wonder of coming to be, of course, is something we only gradually come to realize over a lifetime. Following chapters take us through the Fall (Broken Trust) and adolescence (the Flood.) Forgiveness comes towards the end of the book as it takes maturity to learn forgiveness. Late maturity is connected with self-giving. The opening chapter is sort of like a literary Big Bang as the wonder of our being unfolds in Rolf's powerful and poetic prose. This sense of wonder takes many turns through the various struggles in life with its pains and the challenge of commitment and life's pains teach us how hard the trust of commitment can be. By the end of the book (Resurrection) we have had a lifetime's worth of strengthening that we can put to use for the rest of the days given us. For anyone looking for a book on spirituality, this book should be at the lop of the list. Highly recommended."
—Andrew Marr, author and Abbot of St. Gregory's Benedictine Monastery, Three Rivers, Michigan
For An Explorer's Guide to Julian of Norwich (InterVarsity Academic Press, 2018):
In this exquisite book, scholar of medieval studies Rolf (Julian’s Gospel) introduces medieval mystic and Christian theologian Julian of Norwich in all her astonishing brightness. The quote “all shall be well” is popular on bracelets and inspirational cards, but rarely given the context intended by its original author, Julian. Mary argues that Julian’s 16 mystical revelations (or “shewings”) from Christ should be studied alongside Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales—not least because she was the first woman to write a book (let alone a spiritual autobiography) in the English language. Rolf guides readers through the English Peasant Revolts, the Hundred Years’ War, the Great Papal Schism, and the Great Plague’s destruction of one-third of human life on Earth to establish the political and ecological collapse in which Julian prays and writes. She makes her case for why Julian was probably the daughter of a cloth merchant, educated in the public system of the time, and likely a mother and wife whose husband and child had died. Julian’s remarkable visions with Christ as mother, birthing his children, and the intricate cosmos revealed to her as a “common hazelnut” carry explosive spiritual power. Rolf plumbs Julian’s spiritual audacity in this must-read for those interested in medieval Christianity and literature. -- "Starred Review" in Publishers Weekly, June, 2018
Those of us who have been living with Julian's writings for a number of decades have good cause to be deeply grateful for the work of Veronica Mary Rolf (her book Julian's Gospel published by Orbis in 2013 has become a classic). An Explorer's Guide contextualizes Revelations of Divine Love succinctly yet by no means superficially. The author has a happy gift of knowing her readers' questions before they are asked; she is a trustworthy and profoundly reliable guide. She illuminates God's revelations to Julian and then digs more deeply into Julian's central themes. Her book closes with a chapter on developing a retreat centered on Julian's writings. -- Review in Magistra, Summer, 2018
Rolf wrote “The Guide” at the invitation of her publisher, InterVarsity Academic Press, to lead a young audience to understand Julian’s life and to put her writings in a historical and theological context. “The Guide” is also excellent for readers of every age who want to begin a companionship with Julian. This extraordinary woman lived during the Hundred Years War and survived the Great Plague, which devastated Julian’s community and probably her family as well. When she was near death at the age of 30, she experienced visions of Christ on the cross that answered her burning questions about sin, suffering and salvation. She meditated on and wrote about these “Revelations,” seeking understanding for the rest of her life. . . .
Rolf focuses on how the mystical dimension can illuminate our faith, if we allow it to do so. As a longtime teacher of Christian meditation, her mission is to bring the mystical experience into our lives today through the practice of contemplative prayer. Rolf even offers a chapter on making a retreat with Julian’s Revelations. . . . Julian’s message is one of confirmation and affirmation. That is why she is so relevant to our times.” Women have joined men on the mystical path for centuries, but now is a time particularly in need of a woman’s perspective. Julian’s voice speaks to us across 600 years. It is a voice we need to hear. -- Liz Dossa, Review in Catholic San Francisco, 7/12/18
For what Rolf has set out to do, namely, to guide the reader through the important elements of Julian's world and thought to bring to life this classic text for the lay reader, she has succeeded. The reader desiring to navigate Julian's text for the first time, to seek God's presence through it, and to engage the challenges and biggest questions of a life of faith will find in Rolf a knowledgeable, personable, inspiring and faithful guide. -- Brian Dant, Review in Reading Religion, 11/2/18
“With an encyclopedic knowledge unfolded with the lightest of touches in a beautiful, soigné text, Veronica Mary Rolf enables us to travel back in time and vividly inhabit Julian’s fourteenth-century Norwich as well as her remarkable life and writings. Rolf’s guide is so brilliant that when we reluctantly return to our equally troubled twenty-first century, Julian travels with us and intimately inhabits and transforms our world and outlook. Stunning, unforgettable, and life changing.”
-- Right Reverend David Wilbourne, Honorary Assistant Bishop of York, England
"Rolf’s work is more than an informative guide by an expert in Julian scholarship. The reader begins to feel the heartbeat of this great mystic as the author works around key texts and highlights choice quotations. This could only have come from someone who is intimately acquainted with her. Whether one is a first-time or seasoned explorer, this book will not disappoint." -- Simon Chan, PhD, Earnest Lau Professor of Systematic Theology and Dean of Studies at Trinity Theological College, Singapore
"Veronica Mary Rolf skillfully reveals the historical significance and contemporary relevance of Julian of Norwich. In our renewed interest in the writings of Christian spirituality, Lady Julian can instruct us in the centrality of the Trinity, the nature of sin and grace, God’s providence, and suffering and prayer. Rolf serves as a wise and gentle guide to illuminate both first time and seasoned readers. This book is deeply learned and highly practical." -- Tom Schwanda, PhD, Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry at Wheaton College, Illinois
"Taking on the role of tour guide, Veronica Mary Rolf leads us on an engaging, vivid, and historically rich journey with Julian of Norwich. A figure both familiar and mystifying, Julian comes into view with gentle clarity through Rolf's accessible and deeply researched voice. I highly recommend this book to spiritual seekers, retreat leaders, and scholars alike."
-- Jennifer Davidson, PhD, Associate Professor of Theology & Worship, American Baptist Seminary of the West, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA
"Julian of Norwich is among the most radiant of Christian mystics. The radiance is all the brighter for Julian's frankness in questioning the darkness she experienced in her culture and in herself in a deeply troubled time. The unequivocal and insatiable love of God for all his creatures rings in her words throughout her book. Veronica Mary Rolf is a scholar with a deep heart that probes the mysteries Julian probes and uses her historical and textual research to shed clarity and light on Julian's teaching that speaks to our own time with increasing urgency." -- Andrew Marr, OSB, Abbot of St. Gregory's Abbey in Three Rivers, Michigan
"Julian of Norwich is an underappreciated gem—she belongs alongside Augustine and Aquinas as one of the greatest of Christian spiritual guides. Thanks to Veronica Mary Rolf, the life and teachings of this great mystic are more accessible than ever. An Explorer’s Guide to Julian of Norwich offers a clear and insightful introduction to Julian, one of the treasures of our faith." -- Carl McColman, author of Befriending Silence and Answering the Contemplative Call
co-authored by Eva Natanya PhD (Cascade Books, 2020)
“The case for the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and the bodily resurrection of those who live by faith in him, is presented with clarity and conviction. What it means to believe in the resurrection of the body in the twenty-first century, and to live as those who believe it, is unfolded with gentle erudition, heartfelt passion, and practical wisdom. This labor of love will touch hearts and minds for the better.” --John Saxbee, former Bishop of Lincoln, United Kingdom
“This is a rooted, readable, entertaining, and encyclopaedic resurrection tour de force, guiding us through antiquity, Scriptures, the church fathers, and the schoolmen to forensically examine their take on the subject. Rolf, an upbeat apologist for the resurrection, intelligently demolishes the views of demythologizing scholars, with Natanya’s Ignatian-style meditations on the Gospel narratives enabling the reader to see their every moment as resurrectable. An Easter treasure trove to cheer every Good Friday.” --David Wilbourne, Honorary Assistant Bishop of York
“Living Resurrected Lives combines insightful scholarship and practical spiritual wisdom to unpack the meaning of Christ’s resurrection—showing how the promise and possibility of eternal life can bring joy and meaning to our lives today. It will open your mind and nurture your heart.” --Carl McColman, author of Unteachable Lessons and The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
For Suddenly There Is God: The Story of Our Lives in Sacred Scripture (Cascade Books, 2019)
“Good literature introduces you to yourself. These insightful reflections do just that. Clear and compassionate. This book belongs on your coffee table where your friends and your children can chance upon it. Veronica Mary Rolf is a trustworthy mentor.”
—Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, President, Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas, and author of The Holy Longing
“Suddenly There is God is deeply scholarly, deeply accessible, deeply faithful, deeply scriptural, deeply poetic, deeply personal, deeply integrated, deeply readable, deeply converting, deeply catholic, and deeply connecting. For thirty years I have been selecting and forming people for ordination; if all they did was to read and digest this soigné book, their ministry and spirituality would be remarkable, and their sermons absolutely stunning!”
—David Wilbourne, Honorary Assistant Bishop of York
“Martin Buber said that the Bible is not a theology for us but an anthropology for God. With insightful interpretation of the texts, Veronica Mary Rolf shows us that it is an anthropology for us as well, revealing how God deals with humanity, from biblical characters to our own lives.”
—Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ, Fischer Professor of New Testament, Emerita, Brite Divinity School
"Veronica Mary Rolf has become known to readers of Christian spirituality through two excellent books on Julian of Norwich. She has now gifted us with a powerful book of meditations on scripture themes. Throughout, she uses the stories and insights of scripture to illuminate our everyday lives. The principle ways she does this is by using a developmental approach. The Creation narratives are explored in tandem with our own entry into the world. The wonder of coming to be, of course, is something we only gradually come to realize over a lifetime. Following chapters take us through the Fall (Broken Trust) and adolescence (the Flood.) Forgiveness comes towards the end of the book as it takes maturity to learn forgiveness. Late maturity is connected with self-giving. The opening chapter is sort of like a literary Big Bang as the wonder of our being unfolds in Rolf's powerful and poetic prose. This sense of wonder takes many turns through the various struggles in life with its pains and the challenge of commitment and life's pains teach us how hard the trust of commitment can be. By the end of the book (Resurrection) we have had a lifetime's worth of strengthening that we can put to use for the rest of the days given us. For anyone looking for a book on spirituality, this book should be at the lop of the list. Highly recommended."
—Andrew Marr, author and Abbot of St. Gregory's Benedictine Monastery, Three Rivers, Michigan
For An Explorer's Guide to Julian of Norwich (InterVarsity Academic Press, 2018):
In this exquisite book, scholar of medieval studies Rolf (Julian’s Gospel) introduces medieval mystic and Christian theologian Julian of Norwich in all her astonishing brightness. The quote “all shall be well” is popular on bracelets and inspirational cards, but rarely given the context intended by its original author, Julian. Mary argues that Julian’s 16 mystical revelations (or “shewings”) from Christ should be studied alongside Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales—not least because she was the first woman to write a book (let alone a spiritual autobiography) in the English language. Rolf guides readers through the English Peasant Revolts, the Hundred Years’ War, the Great Papal Schism, and the Great Plague’s destruction of one-third of human life on Earth to establish the political and ecological collapse in which Julian prays and writes. She makes her case for why Julian was probably the daughter of a cloth merchant, educated in the public system of the time, and likely a mother and wife whose husband and child had died. Julian’s remarkable visions with Christ as mother, birthing his children, and the intricate cosmos revealed to her as a “common hazelnut” carry explosive spiritual power. Rolf plumbs Julian’s spiritual audacity in this must-read for those interested in medieval Christianity and literature. -- "Starred Review" in Publishers Weekly, June, 2018
Those of us who have been living with Julian's writings for a number of decades have good cause to be deeply grateful for the work of Veronica Mary Rolf (her book Julian's Gospel published by Orbis in 2013 has become a classic). An Explorer's Guide contextualizes Revelations of Divine Love succinctly yet by no means superficially. The author has a happy gift of knowing her readers' questions before they are asked; she is a trustworthy and profoundly reliable guide. She illuminates God's revelations to Julian and then digs more deeply into Julian's central themes. Her book closes with a chapter on developing a retreat centered on Julian's writings. -- Review in Magistra, Summer, 2018
Rolf wrote “The Guide” at the invitation of her publisher, InterVarsity Academic Press, to lead a young audience to understand Julian’s life and to put her writings in a historical and theological context. “The Guide” is also excellent for readers of every age who want to begin a companionship with Julian. This extraordinary woman lived during the Hundred Years War and survived the Great Plague, which devastated Julian’s community and probably her family as well. When she was near death at the age of 30, she experienced visions of Christ on the cross that answered her burning questions about sin, suffering and salvation. She meditated on and wrote about these “Revelations,” seeking understanding for the rest of her life. . . .
Rolf focuses on how the mystical dimension can illuminate our faith, if we allow it to do so. As a longtime teacher of Christian meditation, her mission is to bring the mystical experience into our lives today through the practice of contemplative prayer. Rolf even offers a chapter on making a retreat with Julian’s Revelations. . . . Julian’s message is one of confirmation and affirmation. That is why she is so relevant to our times.” Women have joined men on the mystical path for centuries, but now is a time particularly in need of a woman’s perspective. Julian’s voice speaks to us across 600 years. It is a voice we need to hear. -- Liz Dossa, Review in Catholic San Francisco, 7/12/18
For what Rolf has set out to do, namely, to guide the reader through the important elements of Julian's world and thought to bring to life this classic text for the lay reader, she has succeeded. The reader desiring to navigate Julian's text for the first time, to seek God's presence through it, and to engage the challenges and biggest questions of a life of faith will find in Rolf a knowledgeable, personable, inspiring and faithful guide. -- Brian Dant, Review in Reading Religion, 11/2/18
“With an encyclopedic knowledge unfolded with the lightest of touches in a beautiful, soigné text, Veronica Mary Rolf enables us to travel back in time and vividly inhabit Julian’s fourteenth-century Norwich as well as her remarkable life and writings. Rolf’s guide is so brilliant that when we reluctantly return to our equally troubled twenty-first century, Julian travels with us and intimately inhabits and transforms our world and outlook. Stunning, unforgettable, and life changing.”
