on behalf of the women herein, context's all askew

I never write reviews but, evidently, I just can't let this one go without comment...... while I'm very grateful to Carol Lee Flinders for all the hard work she's put into the compilation of this very inspirational and informative book of brief biographies her introduction to the same shows me just how far off she is in her understanding of where these women were 'coming from'
To illustrate:
In the introduction she speaks of having a 'code' through which she herself transposes Julian of Norwich's references to God as really meaning 'her deepest self', Carol's 'deepest conviction' is that this is how all these women themselves really saw what they were doing.
What's lacking on the part of Carol's understanding is the Spiritual rebirth which comes from the recognition and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour, Redeemer and Lord. THIS is the common factor which unites all these women. This is what I too recognise and relate to, the 'inward tug of love' of which Mechthild of Magdeburg speaks is the Holy Spirit drawing us into 'Rest' which is relationship with our Eternal Father (yes 'Father') through Jesus Christ, 'deep calling to deep' Our bodies are 'temples of the Holy Spirit' (1 Corinthians 6:19) but ONLY once we're cleansed from sin through faith (alone) in the Divine Blood, willingly shed by Christ on the cross...this was foundational to all these women's experience and was the widely accepted view of their audience at the time, this contrary to the authors suggestion 'they were not really trying to become united with a transcendent masculine god but that they were really seeking their own deepest self'
On behalf of the women of whom she writes I'm compelled to speak out, I'm absolutely confident that these wonderful and dedicated women of God would be 'turning in their respective graves' at this suggestion...'seeking their own deepest selves' is the antithesis of what they were doing.. 'Unless of grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains alone' (John 12:24) it is to this which they aspired, to in fact 'die to themselves' that the new birth in Christ, through His Spirit, might reign in their lives..herein lies the 'peace that passes understanding' (Philippians 4:7) it is this 'death to self' to which Catherine of Genoa speaks when she proclaims "My me is my God' and this, surely, can be paralleled with the apostle Paul's 'it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me' (Galatians 2:20)
I suggest the Carol reads the likes of Madame Jean Guyon for further context....neither is she (nor I) a 'pale shrinking bride of Christ' ... well certainly not 'pale and shrinking' anyways ;o)

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