Revelation and Apocalypse in Late Medieval Literature

Published by the University of Wales Press in their interdisciplinary Religion and Culture in the Middle Ages series, Revelation and Apocalypse focuses on the relationship between the biblical book of the Apocalypse and two literary and spiritual masterpieces of the late fourteenth century, Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love and William Langland’s Piers Plowman. It was a mammoth undertaking. Indeed, there is enough material here, comprehensively introduced, contextualized, argued, and evaluated, for more than just one book! The underlying argument which Justin Byron-Davies posits is that Julian treats the Apocalypse exegetically more extensively than Langland, but that his approach is more sophisticated.A subsidiary argument is that there is a discernible Joachite influence here at work (especially as mediated through Olivi and the Franciscan Spirituals) in both texts. But there is so much more than straightforward argument here. Byron-Davies explores the confluences of the three texts and discovers Augustinian, Johannine, Origenist, and Scotistic influences also at work, as he discusses not only major themes such as the Antichrist, Babylon, the Bride of Christ, the Devil, the New Jerusalem, the Parousia, spiritual warfare, and the Church Triumphant, but also less expected aspects such as angelology, gender issues, the absence of hell, the Jews, martyrdom, the Millennium, and the Passion of Christ. In general, Revelation and Apocalypse in Late Medieval Literature is an amazing achievement.After the introduction in which Byron-Davies explains “why these texts?” and broadly discusses the authorship and authority of the Apocalypse—especially in the Middle Ages—and approaches to our two main texts, there are two chapters that consider the Apocalypse and “Orthodox and Heterodox Currents” in Julian’s Vision and Revelations, followed by a further couple of chapters that discuss “Langland’s Poetics” and “Personification and Allegorisation in Piers Plowman” before an epilogue and the back matter.The section on the Apocalypse and Julian’s writings examines “the symbolism of the Apocalypse and Revelations in order to identify areas of confluence and highlight ways in which symbols and concepts imbue Julian’s text with authority” (33). We then move to comparisons of structures, styles, and genres, and subsections on tribulation, warfare, and rapture.Byron-Davies argues that the Revelations “are in part a response to the Apocalypse—albeit often an indirect one” (60). The Apocalypse is not referred to in the Short Text. When Julian does refer to the Apocalypse in the Long Text—on about two dozen occasions—she does so in order either to exalt God or describe Jesus sitting in the center of the soul, in peace and at rest. Even when she does mention Adam’s descent into hell, she is at pains to point out that he descended with “the mercyfull beholdyng of his louely chere” and “was kepte fro endlesse deth” (chapter 51). Moreover, she declares, ‘But in god maybe no wrath’ (chapter 13), and, again, “Theyse two [blame and wrath]—culde I nott see in God” (chapter 45).Byron-Davies discusses Julian’s positive soteriology “from the perspective of the orthodoxy/heterodoxy dichotomy” (61) in his second chapter, but again fails to grasp the complete picture. After addressing Julian’s writings on the soul overcoming sin in order to receive heavenly rewards, he writes, “My contention that Julian’s omissions of visions of hell and her strong emphasis on redemption and salvation indicate liberal salvationism necessitates the caveat that this constitutes an argument from silence.” He continues, “However, such omissions and chosen subject matter make her repeated professions of belief in Church doctrine regarding hell seem disingenuous” (61). Most importantly, “Julian approaches heterodoxy, but recognizing the climate of the early fifteenth century she adroitly exercises textual caution, and her reluctance to disseminate her work in her lifetime (assuming this was her decision) may indicate an intention to preclude unsolicited attention” (61).When Byron-Davies examines Piers Plowman he is, on the whole, on firmer ground. In chapter 3 he discusses Langland’s agrarian and apocalyptic imagery, and analyzes some of the “satirical and apocalyptic language in his poetics and his innovative use of alliterative poetry and the device of enjambement” (128). In chapter 4 Byron-Davies explores personification and allegorization in Piers Plowman.There is a staggering wealth of detail here and one of the greatest problems facing any book author is how to handle it. I’m still not sure, for example, what place Viktor Borisovich Shklovsky and Dostoevsky have in a section on “Bakhtinian Heteroglossia, Polyglossia, and Polyphony in the Dream Vision,” although, of course, they may have some connection with each other (105; incidentally, Shklovsky is not mentioned in the index), while Berengaudus and Rupert of Deutz hardly receive a mention, and Otto of Freising (all of whom cry out for attention in a book of this nature) doesn’t get a look at all.It is essential to always have one’s readers in mind as one writes. Uthred de Boldon (21), for instance, may well be known to a few, but to Byron-Davies’s wider readership, he needs to be introduced, even if only briefly. Again, with statements such as “The north African donatists (fourth-fifth century) drew on a number of biblical source texts,” (108) the reader needs to know which texts and, in fact, the Donatists continued well into the sixth century while some authorities consider their presence was still keenly felt in the seventh.However, the subject of Byron-Davies’s book, the ways in which Julian of Norwich’s and William Langland’s writings engage with the scriptural Apocalypse, is worth pursuing and Revelation and Apocalypse in Late Medieval Literature marks a significant breakthrough in studies of Julian and Langland

Art · Literature · Middle Ages · Passion · Revelation · Theology · Classics · History · Medieval Literature and History · Philosophy · Reformation and Early Modern Christianity

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  Open Access•Edith González Bernal•Verbum et Ecclesia•2023

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