-- Right Reverend David Wilbourne, Honorary Assistant Bishop of York, England
"Rolf’s work is more than an informative guide by an expert in Julian scholarship. The reader begins to feel the heartbeat of this great mystic as the author works around key texts and highlights choice quotations. This could only have come from someone who is intimately acquainted with her. Whether one is a first-time or seasoned explorer, this book will not disappoint." -- Simon Chan, PhD, Earnest Lau Professor of Systematic Theology and Dean of Studies at Trinity Theological College, Singapore
"Veronica Mary Rolf skillfully reveals the historical significance and contemporary relevance of Julian of Norwich. In our renewed interest in the writings of Christian spirituality, Lady Julian can instruct us in the centrality of the Trinity, the nature of sin and grace, God’s providence, and suffering and prayer. Rolf serves as a wise and gentle guide to illuminate both first time and seasoned readers. This book is deeply learned and highly practical." -- Tom Schwanda, PhD, Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry at Wheaton College, Illinois
"Taking on the role of tour guide, Veronica Mary Rolf leads us on an engaging, vivid, and historically rich journey with Julian of Norwich. A figure both familiar and mystifying, Julian comes into view with gentle clarity through Rolf's accessible and deeply researched voice. I highly recommend this book to spiritual seekers, retreat leaders, and scholars alike."
-- Jennifer Davidson, PhD, Associate Professor of Theology & Worship, American Baptist Seminary of the West, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA
"Julian of Norwich is among the most radiant of Christian mystics. The radiance is all the brighter for Julian's frankness in questioning the darkness she experienced in her culture and in herself in a deeply troubled time. The unequivocal and insatiable love of God for all his creatures rings in her words throughout her book. Veronica Mary Rolf is a scholar with a deep heart that probes the mysteries Julian probes and uses her historical and textual research to shed clarity and light on Julian's teaching that speaks to our own time with increasing urgency." -- Andrew Marr, OSB, Abbot of St. Gregory's Abbey in Three Rivers, Michigan
"Julian of Norwich is an underappreciated gem—she belongs alongside Augustine and Aquinas as one of the greatest of Christian spiritual guides. Thanks to Veronica Mary Rolf, the life and teachings of this great mystic are more accessible than ever. An Explorer’s Guide to Julian of Norwich offers a clear and insightful introduction to Julian, one of the treasures of our faith." -- Carl McColman, author of Befriending Silence and Answering the Contemplative Call
For Julian's Gospel: Illuminating the Life & Revelations of Julian of Norwich
(Orbis Books, 2013)
"Certainly one of the best books on Julian of Norwich I’ve ever read. With a vast amount of research and a great deal of passion, Veronica Mary Rolf successfully recreates the world of the great mystic, provides careful explanations of Julian’s rich experiences in prayer, and, overall, paints a convincing portrait of one of the most remarkable women ever to have lived—and believed." -- Fr. James Martin, SJ, best-selling author and Editor-at-Large of America: The Jesuit Review
"It is possible that Veronica Mary Rolf’s book will become the definitive work on Julian of Norwich. Her book is a masterpiece of scholarly historical research and amazing theological insight into Julian’s Revelations, one of the classics of medieval spirituality. Rolf appears extremely qualified to undertake the research and writing of this book. She is not affiliated with any specific university but rather works independently as a scholar of medieval studies and comparative literature. She received her formal education at Columbia University. Her work resulted in this amazing book so rich in historical details and spirituality . . .
Rolf’s book is divided into two parts: Part 1: Julian’s Life; Part 2: The Revelations. Rolf does a wonderful job in Part 1 in her reconstruction of Julian’s life from the scant facts Julian revealed about herself in her writings. Historical research in the world of the late fourteenth century gave Rolf the material to rebuild what the life of Julian must have been like. Rolf looks critically at the important events for major influences on Julian’s intellectual and religious life. Rolf leaves no stone unturned in her study of the life, history, mores, and social and literary events to write the biographical section of her book.
The second part of Rolf’s book is devoted to the author’s analysis and interpretation of the Revelations. Rolf’s work includes some of the finest exegetical work that the reviewer has ever read. Since Julian’s words first came to light about a hundred years ago, there has been much critical writing on the Middle English texts of this unique woman mystic. Rolf uses her own new translation of Julian’s words retaining the original words whenever they are more appropriate. Both the Long Text and Short Text, two versions written years apart, are analyzed with many biographic references, making the work personal, yet highly applicable to other readers today. I cannot imagine a better job than what Rolf has accomplished.
The value and significance of these medieval mystical writings is still relevant today basically because of Rolf’s connecting the Revelations to Julian’s life, and by extension, to others. This edition of Julian’s Revelations— her retelling the Gospel story from her unique position — can be much appreciated by modern readers. The classic transcends time and gender. The publisher has spared no expense in producing a book with fine binding, printed on superior quality paper, and even reproducing a portrait of a medieval woman by the fifteenth-century artist Robert Campin on the jacket. As one would expect in a book of such scholarship, there are fine indexes and a bibliography to supplement the text. Rolf’s book is highly recommended for all college and university libraries, especially Catholic."
— Arnold Rzepecki, Editor, Catholic Library World, The Quarterly Journal of the Catholic Library Association
"Just as the Old Testament books weave four sources (J, D, P, and E), Veronica Rolf’s 'Julian’s Gospel' has four strands. The first is a recreation of Julian’s life, read back from her Shewings, speculating on the impact on Julian of the great events that dominated the 14th century in Norwich. . . . The second strand is a detailed and careful analysis of the events that hit Norwich, which, like Saki’s Crete, clearly produced more history than could be consumed locally. Fear of French invasion during the Hundred Years War, fear of being molested by marauding mercenary riffs, fear of Lollardy, fear of the Peasants’ Revolt, fear of the Great Pestilence — all dominated, it seems, every moment, a sheer dread only relieved by colourful Mystery plays. Simon Schama meets Pillars of the Earth: I found it absolutely fascinating.
Rolf's third strand analyses the theological influences on Julian, majoring on the biblical and Patristic rather than Scholastic writings. This again is very detailed and immensely helpful . . . Rolf's final strand is her book's triumph, imaginatively employing history and theology to draw out the significance of Julian's Shewings. I have preached countless sermons on 33 Good Fridays, but the depths Rolf drew out of Julian's conversations with her crucified Lord made me feel as if I hadn't even touched the hem. Nearly every reflection was deeply converting."
— Right Reverend David Wilbourne, Assistant Bishop of Llandaff, Wales, Church Times, the world's leading Anglican newspaper (UK)
"In Julian’s Gospel, Veronica Mary Rolf offers a compelling, thoroughly researched, and lovingly rendered portrait of the elusive fourteenth-century Norwich mystic. According to Rolf, too many studies of Revelations of Love, the first book written by a woman in English, refer only to Julian’s life as an anchoress, claiming that other facets of her life are regrettably undocumented and therefore left only to speculation. Rolf argues in contrast that the full import of Julian’s writings can be truly grasped only by making an effort to encounter the flesh-and-blood woman who received and was converted by these mystical revelations, which she painstakingly laboured to record and expound for future generations. Rolf proposes that much of Julian’s life might in fact be reconstructed on the basis of historical facts, together with hints from the pages of the Revelations themselves. Rolf’s task is to provide a context for Julian’s writings, by examining the political, cultural, and social milieu of Julian’s life, in order to probe her revelations more deeply. . .
