The other day, while driving around doing pizza delivery, I heard mention of the mystic Julian of Norwich on the Catholic radio station (EWTN).
Here is a response to her mystic views (with some biographical info from Wikipedia for background)
When she was 30 and living at home, Julian suffered from a severe illness. Whilst apparently on her deathbed, Julian had a series of intense visions of Jesus Christ, which ended by the time she recovered from her illness on 13 May 1373.
Julian of Norwich (ca. 8 November 1342 – ca. 1416) was an English anchoress who is regarded as one of the most important Christian mystics.
She is venerated in the Anglican and Lutheran churches,
but has never been canonized, or officially beatified, by the Roman Catholic Church,
Her theology was unique in three aspects:
* her view of sin;
Here is a response to her mystic views (with some biographical info from Wikipedia for background)
When she was 30 and living at home, Julian suffered from a severe illness. Whilst apparently on her deathbed, Julian had a series of intense visions of Jesus Christ, which ended by the time she recovered from her illness on 13 May 1373.
Julian of Norwich (ca. 8 November 1342 – ca. 1416) was an English anchoress who is regarded as one of the most important Christian mystics.
She is venerated in the Anglican and Lutheran churches,
but has never been canonized, or officially beatified, by the Roman Catholic Church,
Her theology was unique in three aspects:
* her view of sin;
She taught that humans sin because they are ignorant or naive,
and not because they are evil,....
Actually, Scripture disagrees--The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:9
She also believed that the pain caused by sin is an earthly reminder
of the pain of the passion of Christ
Actually, it was the other way around-- But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5
* her belief that God is all-loving and without wrath;
Julian saw no wrath in God.
Actually-- For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Romans 1:18
Julian believed that it was inaccurate to speak of God's granting forgiveness for sins,
because forgiving would mean that committing the sin was wrong.
She preached that sin should be seen as a part of the learning process of life,
not a malice that needed forgiveness.
Uhm.....-- For the wages of sin is death;
Romans 6:23
* and her view of Christ as mother.....
Julian believed that the mother's role was the truest of all jobs on earth. She emphasized this by explaining how the bond between mother and child is the only earthly relationship that comes close to the relationship a person can have with Jesus.
Referred to as a "He"-- If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
1 John 1:9
Referred to as a "Son" (male)-- And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 3:17
* The saying,
"All shall be well,
and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well",
which Julian claimed to be said to her by God himself, reflects her theology.
Seriously Julian, if that nonsensical, meaningless rhetoric is your "theology", stated to you by God---allow me to point out-- And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2 Corinthians 11:14