Records of The Julian Meetings

Financial records including accounts and retreat expenses, 1898-1990 and 1993-2013; various printed materials including issues of The Julian Meetings Magazine, 1974-2016, incomplete sequence of newsletters, 1982-2016, various pamphlets and promotional materials; papers regarding the history of the movement; and prayer leaflets issued under The Julian Meetings Postal Group scheme.

The Julian Meetings movement began in 1973 with the formation of 11 groups in England, Scotland and Wales. The movement named after the pre-Reformation mystic, Mother Julian of Norwich, and its purpose defined as fostering the practice and teaching of contemplative prayer within the Christian tradition. An Advisory Group was established in 1975 comprising Hilary Wakeman, Keith Walker and Arthur Middleton. In 1976 a weekend retreat was held, becoming an annual event. Local Julian Meetings Groups consist of a mixture of clergy and laity, of various demoninations. Group structures vary considerably, the only stipulations for a Group being that it should be ecumenical, Christ-centred, and based on contemplative prayer. There is no membership of The Julian Meetings and no membership subscription. A printed magazine is produced three times a year and those attending meetings are encouraged to subscribe.

The Julian Meetings Postal Group was set up by Amy Holt in 1974, taking the form of a circular letter sent to people unable to meet at a local group. By 1978 there was a postal group in Australia. For many years the Postal Group meditations were sent out in conjunction with the Gabriel Group, an organisation meeting monthly in the Canterbury area. Since July 2001 the Postal Group Reflections have been compiled by members of the Advisory Group.

Sources: records of The Julian Meetings

These papers have been arranged into the following eight series:

Papers of the Advisory Group;
Publications and printed materials;
Papers relating to the history of movement;
Papers relating to The Julian Meetings Postal Group;
Papers relating to retreats;
Papers relating to The Gabriel Meetings;
Photographs and newspaper cuttings;
Non-Julian Meetings material and publications.

Open, access to all registered researchers.

Presented October 2016; subsequent additions were received in April 2019 and June 2021

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Papers arranged and described by Mark Eccleston, October 2016, in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description (ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; and in-house cataloguing guidelines.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Records kept with the National Co-ordinator prior to transfer