Hügel argued that he couldn't 'live without... a religion full of history.'125 In many of Hügel's published writings, he argued that history is 'the crux of every Institutional Religion.'126 By this he meant:
only in and through History, only by means of concrete happenings in time and space, does man awaken to, does he apprehend, Eternal Life and God, and do they penetrate and win him... all genuine Religion absolutely requires... really happened Historical Facts and Persons. Indeed, Christianity's greatness resides especially in its all-pervasive and
122 msIX.1272:DAA:31/12/97. 123 msIX.1272:DAA:31/12/97. 124 TW:134.
125 Barmann:1981:282. 126 EL:342.
persistent Incarnational trend; since God, the Eternal Spirit, here reveals Himself to us, and touches us, in Duration and through Matter.127
In other words, only as God entered History in the past do we see 'Historical Facts and Persons' in which the action of God may be seen; and only as he enters History in the present and 'reveals Himself,' are we awakened to 'Eternal Life and God.'
The same twofold understanding of history is seen (in reverse order) in his essay on Christ: our souls are only awakened to the presence of spiritual realities when a contingent and historical stimulus from without excites them... The central affirmation to which we adhere is the Incarnation of God in man - and this is in a unique and definitely historical manner.128
In Hügel's spiritual direction, this idea of historicity was most evident in his focus on the historical Christ. Nowhere is this more evident than with Evelyn, who came to Hügel with no relationship with Christ, and a largely Unitarian mindset.129
Hügel encouraged Evelyn to 'feel the factualness, the happenedness [sic] of our Lord, of His Passion, and of the Holy Communion,'130 and thereby 'to feed and articulate the Christocentric movement.'131 He asked Evelyn to 'work gently but wholeheartedly' at getting this principle of 'Historical Happenings' to become one of the 'chief beams' of her 'spiritual edifice, part of the rock, known and willed at all times of your faith... belief in them is necessary.'132
Hügel told Evelyn that:
God does dwell in, and manifest Himself by, historical happenings... the deepest fullest self abasement of God – Jesus Christ, in the manger, on the Cross... You could gain this Incarnational, which is also the only completely creaturely temper of mind.133
127 EL:342.
128 Bedoyère:165-6 (from De Christ Eternel et de nos christologies successives).
129 Cropper:2003:99. 130 Cropper:2003:99-100. 131 ms5552:39:SAUL.
132 ms5552/1:SAUL:5/11/1921.
133 ms5552/1:SAUL:5/11/1921. Hügel similarly said it 'will ever give us a religion sufficiently lowly, homely, humbling.' ms5552/1:SAUL:5/11/1921.
Even more simply, Hügel encouraged Evelyn to try 'at least thinking of Our Lord at Holy Communion.'134 But Evelyn stated, 'Christo-centric devotion... I can't do it.'135 Hügel replied:
You ask me how on earth you manage to “slip in” some bit of Christocentric devotion into your hopelessly Theocentric mind and practice... What I want... [is] special care given to a sensible, contingent, historical, incarnational current, since this current has been specially starved. If you cannot, alas, as yet pray to Jesus, the heavenly Christ, as now living as much as ever, and as Himself bringing God Incarnate into your soul, try at least to pray to God Unincarnate [sic] with thought and affections as to Nazareth, the Lake of Galilee, and/or Calvary, where so much love was shown, was it not? for God and by God.136 Over time, Evelyn gradually shifted from being 'purely mystical, philosophic' to a more 'Catholic Incarnational' spirituality, 'the two currents being gradually interwoven, with special care given to the Incarnational and Sacramental', as it had been 'specially starved.'137
By 1922, Evelyn wrote:
Something you said showed me how to bridge the gap between theism and Christian devotion, which has worried me for years... Now I have got my universe all in one piece again... The transcendental and incarnational currents are woven together now... But the incarnational current is still the weakest... I do try by persistent N.T. reading and
meditation to strengthen the strictly Christian side.138 A year later she was able to write to Hügel:
The Christocentric side has become so much deeper and stronger – it nearly predominates. I never dreamed it was like this. It's just beginning now to dawn on me what the
Sacramental Life really does involve: but it is only in flashes of a miraculous penetration I can realise this... I have never known before such deep and real happiness, such a sense of at last having got my real permanent life and being able to love without stint where I am meant to love. It is as if one were suddenly liberated and able to expand all round. Such joy that it sometimes almost hurts. All this, humanly speaking, I owe entirely to you.139 134 LN:174. 135 Cropper:2003:74. 136 Cropper:2003:81. 137 Cropper:2003:86. 138 Cropper:2003:95-6. 139 ms5552:42-43:SAUL.
