From Vision to Book

Julian of Norwich's Showings: From Vision to Book by Denise Nowakowski Baker, 166 pages

This is an analysis of the works of Julian of Norwich, with a concentration on Julian's theological analysis of her mystical experience.  Baker capably explicates the theological background of the age, although knowing precisely what is relevant to understanding Julian is more difficult due to the paucity of information about her life and education.

The decision to approach Julian primarily as a theologian, rather than a mystic, establishes her as a strong individual voice, but also leads to neglecting the mystical component of Julian's work, and overemphasizing the novel elements.  It seems to misunderstand Julian on a fundamental level to ignore the mysterious component of her mystical identification of the two Adams, or the unity of Christ and the Church.