Rolf moves in part 2 to a chapter-by-chapter illumination and commentary on Julian’s Revelations. Here, treating original translations of Julian’s text and unpacking Julian’s imagery and characteristic expressions, Rolf’s thought-provoking, multi-layered meditations make Julian’s voice truly come alive. The uncertainty and pain of the world in which Julian lived, the portrayal of God as distant and judgmental, and the predominant derogatory view of the feminine, outlined in part 1, emerge in stark contrast with Julian’s alternative vision. Julian speaks of a God intimately present to us; of Christ’s self-giving compassion and his willingness to suffer even more for us, were it possible; of the significant absence of wrath in God; of God’s promise to make all things well; and of Jesus as our true Mother and the source of all motherly care.
Rolf artfully captures the conviction and passion with which Julian writes. By comparing earlier and later versions of the text, Rolf is able to highlight Julian’s maturation. In contrast to the picture of Julian as effortlessly serene, we come to see that the calmness and confidence of the mature Julian has been attained only after fervent grappling, as a younger woman, with doubts and burning questions. Most successfully, Rolf cites supporting scriptural passages, echoing Julian’s insights, and brings the work of other theologians into the discussion, which helps to reveal Julian’s unique emphases. The result is a spiritually engaging, moving reflection that draws one into a contemplative mode . . . " — Christina Labriola, Toronto University Press: Toronto Journal of Theology, Vol. 30, No. 2, Fall 2014
"Efforts to read [Julian's] Revelations in context have been somewhat restricted by how little we know of Julian’s life. Veronica Mary Rolf’s substantial book represents an effort to circumvent this difficulty by combining an imaginative account of what Julian’s life might have been like (“to discover the woman behind the words”) with an extended commentary on the Long Text of Julian’s Revelations. Rolf contends that “careful investigation into the social, educational, and cultural context, will enable us, by inductive reasoning, to make strong arguments about what her state in life could not have been, and therefore, by implication, to discover what it might actually have been.”
Drawing on a wide-ranging programme of historical and literary research, Rolf provides a vivid and readable account of the times in which Julian lived, one that not infrequently calls to mind the immersive techniques of museum exhibits that aim to re-create the sights, sounds, and even smells of the past. The terror inspired by the Black Death, the hopes and disappointments of the Hundred Years’ War, and loud, jostling scenes of everyday activity in Norwich are imaginatively brought to life in aid of Rolf’s efforts to illuminate Julian’s possible experiences and emotions, and inform her chapter-by-chapter commentary on Julian’s text in the second half of the book. . . . The prizes that her volume has garnered to date indicate that it has already been well-received as a popular introduction to the medieval anchoress and her work. That a new book about Julian should find such an audience speaks to the continuing capacity of her writings to reassure her readers that “al shal be wel, and al shal be wel, and al manner of thyng shal be wele.”
– Prof. Mary C. Flannery, Medievalist and Lecturer in English at the University of Lausanne, London Times Literary Supplement, January 9th, 2015
"Independent scholar Veronica Mary Rolf has written a useful and accessible introduction to the life and theology of the fourteenth-century English mystic, Julian of Norwich. . . Rolf is particularly interested in the many layers of Julian's thought, and how she reconciles her own inner conflicts to transform herself into a visionary. Rolf writes clearly and compellingly. She is a firm believer in the truth of Julian's visions and understands them as supplying the kind of female understanding of the meaning of the Crucifixion that Mary Magdalene might have supplied had she written anything that survived. To Rolf, Julian is a compassionate and generous advisor, concerned that all Christians be able to reap the benefits of Christ's love, yet this theology of hope is not one that Julian holds throughout the entire corpus of her work. Rolf understands Julian as frightened by the deaths of family members, and who only at the end of her life is able to create a theology of hopefulness. . . . This is a useful and thoughtful study that will be a helpful introduction for those unfamiliar with Julian's work."
— Katherine L. French, Professor of History, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, in Theology Today, Princeton Theological Seminary
"There is so little autobiography in Julian’s texts that many speculate about whether she was a nun (probably not) before becoming an anchorite. The genius of Rolf’s profound study is that it takes advantage of the fact that we know a great deal about life in Norwich in the late 14th century. The bubonic plague killed 25 to 35 percent of the population. Based on a textual allusion, Rolf speculates that Julian lost a child to the plague. She writes of motherhood and child-rearing with intimacy and personal knowledge. She was likely a wife and mother. Norwich in Julian’s time knew the Hundred Years War, a peasants’ revolt, the rise of Wycliffe and the Papal Schism. . . Although many contemporary texts on preaching emphasized God’s wrath, Julian’s texts are more about love and forgiveness. In her vision of Jesus dying, his face is blissful, and he says to her, “Where is now any point of thy pain or thy grief? . . . It is a joy, a bliss and endless delight to me that ever I suffered my passion for thee and if I might suffer more, I would suffer more” (362). Contemplating Christ on the cross, Julian never hears him attaching any blame for sin.
In places, Julian’s language is quite original for her time. She asserts that Jesus is our loving mother, ever-compassionate and forgiving toward his children. Christ always views us in the best possible light, no matter what we may think of ourselves. Julian’s famous line (quoted in a poem by T. S. Elliot) reads, “Alle shalle be wele, and alle shalle be wele and alle manner of thing shalle be wele” (383). . . . Rolf is also adept at exegeting the texts of Julian’s revelations. Julian minimized, even broke with, many of the common teachings of late medieval theology. She insists that there is no wrath in God, no disobedience in Adam, and no need for satisfaction to God for sin. As to mysticism, she offers no account of a multistage spiritual journey or ascent, no program of devout practices or penances (except for prayer), and none of the emotional affectivity found in other late medieval mystics. Rolf helps us see Julian’s theology as quite original, perhaps even radical in the truest sense.
Rolf’s lovely meditation on Julian’s mystical revelations has already garnered a series of prizes: First place from the Catholic Book Awards for a book by a first-time writer; the 2014 excellence award for religion/nonfiction from the National Independent Publishers; and the Nautilus Gold award for spirituality/Western traditions. Rolf helps us see in Julian a rich resource for our own experience of God’s love shown forth on the cross by Christ."
— John A. Coleman, S.J., Theological Studies 75 (4), The Jesuit Quarterly
". . . ['Julian's Gospel'] is divided into two parts, unequal in length. The first, comprising a third of the book, situates Julian in her context, that of fourteenth-century Norwich. Rolf explores the importance of Norwich as a bustling center of commerce and religion. She then recounts the disastrous events that affected fourteenth-century England: the plague, the Hundred Years War, the Great Schism, the Peasants’ Revolt, and the prosecution of the Lollard heresy. Particularly helpful is her focus on the Corpus Christi plays, which brought to life the stories and mysteries of the Christian faith for a populace largely illiterate. Throughout, she hints at how these contextual realities found echoes in Julian’s revelatory experience and text . . .
The next two-thirds of the book contain Rolf’s translation into modern English of Julian’s text from the Watson and Jenkins Middle English edition. She retains some original words and spellings, as well as the syntax and order of the words, altering these only where necessary for comprehension, thus preserving the rhythm of Julian’s prose. Rolf then provides a detailed commentary on Julian’s Long Text, arranging it creatively into fifteen chapters, each with subdivisions to alert the reader to a change of topic, or to highlight significant symbols and ideas. Rolf’s organization is helpful, and her prose graceful. Particularly felicitous is her frequent insertion of scriptural passages that find an echo in Julian’s text, supporting the claim (by Colledge and Walsh) that Julian’s work is a mosaic of scriptural borrowings. Rolf also exhibits an adequate knowledge of patristic and medieval theology that she brings into conversation with Julian’s ideas. . . . I appreciate the obvious care that attended the creation of this work. What comes through loud and clear is the fact that in her suffering Julian was saved, in a concrete way, from both sin and death by a loving God who wants only good for all of us. This is the quintessential Christian message, which Julian believed applied to all her "evenchristens." Rolf's efforts to present this reality to the general reading public are successful and welcome."
