Ladder of Perfection

One eternal situation in Christianity is that the popularity of false mysticism and questionable spirituality will constantly blind honest seekers to the truth, which is the gift of God. Today, when there is a revival of interest in the mystics of the 14th century, it is unlikely that the works of Walter Hilton will top any best-seller lists. The scope of Walter’s work is far beyond the limitations of this essay, but several outstanding points, illustrated in his works, are both inspiring and delightful if our 21st-century blinders are removed. Walter dealt with many problems in his readership that continue to exist and had existed for fourteen centuries in his day! He presented eternal truths and sought to clarify equally eternal confusion. Walter is a truly learned man, and his works include hundreds of references to the Scriptures and the works of the Fathers and theologians, which span many centuries. His gift was relating them to the current situation (and 14th-century England was a tough proving ground for faith and virtue!) without compromising their eternal truths. Hilton's effort here is the first work of ascetic and mystic theology in the English language, and composing this in the vernacular was a massive undertaking, particularly at a time when there was a vague notion that theological works in the common tongue were dangerous. Adapting theological terms to constantly evolving vernacular terms, minus the previous precision of Latin and Greek, presented the irony of causing as many problems of understanding as it remedied, which still exists with the terminology of law, medicine, psychology, and theology in particular. Heresies were rampant in Walter’s era and land, and those who propagated them most vigorously tended to be rather rough. The heretics, counting on their followers’ lack of knowledge of such matters, often used incorrect but convincing English translations of the Scriptures, and the general attitude was that English verses were a tricky business. Walter, the consummate lawyer, solved this problem with his usual neatness. He quoted the Scriptures in Latin, then provided his own English translations, which both remain "within the law" and show, quite cleverly, that education and interpretation can be artfully incorporated. One of the most delightful tactics of divine providence is God's using our natural tendencies and abilities to bring us to love and service.