In the Centre: Spiritual and Cultural Representations of Julian of Norwich in the Julian Centre

Abstract

Julian of Norwich has never been more popular than she is in the twenty-first century. She has various titles of address: “Dame Julian” makes reference to a putative link with the Benedictine community at Carrow Priory; “The Lady Julian” is the preferred title amongst the Anglo-Catholic community. Never Saint Julian, of course, unless in error: Julian of Norwich remains uncanonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Her most popular title is Mother Julian, perhaps in deference to her extensive use of maternal imagery: motherhood and Julian are firmly allied. Motherhood also implies descendents. If not literally, then Julian certainly has those who regard her as a mother in the sense of being a primary inspiration. “How Many Children Had Julian of Norwich?” is the title of Alexandra Barratt’s comprehensive discussion of versions of her Revelation . 1 Here, I am also interested in acknowledging some of the “children” of Julian of Norwich: not from a textual perspective, but from that of a onetime (2000–2002) administrator of the Julian Centre at Rouen Road, Norwich, adjacent to St. Julian’s Church and its present-day Cell. In this chapter, I shall discuss the setting up and functions of the present-day Centre, and comment on the diversity of those who contact or frequent the Centre itself. I would also like to consider how the figure of Julian lends herself so well to projection and appropriation, offering some significant examples, and conclude with my own interest in Julian the woman writer as a creative inspiration and resource. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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