Browsing by Author "Mills, Luke William"

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    Julian of Norwich's Concept of the Human Soul
    (2007-07-26) Mills, Luke William; Charlotte Gross, Committee Chair; Carmine Prioli, Committee Member; John Wall, Committee Member
    This thesis is an examination and discussion of Julian of Norwich's concept of a two-tiered human soul. Julian believes that the soul of the Christian has a higher, substantial part joined to the divine substance and a lower, sensual part joined to the human body but separate from God until joined to the substantial part by the redeeming work of Christ. Although Julian is writing within a mystical tradition heavily influenced by St. Augustine, her concept of the soul is a striking departure from the Augustinian concept of the soul as an undivided substance at a great ontological distance from God. I argue that Julian's concept is the result of her contemplation of sin, which inspires her to find a solution to the problem of God's judgment of the sinful soul. Her solution to this problem is a concept of the soul with a "godly will" unblemished by sin and therefore perfectly loved by God.