By Denys Turner

For centuries readers have conveniently approved Julian of Norwich as easily a mystic. during this astute e-book, Denys Turner bargains a brand new interpretation of Julian and the importance of her paintings. Turner argues that this fourteenth-century thinker's subtle method of theological questions locations her legitimately in the pantheon of alternative nice medieval theologians, together with Thomas Aquinas, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Bonaventure.

Julian wrote yet one paintings in models, a brief textual content recording the sequence of visions of Jesus Christ she skilled whereas ache a near-fatal sickness, and a miles multiplied lengthy textual content exploring the theological that means of the "showings" a few 20 years later. Turner addresses the obvious clash among the 2 resources of Julian's theology: at the one hand, her own revelation of God's all-powerful love, and at the different, the Church's teachings on and her personal witnessing of evil on the earth that merits punishment, even everlasting punishment. delivering a clean and chic account of Julian's reaction to this conflict—one that finds its nuances, systematic personality, and originality—this publication marks a brand new degree within the century-long rediscovery of 1 of the English language's maximum theological thinkers.

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And that does not seem to be right, at any rate as Christians profess to believe, for according to their creed, all that is, “visible and invisible,” is caused by God, and “all that is” includes, one must suppose, free human acts. In view of which, we should begin by noting just how far the theology of Julian of Norwich departs from that of the free-will defense and also how, though she does allow her conviction of the divine goodness and power to be challenged by the existence of sin, she resolutely refuses to qualify her conviction of the universal sway of divine providence, or of the intimacy of the involvement of the divine causality with each and every free act, in the light of it.

It is paradoxical that the Cross’s demolition of the intellectually mediating space that explanations seek to occupy is exactly where our salvation is to be found. There are only two realities for Julian: sin and God’s love. Nothing mediates between these realities except sin’s defeat of love, that is, the Cross. 52 Notably, there is no concluding Resurrection narrative in Julian, no further episode of dénouement, no upbeat reversal of the fortunes of the Cross. That is not the Gospel. That is Hollywood’s role for the Marine Corps, an entirely secular form of optimism, and a merely 20 Julian the Theologian Pelagian story that tells of the hope that may be placed in superior force.

1 32 Clearing the Conceptual Space This solution might seem attractive to Christians and other believers insofar as it lets God off the hook, so as not to be held at least directly responsible for the evil that humans freely do. But the price of exempting God from blame for a sinful world along such lines of defense can seem unacceptably high on the score of the doctrine of God itself. 2 It is of course true that I could not consistently say of a human action both that I caused it as a free agent and that some created cause other than I caused it.

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