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Julian of Norwich
Celebrating
Divine Wisdom and the Feminine 07/20/2024 |
[FROM THE ARCHIVE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2021] Being aware how rarely the divine feminine and Mother Earth and feminine values are invoked in the current presidential goings-on in Milwaukee, we are trying to bring some needed spiritual dimensions to the political scene. Here
we speak of Wisdom (who, like Mother Earth and our powers of birthing, is feminine). Julian of Norwich is our guide. |
Julian of Norwich lived through the worst pandemic in European history, the bubonic plague of the 14th century. Unlike many of her contemporaries (and ours), she did not curse the darkness or create scapegoats of Jews or “heretics” or “others.” She instead grounded her view of the world and of Christ in the “goodness of creation” where she encountered a God who is “the goodness in all things.” She also developed a profound theology of the divine feminine and the “motherhood of God,” and even the “motherhood of Christ.” She states that “the deep |
Statue of Julian of Norwich, Norwich Cathedral, by David Holgate FSDC. Photo by rocketjohn on Wikimedia
Commons. |
wisdom of the Trinity is our Mother.” Notice how she is linking together Wisdom, Divinity (understood in its richness and diversity as Trinity), Motherhood, the feminine. Julian was very familiar with the wisdom tradition of the Hebrew Bible (scholars agree that Jesus came from the wisdom tradition also), a tradition that is both cosmic and practical, nature-based and committed to creativity as the work of the creating Spirit. |
Preexistent wisdom is celebrated in Israel on numerous occasions. In the book of Job, the question is asked, “Where does wisdom come from?” (Job 28:12 20) And in Baruch, wisdom is celebrated as the divine attribute by which God governs the world. (Bar. 3:9-4:4) She is personified in Proverbs: |
"Holy Wisdom." Sophia is often thought to be the personification of Wisdom, pictured here with Jesus and Mary in the Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod. Wikimedia Commons. | Wisdom calls aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the public squares; she calls out at the street corners. She delivers her message at the city gates. (Prv. 1:20f) Notice: She is not elitist. She is not ensconced in the ivory tower at the academy, but in the streets and public squares and at the street corners and the city gates. She is
eager to speak truth and justice to all, especially the oppressed. Like a mother who cares. |
Adapted from Matthew Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, pp. 124, 83f.
See also: Matthew Fox, Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic—and Beyond, pp. 20-33, 45-58.
Banner Image:“Mother Earth” JNTBGRI –
Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden & Research Institute in India. Wikimedia Commons.
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Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, or read other comments and enter into dialog, please click HERE to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
Queries for Contemplation |
Do you believe that the world at large is governed by Wisdom? And that she is available to all but that humans have to struggle to find it and live it and that a patriarchal consciousness often banishes it? What can we do about that? |
The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance
In what may be considered the most comprehensive outline of the Christian
paradigm shift of our Age, Matthew Fox eloquently foreshadows the manner in which the spirit of Christ resurrects in terms of the return to an earth-based mysticism, the expression of creativity, mystical sexuality, the respect due the young, the rebirth of effective forms of worship—all of these mirroring the ongoing blessings of Mother Earth and the recovery of Eros, the feminine aspect of the Divine.
“The eighth
wonder of the world…convincing proof that our Western religious tradition does indeed have the depth of imagination to reinvent its faith.” — Brian Swimme, author of The Universe Story and Journey of the Universe. |
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Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic–and Beyond
Julian of Norwich lived through the dreadful bubonic plague that killed close to 50% of Europeans. Being an anchoress, she ‘sheltered in place’ and developed a
deep wisdom that she shared in her book, Showings, which was the first book in English by a woman. A theologian way ahead of her time, Julian develops a feminist understanding of God as mother at the heart of nature’s goodness. Fox shares her teachings in this powerful and timely and inspiring book.
“What an utterly magnificent book. The work of Julian of Norwich, lovingly
supported by the genius of Matthew Fox, is a roadmap into the heart of the eco-spiritual truth that all life breathes together.” –Caroline Myss
Now also available as an audiobook HERE.
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In the Beginning There Was Joy: A Cosmic Celebration for Kids of All Ages
The first book in the Father Fox’s Fantastical Fables series tells the story of the big bang and how humans fit into the awesome, fantastical,
cosmic picture! With artwork curated from illustrators around the world, this book expresses the joy and wonder of all peoples and cultures, planting seeds of respect, cooperation and hope to work together for the healing of our planet. "Matthew Fox has created a narrative, for every parent, grandparent, both spiritual and
scientific, that is a gift for all elders who recognize their responsibility in initiating the young ones into the grandeur of existence." Cosmologist Brian Swimme, Author of Cosmogenesis and The Universe Story "Matthew Fox has given all of us, children included, a wondrous and enchanting view of creation
and all that humanity should aspire to." - Caroline Myss, Author of Anatomy of the Spirit and A Time for Grace |
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Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Matthew Fox speaks on "Preserving Things in the Good" at the Unity of Walnut Creek Earth Day worship service held on April 21, 2024. |
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