— Joan M. Nuth, Associate Professor, Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies, John Carroll University, in Horizons, The Journal of the College Theology Society
"The Commentary is clearly the product of long, careful and intelligent study and reflection, and is filled with insightful and often wise observations. The author is particularly helpful in explicating the meaning of the Middle English "seker," one of Julia's most frequently used terms (307-8 and passim); in discussing Julian's basically Augustinian understanding of evil as privation and sin as "no deed" (311); in situating the ninth revelation, the showing of the three heavens, in the context of contemplative ecstasy (364); in her explanation of the "five words" that develop the various dimensions of Christ's locution about making all things well ( 397); in noting Julian's originality for her era in envisioning prayer as needing no intermediaries or intercessors (434--35); in explaining Julian's distinction between substantial and sensual levels of the soul (502); in connecting this distinction to her teaching on the godly will that can never fully assent to sin (509-10); in explicating the various levels and dimensions of the motherhood theme as it relates to the entire Trinity and to Christ as divine and human and as savior (524 ff.); in distinguishing Julia's approach, stressing the cultivation of joy, from that of many other female mystics of the period who emphasize self-inflicted deprivations (543). Discussion of these and many other points exemplify the author's deep engagement with the text and her ability to communicate key aspects of Julian's often unusual but always balanced and penetrating interpretations of her own unique experience as it serves as a bridge linking the paschal mystery of Christ's passion, resurrection and glorification to the spiritual journey of her "evencristens," of all who are called to salvation . . .
By the end of the book readers have a clearer appreciation of why Thomas Merton could call Julian, along with [John Henry, Cardinal] Newman, "the greatest English theologian" as well as "one of the most wonderful of all Christian voices (10). . . Writing [the book] was clearly a labor of love on the author's part, and as Julian's final chapter quite simply declares that "love is our lord's meaning" throughout the entire course of the revelations (590), so the book becomes an extended invitation to the audience to participate not only in the author's clearly evident love for Julian but in the divine love that Julian herself receives and reciprocates and conveys by her revelations "to a people who needed them most" -- because, as the author suggests in her closing words, 'we are that people.'"
— Patrick F. O'Connell, Ph.D, Professor of Theology and English, Gannon University,in Catholic Books Review
"[Rolf] devotes the greater part of her book to a study of each of Julian's Revelations. The reader will be amazed at how Julian can in her own words and with her own voice teach us, reveal to us and give witness to the love of God available to every single creature. Indeed, if Julian is to be believed, all is well and all manner of things shall be well. . . This is a book which will give the reader great insights into the beginnings of modern Catholicism here in England. Julian is not simply a medieval mystic. Interest in her is worldwide and she is at the centre of spiritual renewal in this country. We cannot understand the development of Post Vatican II church without reference to Julian."
— Frank Regan, Editor of Renew, United Kingdom.
"The extensive and detailed commentary is clearly a labour of love, the result of [the author's] painstaking reading and research, of living with Julian and her text, and of immersing herself in the 14th century. She points out that Julian is breaking open the Christian mystery from a woman's point of view, in language that is fresh, original, in a way which could have been highly dangerous to her as it could have led to her being mistaken for a heretic, censured, imprisoned, or even put to death for daring, as a woman, to transcribe and teach. Throughout the commentary, Rolf stresses Julian's warmth, her femininity, her absolute confidence in God's love. Julian's incisive intellectual analysis of her revelations is, claims Rolf, "second to none in the history of Christian mysticism." . . through Julian's revelations and Rolf's book we receive, in the words of the publisher, 'a fresh, imaginative and liberating view of the Gospel that speaks of the spiritual challenges of our own time." "Julian's Gospel" is an original and exciting book, a new view of the woman whom Thomas Merton described as 'England's greatest theologian.' It is well worth reading." — Pluscarden Catholic Benedictine Abbey, Scotland
"In many ways, Julian, who once said she wished she could have been with Mary Magdalene and the other women around Jesus, turned out to write a kind of woman's version of the gospel. I bring her up because I am often asked by people to suggest good reading for Lent and because a new, truly fresh and magisterial, commentary on Julian's revelations has been recently published: Veronica Mary Rolf, Julian's Gospel: Illuminating the Life and Revelations of Julian of Norwich (Orbis Books, 2013). It is already in its second printing. . . . Rolf's commentary tells us how a woman could have gained some knowledge of reading and writing and a deeper knowledge of theology (due to a new kind of preaching by the friars). Most intriguing, Rolf recounts the N-Cycle of Mystery plays (like those famous ones in York and Chester) which likely took place in Norwich and with some of whose lines the writings of Julian show some resonance. I can hardly think of a better book to read carefully, ponder, and pray over often during Lent than Rolf's Julian's Gospel.
— John A. Coleman, SJ, America: The Jesuit Review
For the full text, please see: http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/julian-Norwich
"Veronica Mary Rolf has a power of insight and description that can be breath-taking in its intensity. The books stirs one to the very depth as well as, on a less elevated plane, setting Julian firmly in her historical context."
— Art critic and anchoress, Sr. Wendy Beckett, Norwich, England
“'Julian's Gospel' is a magnificent fusion of historical reconstruction and spiritual guidance. Julian’s own voice — impassioned, courageous, and theologically astute — comes to grace nearly every page. Veronica Mary Rolf carefully demonstrates how the world of Norwich, England, could be one of both incredible suffering and cultural richness — as when the Corpus Christi actors might come to town. It was here that an astonishing woman suffered a life, became an enclosed anchorite, gave caring counsel, and discovered anew the logic of divine and human love. I was compelled by the narrative and enriched by the commentary. Rolf challenges some assumptions about Julian and clarifies many others. Her book is a pleasure to ‘live in’ and ‘learn from.’”
— Larry D. Bouchard, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies, University of Virginia. Author of "Theater and Integrity: Emptying Selves in Drama, Ethics and Religion" and "Tragic Method, Tragic Theology: Evil in Contemporary Drama and Religious Thought."
“This new study of Julian of Norwich provides a vivid and readable introduction to the works of the first theologian to write in English. A way into Julian’s profound and exciting theology is here made available by a subtle depiction of her times and personality."
— Benedicta Ward, SLG, Ph.D., Fellow of Harris Manchester College, Oxford; Reader in the History of Christian Spirituality, Oxford University and author of numerous books.
“Veronica Mary Rolf’s book, 'Julian's Gospel,' is a gem. The author introduces the reader to her subject as if she were her very best friend, telling us of the family, house, the street, the city and people that are hers. And in the telling she opens up Julian’s heart, but also the heart of the reader. Julian comes forward out of this book as a deeply grounded woman of constant prayer, but also a mother and a business woman, insightful, shrewd, and courageous, passionate and inspired.
Julian knew horrendous, overwhelming suffering in her own life and in the lives of her people; she saw and felt scandals and disasters all around her. Still, she steps towards us as a woman of deep inner peace and irrepressible joy. She moved through many hardships and dangers to a ripe old age, without getting herself burned at the stake or beheaded (for knowing and writing authoritatively about spiritual matters).
