Walter Hilton and the Kindling of Love

Walter Hilton, 14^th century Augustinian canon, writer, and spiritual director is one of the significant figures of the “Golden Age of English Mysticism.” Scholars and theologians debate this notion of a golden age.

They also debate the merits of the mystics associated with it: the anonymous author of the Cloud of Unknowing, Julian of Norwich, Hilton, Richard Rolle, and sometimes, Margery Kempe. Many of the other writers in this mystical fellowship readily refer to their own experiences of encountering God.

Hilton is reluctant to do so. His gift to his contemporaries and to us is his warm, wise, and well-organized counsel. Hilton addresses a depth and breadth of issues related to the spiritual life in a way that remains helpful today. His feast day in the Church of England is March 24. 

Walter Hilton: Life and Writings

Hilton was born around 1340, probably in Hilton, Huntingdonshire, England. We know little of his family or his early life. He would have had to receive some rudimentary education to account for his admission to Cambridge.

There he studied canon law. At some point Hilton became dissatisfied with the practice of canon law and became a hermit. He wrote about his decision to a friend,

“They believe that if you dismiss the study and practice of law from your mind, cast off honors, degrees and choose poverty and humility for Christ’s sake, that you are infatuated and insane.”

– A letter written to Adam Horsley

Despite the views of others, Hilton left the practice of law to devote himself fully to God. He gave particular attention to the practice of prayer and providing spiritual guidance to others. Hilton eventually joined the Augustinian priory in Thurgarton, Nottinghamshire.

As an Augustinian canon, Hilton lived like a monk. The canons prayed the liturgy of the hours together. They also ministered to the people in their village and region. In his years at the priory he wrote many works.

This included his two most influential works: The Scale of Perfection and The Mixed Life. Hilton died on the eve of the Annunciation, March 24, 1396. His writings became popular with a wide range of readers.

Readers who read Hilton included women, men, clergy, and monastics, as well as single and married persons with work and family responsibilities. Father Martin Thorton, one of the great ascetical  theologians of the last century, wrote:

“Walter Hilton, is the centre of English ascetical theology, and remains, our prime source of teaching on spiritual direction.”

– English Spirituality

Ascetical theology is the branch of theology that studies the spiritual life, its purposes, practices, and pitfalls.  

Spiritual Practices and Teaching

Spiritual direction is an ancient Christian practice. A spiritual director accompanies and guides another Christian toward deeper growth in their life of prayer and in their relationship with God.

Until recent decades, spiritual direction was a practice of certain monks, nuns, and priests. Today spiritual direction is practiced by Christians from many denominations, with many directors being lay persons.

In Hilton’s time spiritual direction could happen in person or in writing. Hilton wrote his major works, The Scale of Perfection and The Mixed Life to specific individuals.

In the first case, a contemplative nun, and in the second case, a worldly lord. As mentioned, Hilton’s wise counsel captured a wisdom that was found to be useful by many readers in his time and after.

Hilton writes:

“Nobody is suddenly made perfect in grace, but through long exercise and skilled working a soul may come to it, especially when a wretched soul is taught and helped by him in whom lies all grace. For no soul can come to it without special help and inward teaching from him” (Christ).

–The Scale of Perfection

Hilton affirms that the basic posture of the Christian spiritual life is not striving but receiving. Any progress we make in the spiritual life, whether in loving God or in loving others, rests on the foundation of God’s grace.

Grace meaning God’s special help or assistance. Christian growth must never be thought of as a self-help spirituality, but a grace-based spirituality dependent on the Holy Spirit’s power.

Starting with our Character

With grace as our foundation we may then cooperate with God in growing into the most Christ-like versions of ourselves. Hilton, like other mystical writers, stresses the importance of character formation in the early stages of the spiritual life.

Before we try to reach the heights of closeness to God in prayer, we would do well to ask ourselves, “Would people describe me as a humble person?” “How can I grow in humility?” “ or “What vices are present in my life that are obstacles toward love of myself, others, and God?”

Sometimes the promise of mystical encounter, miracle, or other extraordinary phenomena capture our attention. Hilton, along with other spiritual writers, tell us the primary yardstick of spiritual and human growth is not extraordinary experiences, but ongoing love toward God and neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40).

Hilton compares our love for God and others to a flame within the heart of our being. This flame needs nurture or it will diminish. Hilton phrases it like this:

“The more sticks are laid on a fire, the greater is the flame, and so the more varied the spiritual work that anyone has in mind for keeping his desire whole, the more powerful and ardent shall be his desire for God.”

– The Scale of Perfection

When we fail to regularly put kindling on the fire of our faith we should not be surprised when we feel far from God or when we receive little joy from our faith.

Yes, there are dark valleys in our lives where despite our faithfulness in tending our spiritual flame we experience spiritual despair. Ordinarily, thankfully, if we tend to the fire our faith, we will feel its warmth and consolation.

Walter Hilton and Christians Today

Mother Julia Gatta, theologian, spiritual director, and author writes:

“In the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, there was in England no more highly esteemed devotional writer than Walter Hilton.”   

– The Pastoral Art of the English Mystics

Hilton understands growth in the spiritual life is not a purely subjective matter. Spirituality is not a matter of individual taste alone. Hilton understands growth in Christ has been characterized by certain practices, stages, and challenges over the centuries.

While each Christian’s journey has its own peculiarities, the journey toward deeper union with God has a general pattern that most of us will find useful to refer to and learn from. This approach contributed to his popularity in the past and his usefulness as a spiritual guide in the present.

Hilton’s spiritual counsel is full of Biblical references and allusions. It is a joyful spirituality encouraging readers to go further and further in their pursuit of knowing God in Christ through the power of the Spirit. Hilton writes:

“And even though you experience him in devotion and in knowledge, do not content yourself in that as though you have fully found Jesus. For know this for certain: that whatever you might experience of him, no matter how much – yes, even if you were to be ravished into the third heaven with Paul (2 Corinthians 12) yet you would not yet have found Jesus as he is in his fullness of joy.”

– The Mixed Life

For Hilton, the spiritual life is about love and joy as found in Jesus Christ.

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