The Exemplum and Lordship
Chapter 3 Parable of a Lord and a Servant As a way of understanding some of the central theological themes in Julian's Long Text, I will first of all explore her famous parable of a Lord and a Servant as it is narrated and explained in chapter 51.1 This is by far the longest chapter of the Long Text. In my view this parable is in important ways the heart of the Long Text and the key to Julian's major theological insights and teachings in what we must presume was the final, definitive version of her A Revelation of Love.
In chapter 45, Julian outlines her background problem, as a result of her visionary experience, of how to reconcile the "judgment of Holy
Church" that "sinners sometimes deserve blame and wrath" with the fact that "I could not see these two in God." However, "to all this I never had any other answer than a wonderful example of a lord and a servant, as I shall tell later, and that was very mysteriously revealed." By "example"
Julian means an exemplum of the kind that medieval preachers used to illustrate their message.
The Exemplum and Lordship The genre of exempla, or "examples," was a rhetorical device and a legacy of the classical world. There, the category of "examples" or illustrations, was originally used by political or legal orators and writers such as Suetonius and Plutarch. Up to the early thirteenth century, the use of an exemplum tended to be by Christian moralists and was an instrument of edification. This usually revolved round the imitation of an individual, particularly Jesus Christ, whose life story was the quintessential "example" for Christians of virtue and religious practice. Thereafter, the genre became associated more with a new style of preaching that suited the needs of a society and culture increasingly dominated by the expanding urban classes. Collections of exempla were produced to assist preachers.
An "example" might be an anecdote, whether brief or extensive, like Julian of Norwich: "In God's Sight" – Her Theology in Context, First Edition. Philip Sheldrake.
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The Exemplum and Lordship
Julian's chapter 51. It might sometimes be a real story or perhaps it was an allegorical fable or parable; again, as in chapter 51. Either way, such rhetorical devices were used to inform, edify, persuade, and motivate the listeners. "Examples" were instruments of recollection and memory aimed at helping those who listened to them or who read them, as was the case with the parable of a Lord and a Servant, to recall a nourishing lesson that pointed forwards towards salvation. In that sense, the ultimate horizon of such spiritual or moral "examples" was eschatological. Indeed, such a horizon of ultimacy characterizes the conclusion to Julian's parable.2
A specific feature of Julian's exemplum or parable is the imagery of lordship and of service. This imagery is present only in the Long Text and is anticipated in earlier chapters. It also echoes important social values in Julian's changing times. As early as the First Revelation (chapter 7), through the medium of her bodily vision of the "copious bleeding of the head" of Jesus on the cross, Julian found strength through her realization that the Lord God, while rightly revered and feared, "is so familiar and so courteous." Julian goes on to reflect that the greatest gift a great lord can offer a servant is to be familiar. "See, what greater honour and joy could this noble lord give me than to demonstrate to me, who am so little, this wonderful familiarity?" The point is that this is a greater joy than being given "great gifts" in the sense of money or other material presents. This thought is echoed strongly in the parable. Again in chapter 14, Julian's
"understanding was lifted up into heaven." There she sees God as a lord "in his own house" – yet, a lord who despite his status appears to take no position of rank but hosts a splendid banquet for "all his friends," "very familiarly and courteously."
The themes of familiarity and courtesy on the part of a lord, rather than mere exploitation of servants, were beginning to become aspects of Julian's surrounding social culture. In my judgment, it is likely that this had some impact on Julian's theological insights and imagery. The status of nobility increasingly moved from the older feudal, rural, warrior class to an increasingly urban – and one might say, urbane – aristocracy and gentry. "Courtesy," a word used regularly by Julian in relation to God and not merely in reference to the lord of the parable, connects with "courtliness" – the new code of good manners that was becoming more apparent in urban life. This is not just a matter of being polite but also involved respect, kindness, and consideration. Courtesy also has the implication of generosity of spirit because until shortly before Julian's time it would not have been expected of lords in their relationship with servants. The exploitation of servants was slowly being replaced by a culture of care.
Conversely, the ideal for servants was that their relationship with a lord should be one of attachment, even love, albeit shown appropriately according to one's social station.