The author uses her many talents and skills to paint this intimate portrait of one who, at the end of the book, is like a trusted friend, a friend who surprises and invites fresh insights and attitudes. I was moved by Julian’s contagious courage to ask the questions that lived in her heart. 'Julian's Gospel' leads the reader seamlessly into the heart-space, where Julian and the author both excel.”
— John Bosman, MSC, Doctor of Sacred Theology; seminary professor, parish priest, university and hospital chaplain.
"I am so pleased Orbis Books is publishing this very beautiful manuscript. I found reading it really helped me get to know Julian as a woman. Veronica Mary Rolf’s historical research was fascinating and so very human. The theology she drew out is thorough and very thoughtfully organized and developed clearly and inspiringly. She gives a thorough overall very engaging reflection of Julian’s main wisdom." — Kerrie Hide, Ph.D., lecturer in theology at the Australian Catholic University, Signadou Campus, Canberra. Author of "Gifted Origins to Graced Fulfillment: The Soteriology of Julian of Norwich."
(Orbis Books, 2013)
"Certainly one of the best books on Julian of Norwich I’ve ever read. With a vast amount of research and a great deal of passion, Veronica Mary Rolf successfully recreates the world of the great mystic, provides careful explanations of Julian’s rich experiences in prayer, and, overall, paints a convincing portrait of one of the most remarkable women ever to have lived—and believed." -- Fr. James Martin, SJ, best-selling author and Editor-at-Large of America: The Jesuit Review
"It is possible that Veronica Mary Rolf’s book will become the definitive work on Julian of Norwich. Her book is a masterpiece of scholarly historical research and amazing theological insight into Julian’s Revelations, one of the classics of medieval spirituality. Rolf appears extremely qualified to undertake the research and writing of this book. She is not affiliated with any specific university but rather works independently as a scholar of medieval studies and comparative literature. She received her formal education at Columbia University. Her work resulted in this amazing book so rich in historical details and spirituality . . .
Rolf’s book is divided into two parts: Part 1: Julian’s Life; Part 2: The Revelations. Rolf does a wonderful job in Part 1 in her reconstruction of Julian’s life from the scant facts Julian revealed about herself in her writings. Historical research in the world of the late fourteenth century gave Rolf the material to rebuild what the life of Julian must have been like. Rolf looks critically at the important events for major influences on Julian’s intellectual and religious life. Rolf leaves no stone unturned in her study of the life, history, mores, and social and literary events to write the biographical section of her book.
The second part of Rolf’s book is devoted to the author’s analysis and interpretation of the Revelations. Rolf’s work includes some of the finest exegetical work that the reviewer has ever read. Since Julian’s words first came to light about a hundred years ago, there has been much critical writing on the Middle English texts of this unique woman mystic. Rolf uses her own new translation of Julian’s words retaining the original words whenever they are more appropriate. Both the Long Text and Short Text, two versions written years apart, are analyzed with many biographic references, making the work personal, yet highly applicable to other readers today. I cannot imagine a better job than what Rolf has accomplished.
The value and significance of these medieval mystical writings is still relevant today basically because of Rolf’s connecting the Revelations to Julian’s life, and by extension, to others. This edition of Julian’s Revelations— her retelling the Gospel story from her unique position — can be much appreciated by modern readers. The classic transcends time and gender. The publisher has spared no expense in producing a book with fine binding, printed on superior quality paper, and even reproducing a portrait of a medieval woman by the fifteenth-century artist Robert Campin on the jacket. As one would expect in a book of such scholarship, there are fine indexes and a bibliography to supplement the text. Rolf’s book is highly recommended for all college and university libraries, especially Catholic."
— Arnold Rzepecki, Editor, Catholic Library World, The Quarterly Journal of the Catholic Library Association
"Just as the Old Testament books weave four sources (J, D, P, and E), Veronica Rolf’s 'Julian’s Gospel' has four strands. The first is a recreation of Julian’s life, read back from her Shewings, speculating on the impact on Julian of the great events that dominated the 14th century in Norwich. . . . The second strand is a detailed and careful analysis of the events that hit Norwich, which, like Saki’s Crete, clearly produced more history than could be consumed locally. Fear of French invasion during the Hundred Years War, fear of being molested by marauding mercenary riffs, fear of Lollardy, fear of the Peasants’ Revolt, fear of the Great Pestilence — all dominated, it seems, every moment, a sheer dread only relieved by colourful Mystery plays. Simon Schama meets Pillars of the Earth: I found it absolutely fascinating.
Rolf's third strand analyses the theological influences on Julian, majoring on the biblical and Patristic rather than Scholastic writings. This again is very detailed and immensely helpful . . . Rolf's final strand is her book's triumph, imaginatively employing history and theology to draw out the significance of Julian's Shewings. I have preached countless sermons on 33 Good Fridays, but the depths Rolf drew out of Julian's conversations with her crucified Lord made me feel as if I hadn't even touched the hem. Nearly every reflection was deeply converting."
— Right Reverend David Wilbourne, Assistant Bishop of Llandaff, Wales, Church Times, the world's leading Anglican newspaper (UK)
"In Julian’s Gospel, Veronica Mary Rolf offers a compelling, thoroughly researched, and lovingly rendered portrait of the elusive fourteenth-century Norwich mystic. According to Rolf, too many studies of Revelations of Love, the first book written by a woman in English, refer only to Julian’s life as an anchoress, claiming that other facets of her life are regrettably undocumented and therefore left only to speculation. Rolf argues in contrast that the full import of Julian’s writings can be truly grasped only by making an effort to encounter the flesh-and-blood woman who received and was converted by these mystical revelations, which she painstakingly laboured to record and expound for future generations. Rolf proposes that much of Julian’s life might in fact be reconstructed on the basis of historical facts, together with hints from the pages of the Revelations themselves. Rolf’s task is to provide a context for Julian’s writings, by examining the political, cultural, and social milieu of Julian’s life, in order to probe her revelations more deeply. . .
Rolf moves in part 2 to a chapter-by-chapter illumination and commentary on Julian’s Revelations. Here, treating original translations of Julian’s text and unpacking Julian’s imagery and characteristic expressions, Rolf’s thought-provoking, multi-layered meditations make Julian’s voice truly come alive. The uncertainty and pain of the world in which Julian lived, the portrayal of God as distant and judgmental, and the predominant derogatory view of the feminine, outlined in part 1, emerge in stark contrast with Julian’s alternative vision. Julian speaks of a God intimately present to us; of Christ’s self-giving compassion and his willingness to suffer even more for us, were it possible; of the significant absence of wrath in God; of God’s promise to make all things well; and of Jesus as our true Mother and the source of all motherly care.
Rolf artfully captures the conviction and passion with which Julian writes. By comparing earlier and later versions of the text, Rolf is able to highlight Julian’s maturation. In contrast to the picture of Julian as effortlessly serene, we come to see that the calmness and confidence of the mature Julian has been attained only after fervent grappling, as a younger woman, with doubts and burning questions. Most successfully, Rolf cites supporting scriptural passages, echoing Julian’s insights, and brings the work of other theologians into the discussion, which helps to reveal Julian’s unique emphases. The result is a spiritually engaging, moving reflection that draws one into a contemplative mode . . . " — Christina Labriola, Toronto University Press: Toronto Journal of Theology, Vol. 30, No. 2, Fall 2014
"Efforts to read [Julian's] Revelations in context have been somewhat restricted by how little we know of Julian’s life. Veronica Mary Rolf’s substantial book represents an effort to circumvent this difficulty by combining an imaginative account of what Julian’s life might have been like (“to discover the woman behind the words”) with an extended commentary on the Long Text of Julian’s Revelations. Rolf contends that “careful investigation into the social, educational, and cultural context, will enable us, by inductive reasoning, to make strong arguments about what her state in life could not have been, and therefore, by implication, to discover what it might actually have been.”
