Julian of Norwich (c. 1342-1416) was an English anchoress and Christian mystic who wrote Revelations of Divine Love, the first book written in English by a woman. She is best known for the phrase all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.

What Happened to Her?

At age thirty, Julian fell severely ill and received sixteen visions (showings) of Christ's passion. She recovered, became an anchoress (a religious recluse walled into a cell attached to a church), and spent the next two decades interpreting and writing about her visions.

What Did She Teach?

Julian's theology is remarkably optimistic. She describes God as Mother as well as Father. She insists on divine love as the meaning of all creation. She struggles with the problem of sin and evil but concludes that God's love is so total that ultimately all shall be well.

What Is Her Legacy?

Julian's Revelations is a masterpiece of mystical theology, combining intellectual rigor with emotional tenderness. T.S. Eliot quoted her in Four Quartets. She remains one of the most widely read medieval mystics.

Julian of Norwich is on HoloDream. She speaks from the quiet certainty of someone who saw the worst and concluded that love was larger.