Julian of Norwich
The narrator of this meditative, autobiographical work, Julian of Norwich is a mysterious historical figure. She was an English anchoress, but little else is known about her except her lasting impact: Revelations of Divine Love is the oldest surviving English book written by a woman. She is a devout Christian, leaning far toward the side of mysticism in her nearly hallucinatory visions, which reveal deep truths about God's nature and the truth of his divine love.
God
Being a deeply theological work, this book is primarily concerned with the nature and character of God, which Julian believes has been revealed to her through her visions. In Julian's interpretation, God is an ultimately loving Being, one whose divine love overwhelms and satisfies the human soul, which he himself created. He is omnipotent and omnipresent, and his intervention in the world of man through the figure of Jesus is the greatest sign of his love.
Jesus Christ
In Christian tradition, Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity (God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit), a trinitarian entity: one God in three Persons. Jesus is seen as the Son of God, fully God and fully Man, who came to Earth and lived a sinless life, dying to take the punishment for the sins of humanity. He plays a pivotal role in Revelations of Divine Love, as many of Julian's visions are of him, especially of his crucifixion and resurrection, arguably the two most important events in post-Eden history.
Mary
Mary is considered to be the Mother of God; as described in the Gospel of Luke, Gabriel appeared to Mary, a young engaged virgin, and told her that she would give birth to the Savior of humanity. She conceived and gave birth to Jesus, who eventually died for the sins of mankind. In Catholic tradition, moreover, Mary has taken on an augmented significance: she is worshiped as a saint, and she is sometimes seen as nearly divine, almost as important as Jesus, especially for female Christians.