Drawing on a wide-ranging programme of historical and literary research, Rolf provides a vivid and readable account of the times in which Julian lived, one that not infrequently calls to mind the immersive techniques of museum exhibits that aim to re-create the sights, sounds, and even smells of the past. The terror inspired by the Black Death, the hopes and disappointments of the Hundred Years’ War, and loud, jostling scenes of everyday activity in Norwich are imaginatively brought to life in aid of Rolf’s efforts to illuminate Julian’s possible experiences and emotions, and inform her chapter-by-chapter commentary on Julian’s text in the second half of the book. . . . The prizes that her volume has garnered to date indicate that it has already been well-received as a popular introduction to the medieval anchoress and her work. That a new book about Julian should find such an audience speaks to the continuing capacity of her writings to reassure her readers that “al shal be wel, and al shal be wel, and al manner of thyng shal be wele.”
– Prof. Mary C. Flannery, Medievalist and Lecturer in English at the University of Lausanne, London Times Literary Supplement, January 9th, 2015
"Independent scholar Veronica Mary Rolf has written a useful and accessible introduction to the life and theology of the fourteenth-century English mystic, Julian of Norwich. . . Rolf is particularly interested in the many layers of Julian's thought, and how she reconciles her own inner conflicts to transform herself into a visionary. Rolf writes clearly and compellingly. She is a firm believer in the truth of Julian's visions and understands them as supplying the kind of female understanding of the meaning of the Crucifixion that Mary Magdalene might have supplied had she written anything that survived. To Rolf, Julian is a compassionate and generous advisor, concerned that all Christians be able to reap the benefits of Christ's love, yet this theology of hope is not one that Julian holds throughout the entire corpus of her work. Rolf understands Julian as frightened by the deaths of family members, and who only at the end of her life is able to create a theology of hopefulness. . . . This is a useful and thoughtful study that will be a helpful introduction for those unfamiliar with Julian's work."
— Katherine L. French, Professor of History, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, in Theology Today, Princeton Theological Seminary
"There is so little autobiography in Julian’s texts that many speculate about whether she was a nun (probably not) before becoming an anchorite. The genius of Rolf’s profound study is that it takes advantage of the fact that we know a great deal about life in Norwich in the late 14th century. The bubonic plague killed 25 to 35 percent of the population. Based on a textual allusion, Rolf speculates that Julian lost a child to the plague. She writes of motherhood and child-rearing with intimacy and personal knowledge. She was likely a wife and mother. Norwich in Julian’s time knew the Hundred Years War, a peasants’ revolt, the rise of Wycliffe and the Papal Schism. . . Although many contemporary texts on preaching emphasized God’s wrath, Julian’s texts are more about love and forgiveness. In her vision of Jesus dying, his face is blissful, and he says to her, “Where is now any point of thy pain or thy grief? . . . It is a joy, a bliss and endless delight to me that ever I suffered my passion for thee and if I might suffer more, I would suffer more” (362). Contemplating Christ on the cross, Julian never hears him attaching any blame for sin.
In places, Julian’s language is quite original for her time. She asserts that Jesus is our loving mother, ever-compassionate and forgiving toward his children. Christ always views us in the best possible light, no matter what we may think of ourselves. Julian’s famous line (quoted in a poem by T. S. Elliot) reads, “Alle shalle be wele, and alle shalle be wele and alle manner of thing shalle be wele” (383). . . . Rolf is also adept at exegeting the texts of Julian’s revelations. Julian minimized, even broke with, many of the common teachings of late medieval theology. She insists that there is no wrath in God, no disobedience in Adam, and no need for satisfaction to God for sin. As to mysticism, she offers no account of a multistage spiritual journey or ascent, no program of devout practices or penances (except for prayer), and none of the emotional affectivity found in other late medieval mystics. Rolf helps us see Julian’s theology as quite original, perhaps even radical in the truest sense.
Rolf’s lovely meditation on Julian’s mystical revelations has already garnered a series of prizes: First place from the Catholic Book Awards for a book by a first-time writer; the 2014 excellence award for religion/nonfiction from the National Independent Publishers; and the Nautilus Gold award for spirituality/Western traditions. Rolf helps us see in Julian a rich resource for our own experience of God’s love shown forth on the cross by Christ."
— John A. Coleman, S.J., Theological Studies 75 (4), The Jesuit Quarterly
". . . ['Julian's Gospel'] is divided into two parts, unequal in length. The first, comprising a third of the book, situates Julian in her context, that of fourteenth-century Norwich. Rolf explores the importance of Norwich as a bustling center of commerce and religion. She then recounts the disastrous events that affected fourteenth-century England: the plague, the Hundred Years War, the Great Schism, the Peasants’ Revolt, and the prosecution of the Lollard heresy. Particularly helpful is her focus on the Corpus Christi plays, which brought to life the stories and mysteries of the Christian faith for a populace largely illiterate. Throughout, she hints at how these contextual realities found echoes in Julian’s revelatory experience and text . . .
The next two-thirds of the book contain Rolf’s translation into modern English of Julian’s text from the Watson and Jenkins Middle English edition. She retains some original words and spellings, as well as the syntax and order of the words, altering these only where necessary for comprehension, thus preserving the rhythm of Julian’s prose. Rolf then provides a detailed commentary on Julian’s Long Text, arranging it creatively into fifteen chapters, each with subdivisions to alert the reader to a change of topic, or to highlight significant symbols and ideas. Rolf’s organization is helpful, and her prose graceful. Particularly felicitous is her frequent insertion of scriptural passages that find an echo in Julian’s text, supporting the claim (by Colledge and Walsh) that Julian’s work is a mosaic of scriptural borrowings. Rolf also exhibits an adequate knowledge of patristic and medieval theology that she brings into conversation with Julian’s ideas. . . . I appreciate the obvious care that attended the creation of this work. What comes through loud and clear is the fact that in her suffering Julian was saved, in a concrete way, from both sin and death by a loving God who wants only good for all of us. This is the quintessential Christian message, which Julian believed applied to all her "evenchristens." Rolf's efforts to present this reality to the general reading public are successful and welcome."
