Revelations of Divine Love
The Book of Margery Kempe (c. 1436-8) is the extraordinary account of a medieval wife, mother, and mystic. Known as the earliest autobiography written in the English language, Kempe's Book describes the dramatic transformation of its heroine from failed businesswoman and lustful young wife, to devout and chaste pilgrim. She vividly describes her prayers and visions, as well as the temptations in daily life to which she succumbed before dedicating herself to her spiritual calling. She travelled to the most holy sites of the medieval world, including Rome and Jerusalem. In her life and her boisterous devotion, Kempe antagonized many of those around her; yet she also garnered friends and supporters who helped to record her experiences. Her Book opens a window to the medieval world, and provides a fascinating portrait of one woman's life, aspirations, and prayers.
Why would a married woman with a thoroughly Protestant background and often more doubt than faith be drawn to the ancient practice of monasticism, to a community of celibate men whose days are centered around a rigid schedule of prayer, work, and scripture? This is the question that Kathleen Norris herself asks as, somewhat to her own surprise, she found herself on two extended residencies at a Benedictine monastery. Yet upon leaving the monastery, she began to feel herself transformed, and the daily events of her life on the Great Plains - from her morning walk to her going to sleep at night - gradually took on new meaning.
By Julian of Norwich
Penguin Books, 1998. 192 pages. Nonfiction
Coming from a society where women were barred from serious writing and teaching, Julian, an anchorite of the great Medieval city of Norwich, nevertheless uses her womanliness and the English vernacular of the day to describe a series of revelations which she received from God in the year 1373. She identifies the female nature of Christ's suffering and the motherhood of God, using images from domestic daily life, emphasizing the homeliness of God's love. She writes in a lively and unpretentious manner and her theology is precise without ever being pedantic.C.S. Lewis, when he read Julian of Norwich, wrote in a letter that it is, "A dangerous book; clearly. I'm glad I didn't read it much earlier." Julian's view of God and religion is as fresh and challenging today as it was in Medieval England. There is a fierce joy and beauty in how she views Christ and his care for us, often referring to him as a lover. Whether reading it for historical or spiritual reasons, it is a very worthwhile book to read. As she famously said, "All shall be well and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." I highly recommend this book!
If you like Revelations of Divine Love, you might also like:
The Book of Margery Kempe
By Margery Kemp
Oxford University Press, 2015. 275 pages. Biography
The Cloister Walk
By Kathleen Norris
Riverhead Books, 1997. 385 pages. Nonfiction
MGB
