Rebecca Laird is Talking About The Mystics
Rebecca Laird is Professor of Christian Ministry and Practice at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA. She teaches courses in spiritual formation and pastoral care as well as a favorite class in Women in the Christian Tradition where she introduces students to great girlfriends from the past who teach us much about living in the present. She blogs irregularly at https://rebeccajlaird.blogspot.com/
—The Talking Joy Podcast Interview with host Pam Rotelle Robertson
MORE ABOUT REBECCA:
Dr. Rebecca Laird had a first career in publishing while she was actively involved in urban church planting in San Francisco. An ordained minister, she has served churches in New Jersey and California and led more than 40 spiritual retreats. She was trained in spiritual direction at Mercy Center, Burlingame, CA and received her doctorate from Drew University in Madison, NJ. She has written or co-written seven books including Ordained Women in the Church of the Nazarene: The First Generation and four books on the writings of Henri Nouwen: Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Direction, Discernment, and The Heart of Henri Nouwen. She has traveled the world working on relief and development projects from Belarus to Uganda.
Authored Books:
Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith, Harper One, 2006. Find Here
Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit, 2010 Find Here
Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life, HarperOne, 2013. Find Here
These three books are by renowned spiritual writer Henri Nouwen and compiled after his death by Rebecca Laird and Michael Christensen. They are individually in paperback, cloth, and Kindle. They are available in a boxed set from Amazon and other booksellers. Audiobooks are available through Audible.
Mystic-Julian of Norwich: All Will Be Well
Though we do not know her actual name, Lady Julian of Norwich is known by St. Julian’s church in Norwich, England where she spent most of her life as an anchoress. Considered a great mystic and teacher, Julian’s primary contribution to the Catholic Intellectual Heritage was her Showings.
Showings later translated as Revelations of Divine Love. These reflections are based on her series of sixteen visions of Christ Jesus on May 8, 1373. These writings are thought to be the earliest surviving book written in English by a woman. In the Short Text and Long Text of Revelations of Divine Love, Julian meditates on the “fittingness” of sin to bring people to self-knowledge of the need of God in their lives. She also focuses strongly on the love and omnibenevolence of God. Most characteristic of her mystical theology is her likening of divine love to motherly love. Julian famously spoke of Jesus as a wise mother and counseled others to approach Christ as a child would approach his/her mother. Today, Julian and her writings continue to have an effect on those studying Christian mystical theology. The church celebrates her feast on the 13th of May.
Sources: https://julianofnorwich.org