— Joan M. Nuth, Associate Professor, Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies, John Carroll University, in Horizons, The Journal of the College Theology Society
"The Commentary is clearly the product of long, careful and intelligent study and reflection, and is filled with insightful and often wise observations. The author is particularly helpful in explicating the meaning of the Middle English "seker," one of Julia's most frequently used terms (307-8 and passim); in discussing Julian's basically Augustinian understanding of evil as privation and sin as "no deed" (311); in situating the ninth revelation, the showing of the three heavens, in the context of contemplative ecstasy (364); in her explanation of the "five words" that develop the various dimensions of Christ's locution about making all things well ( 397); in noting Julian's originality for her era in envisioning prayer as needing no intermediaries or intercessors (434--35); in explaining Julian's distinction between substantial and sensual levels of the soul (502); in connecting this distinction to her teaching on the godly will that can never fully assent to sin (509-10); in explicating the various levels and dimensions of the motherhood theme as it relates to the entire Trinity and to Christ as divine and human and as savior (524 ff.); in distinguishing Julia's approach, stressing the cultivation of joy, from that of many other female mystics of the period who emphasize self-inflicted deprivations (543). Discussion of these and many other points exemplify the author's deep engagement with the text and her ability to communicate key aspects of Julian's often unusual but always balanced and penetrating interpretations of her own unique experience as it serves as a bridge linking the paschal mystery of Christ's passion, resurrection and glorification to the spiritual journey of her "evencristens," of all who are called to salvation . . .
By the end of the book readers have a clearer appreciation of why Thomas Merton could call Julian, along with [John Henry, Cardinal] Newman, "the greatest English theologian" as well as "one of the most wonderful of all Christian voices (10). . . Writing [the book] was clearly a labor of love on the author's part, and as Julian's final chapter quite simply declares that "love is our lord's meaning" throughout the entire course of the revelations (590), so the book becomes an extended invitation to the audience to participate not only in the author's clearly evident love for Julian but in the divine love that Julian herself receives and reciprocates and conveys by her revelations "to a people who needed them most" -- because, as the author suggests in her closing words, 'we are that people.'"
— Patrick F. O'Connell, Ph.D, Professor of Theology and English, Gannon University,in Catholic Books Review
"[Rolf] devotes the greater part of her book to a study of each of Julian's Revelations. The reader will be amazed at how Julian can in her own words and with her own voice teach us, reveal to us and give witness to the love of God available to every single creature. Indeed, if Julian is to be believed, all is well and all manner of things shall be well. . . This is a book which will give the reader great insights into the beginnings of modern Catholicism here in England. Julian is not simply a medieval mystic. Interest in her is worldwide and she is at the centre of spiritual renewal in this country. We cannot understand the development of Post Vatican II church without reference to Julian."
— Frank Regan, Editor of Renew, United Kingdom.
"The extensive and detailed commentary is clearly a labour of love, the result of [the author's] painstaking reading and research, of living with Julian and her text, and of immersing herself in the 14th century. She points out that Julian is breaking open the Christian mystery from a woman's point of view, in language that is fresh, original, in a way which could have been highly dangerous to her as it could have led to her being mistaken for a heretic, censured, imprisoned, or even put to death for daring, as a woman, to transcribe and teach. Throughout the commentary, Rolf stresses Julian's warmth, her femininity, her absolute confidence in God's love. Julian's incisive intellectual analysis of her revelations is, claims Rolf, "second to none in the history of Christian mysticism." . . through Julian's revelations and Rolf's book we receive, in the words of the publisher, 'a fresh, imaginative and liberating view of the Gospel that speaks of the spiritual challenges of our own time." "Julian's Gospel" is an original and exciting book, a new view of the woman whom Thomas Merton described as 'England's greatest theologian.' It is well worth reading." — Pluscarden Catholic Benedictine Abbey, Scotland
"In many ways, Julian, who once said she wished she could have been with Mary Magdalene and the other women around Jesus, turned out to write a kind of woman's version of the gospel. I bring her up because I am often asked by people to suggest good reading for Lent and because a new, truly fresh and magisterial, commentary on Julian's revelations has been recently published: Veronica Mary Rolf, Julian's Gospel: Illuminating the Life and Revelations of Julian of Norwich (Orbis Books, 2013). It is already in its second printing. . . . Rolf's commentary tells us how a woman could have gained some knowledge of reading and writing and a deeper knowledge of theology (due to a new kind of preaching by the friars). Most intriguing, Rolf recounts the N-Cycle of Mystery plays (like those famous ones in York and Chester) which likely took place in Norwich and with some of whose lines the writings of Julian show some resonance. I can hardly think of a better book to read carefully, ponder, and pray over often during Lent than Rolf's Julian's Gospel.
— John A. Coleman, SJ, America: The Jesuit Review
For the full text, please see: http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/julian-Norwich
"Veronica Mary Rolf has a power of insight and description that can be breath-taking in its intensity. The books stirs one to the very depth as well as, on a less elevated plane, setting Julian firmly in her historical context."
— Art critic and anchoress, Sr. Wendy Beckett, Norwich, England
“'Julian's Gospel' is a magnificent fusion of historical reconstruction and spiritual guidance. Julian’s own voice — impassioned, courageous, and theologically astute — comes to grace nearly every page. Veronica Mary Rolf carefully demonstrates how the world of Norwich, England, could be one of both incredible suffering and cultural richness — as when the Corpus Christi actors might come to town. It was here that an astonishing woman suffered a life, became an enclosed anchorite, gave caring counsel, and discovered anew the logic of divine and human love. I was compelled by the narrative and enriched by the commentary. Rolf challenges some assumptions about Julian and clarifies many others. Her book is a pleasure to ‘live in’ and ‘learn from.’”
— Larry D. Bouchard, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies, University of Virginia. Author of "Theater and Integrity: Emptying Selves in Drama, Ethics and Religion" and "Tragic Method, Tragic Theology: Evil in Contemporary Drama and Religious Thought."
“This new study of Julian of Norwich provides a vivid and readable introduction to the works of the first theologian to write in English. A way into Julian’s profound and exciting theology is here made available by a subtle depiction of her times and personality."
— Benedicta Ward, SLG, Ph.D., Fellow of Harris Manchester College, Oxford; Reader in the History of Christian Spirituality, Oxford University and author of numerous books.
“Veronica Mary Rolf’s book, 'Julian's Gospel,' is a gem. The author introduces the reader to her subject as if she were her very best friend, telling us of the family, house, the street, the city and people that are hers. And in the telling she opens up Julian’s heart, but also the heart of the reader. Julian comes forward out of this book as a deeply grounded woman of constant prayer, but also a mother and a business woman, insightful, shrewd, and courageous, passionate and inspired.
Julian knew horrendous, overwhelming suffering in her own life and in the lives of her people; she saw and felt scandals and disasters all around her. Still, she steps towards us as a woman of deep inner peace and irrepressible joy. She moved through many hardships and dangers to a ripe old age, without getting herself burned at the stake or beheaded (for knowing and writing authoritatively about spiritual matters).
The author uses her many talents and skills to paint this intimate portrait of one who, at the end of the book, is like a trusted friend, a friend who surprises and invites fresh insights and attitudes. I was moved by Julian’s contagious courage to ask the questions that lived in her heart. 'Julian's Gospel' leads the reader seamlessly into the heart-space, where Julian and the author both excel.”
— John Bosman, MSC, Doctor of Sacred Theology; seminary professor, parish priest, university and hospital chaplain.
"I am so pleased Orbis Books is publishing this very beautiful manuscript. I found reading it really helped me get to know Julian as a woman. Veronica Mary Rolf’s historical research was fascinating and so very human. The theology she drew out is thorough and very thoughtfully organized and developed clearly and inspiringly. She gives a thorough overall very engaging reflection of Julian’s main wisdom." — Kerrie Hide, Ph.D., lecturer in theology at the Australian Catholic University, Signadou Campus, Canberra. Author of "Gifted Origins to Graced Fulfillment: The Soteriology of Julian of Norwich."