Julian of Norwich and the Problem of Evil

Julian of Norwich and the Problem of Evil

Author: Richard Norton

Publisher: Lutterworth Press

Published: 2023-10-26

Total Pages: 175

ISBN-13: 0718896173

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Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love grapples with the same fundamental question that has vexed philosophers and theologians since the advent of monotheistic religion, and continues as a barrier to belief for many today. Namely, if God is so good, how can natural disaster, genocide, trauma - and my present suffering - occur? Historically, there have been two apparently very different approaches to the problem: the pastoral, or practical, on the one hand and the systematic on the other. However, Richard Norton suggests that these two lines of thought may not be as separate as they seem, and may indeed be dependent on one another for their cohesion. Drawing on Julian's medieval experience of personal and population-wide suffering, alongside that of more recent theologians such as Dorothy Solle and Jurgen Moltmann, Norton constructs a compassionate model of theodicy that can be of use to both pastoral and systematic theologians. Throughout, he remains sensitive to the raw atrocity of evil, while preserving a vision of God as the one who ensures that all shall be well.


Julian's Gospel

Julian's Gospel

Author: Veronica Mary Rolf

Publisher: Orbis Books

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 806

ISBN-13: 1626980365

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Unlike other brief summaries of Julian's life in 14th-century Norwich, England, this book goes in-depth to uncover the political, cultural, social and religious milieu that formed and deeply influenced her development as a woman and a Christian mystic.


God, Evil and the Limits of Theology

God, Evil and the Limits of Theology

Author: Karen Kilby

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-09-03

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 0567684598

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Karen Kilby explores the doctrine of the Trinity and issues of evil, suffering and sin. She offers a critique of the lack of respect for mystery found in the most popular Trinitarian thinking of our time. Kilby gives an apophatic reading of Aquinas on the Trinity and offers a distinct next step in the sequence on the Trinity – the appeal of social doctrines of the Trinity lies principally in their ecclesial and political relevance. She engages with Miroslav Volf's famous 'The Trinity is our social program' essay and addresses the question of what an alternative politics of an apophatic theology of the Trinity might look like. The essays explore the question of theodicy and argue that evil poses a question to Christians and Christian's theology which can neither be answered nor dismissed. Kilby argues that Christians must live with this mystery, this lack of resolution, rather than trying to diminish the gravity of evil, or allowing evil to dictate their conception of God's goodness or power. By offering a critical reading of Hans Urs von Balthasar and Julian of Norwich she explores the question of whether Christianity can avoid giving a positive valuation to suffering, and concludes the two represent two different strands within the Christian tradition in relation to thought on suffering.


All Will Be Well

All Will Be Well

Author: Julian (of Norwich)

Publisher:

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780877935636

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This is a gateway to the spirituality of the 12th century English mystic offering groundbreaking feminine images of God and the assurance that in God's unbounded love and mercy "all things will be well".


Julian of Norwich, Theologian

Julian of Norwich, Theologian

Author: Denys Turner

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2011-04-26

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0300164688

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For centuries readers have comfortably accepted Julian of Norwich as simply a mystic. In this astute book, Denys Turner offers a new interpretation of Julian and the significance of her work. Turner argues that this fourteenth-century thinker's sophisticated approach to theological questions places her legitimately within the pantheon of other great medieval theologians, including Thomas Aquinas, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Bonaventure.Julian wrote but one work in two versions, a Short Text recording the series of visions of Jesus Christ she experienced while suffering a near-fatal illness, and a much expanded Long Text exploring the theological meaning of the "showings" some twenty years later. Turner addresses the apparent conflict between the two sources of Julian's theology: on the one hand, her personal revelation of God's omnipotent love, and on the other, the Church's teachings on and her own witnessing of evil in the world that deserves punishment, even eternal punishment. Offering a fresh and elegant account of Julian's response to this conflict--one that reveals its nuances, systematic character, and originality--this book marks a new stage in the century-long rediscovery of one of the English language's greatest theological thinkers.


Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God

Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God

Author: Marilyn McCord Adams

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2018-09-05

Total Pages: 237

ISBN-13: 1501735926

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When confronted by horrendous evil, even the most pious believer may question not only life's worth but also God's power and goodness. A distinguished philosopher and a practicing minister, Marilyn McCord Adams has written a highly original work on a fundamental dilemma of Christian thought—how to reconcile faith in God with the evils that afflict human beings. Adams argues that much of the discussion in analytic philosophy of religion over the last forty years has offered too narrow an understanding of the problem. The ground rules accepted for the discussion have usually led philosophers to avert their gaze from the worst—horrendous—evils and their devastating impact on human lives. They have agreed to debate the issue on the basis of religion-neutral values, and have focused on morals, an approach that—Adams claims—is inadequate for formulating and solving the problem of horrendous evils. She emphasizes instead the fruitfulness of other evaluative categories such as purity and defilement, honor and shame, and aesthetics. If redirected, philosophical reflection on evil can, Adams's book demonstrates, provide a valuable approach not only to theories of God and evil but also to pastoral care.


Julian of Norwich

Julian of Norwich

Author: Grace Jantzen

Publisher: Paulist Press

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9780809139910

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Julian of Norwich, an anchoress of the fourteenth century, has captured the imagination of our time in a remarkable way. She shares with her readers the deepest and most intimate experiences of her life through her writings.This detailed study of Julian attempts not only to penetrate her theological ideas but also brings to life her world and her life as an anchoress. Grace Jantzen has more than an academic interest in Julian's writings and sets out to integrate scholarly findings with contemporary spirituality. There is much in the thought of this extraordinary woman mystic which is excitingly relevant; her insights into spiritual growth and wholeness foreshadow the modern interest in psychotherapy and her image of Christ as mother has resounding implications for Christian feminist theology.In a new introduction to this edition, the author explores what it might mean to be an anchoress in post modernity, and how reflections on Julian of Norwich and her desire for God can enable us to become the space of divine transformation.This is a book not only for those who have a scholarly interest in Julian, but also for anyone drawn to Christian mysticism and the place of women within that tradition.Julian of Norwich, an anchoress of the fourteenth century, has captured the imagination of our time in a remarkable way. She shares with her readers the deepest and most intimate experiences of her life through her writings.


Revelations of Divine Love

Revelations of Divine Love

Author: Julian of Norwich

Publisher: Ixia Press

Published: 2019-11-13

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 0486836088

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The fourteenth-century anchorite known as Julian of Norwich offered fervent prayers for a deeper understanding of Christ's passion. The holy woman's petitions were answered with a series of divine revelations that she called "shewings." Her mystic visions revealed Christ's sufferings with extreme intensity, but they also confirmed God's constant love for humanity and infinite capacity for forgiveness. Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love have had a lasting influence on Christian thought. Written in immediate, compelling terms, her experiences remain among the most original and accessible expressions of medieval mysticism. This edition contains both the short text, which is mainly an account of the shewings and Julian's initial analysis of their meaning, and the long text, completed some 20 years later and offering daringly speculative interpretations.


Raging with Compassion

Raging with Compassion

Author: John Swinton

Publisher: SCM Press

Published: 2017-10-30

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 0334056403

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In "Raging with Compassion", Michael Ramsey prize-winning author John Swinton argues for a practical theodicy, one embodied in the life and practices of the Christian community. This practicality does not seek to provide an explanation for the existence of evil, but rather presents ways in which evil and suffering can be resisted and transformed. This, he insists, will enable Christians to live faithfully with unanswered questions as they await God's redemption of the whole creation. Swinton explores essential practices of redemption - lament, forgiveness, thoughtfulness, hospitality, and friendship - drawing out their implications for the faithful resistance of evil. Enhanced by case studies from current events and by Swinton's own experience as a pastor and mental health nurse, "Raging with Compassion" seeks to inspire fresh Christian responses and modes of practice in our broken, fallen world.


Showings

Showings

Author: Julian (of Norwich)

Publisher: W W Norton & Company Incorporated

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 9780393979152

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Julian of Norwich is among the most intriguing religious visionaries in Christian history.