Is there valid justification for affirming the motherliness of God while holding fast to the cross and to the Judeo-Christian heritage? Some feminists view the God of Abraham and Jesus as so closely linked with patriarchy and abuse that they reject this God as hopelessly male. Other theologians adhere to an exclusive emphasis on God as Father, and regard motherly appellations of God as distortions of biblical faith. Can the crucifixion and the atonement be seen in terms that are affirming of that which is female, yet remain grounded in the biblical texts and traditions? This article focuses on the theology of Julian of Norwich, whose meditations on the cross provide a middle way of affirming both the motherly nature of God and biblical revelation and tradition.