In 1927, Evelyn recorded her spiritual development like this:
Until about five years ago I never had any personal experience of our Lord. I didn't know what it meant. I was a convinced Theocentric, and thought Christocentric language and practice sentimental and superstitious... when I went to the Baron he said I wasn't much better than a Unitarian. Somehow by his prayers or something, he compelled me to experience Christ. He never said anything more about it – but I know humanly speaking he did it. It took about four months – it was like watching the sun rise very slowly – and then suddenly one knew what it was... for the next two or three years, and especially lately, more and more my whole religious life and experience seem to centre with
increasing vividness on our Lord – that sort of quasi involuntary prayer which springs up of itself at odd moments is always now directed to Him... The New Testament, which once I couldn't make much of, or meditate on, now seems full of things never noticed – all gets more and more alive and compellingly beautiful... Holy Communion which at first I did simply under obedience, gets more and more wonderful too.140
Others were directed in similar ways. Hügel seemed to see similar problems with Frances, noting her 'great attraction to the Church... with little or no attraction to... Christ.'141 He told her plainly, 'the Church is for Christ and God, and not vice versa,'142 and encouraged her to focus upon Christ.
With Juliet, a focus on Christ was evident in both his early and later letters. Early on Hügel wrote, 'the Christ-child's glorious blessing upon you, and may it deepen, and yet lighten, all that is strong in you.'143 Later, when he desired Juliet's return to Christianity, Hügel's focus was repeatedly on Jesus. He encouraged 'a humble return to Christ's feet,144 a 'simple and childlike' 'spiritual
preparation... with peaceful turnings to Christ.'145 Further, he asked her to 'look' at 'what dispositions and actions Christ may want you to reform or to practise. Then at His feet you get your strength... with little peaceful turnings to Christ.'146
For Henri, Christ was the source of comfort: 'very dear boy, the heart of Jesus, so gentle and humble, will help you all your life to carry His yoke and His burden and to find them easy and 140 Williams:1943:26.
141 Lillie:1925:39.
142 LN:105. Similarly to Maude: 'Christ and Church go together.' SL:355:(1922). 143 ms37194/22a:SAUL:23/12/1910.
144 SL:321-3.
145 ms37194:SAUL:6/1/1921. 146 SL:321-3.
light.'147 To Gwen, Hügel emphasised Christ as the example of faith. Christianity is 'the Cross and the Crown... the whole life of Christ,'148 particularly embodying Christ's 'touching humility and love.'149 Christ was also the reward of faith: 'the passion and hunger for God comes from God, and God answers it with Christ.'150 And a focus on the Incarnation of Christ was also seen as how we escape from Pantheism.151
Finally, Hügel provided Gwen with a remarkable image for the interconnection between Christ and the Church, the 'three-mountain-chain:'152
God leads to Christ, and Christ leads to Church; and, inversely, the Church leads to Christ, and Christ leads to God. Or better, the Church always involves Christ, and Christ always involves God; and God always involves Christ, and Christ always involves the Church.153 Thus the importance of the Institutional Element: 'We require God and Christ and Church: each in and with the other.'154
VI. Coda
Thus we see a consistent emphasis on the Institutional Element as essential in Christian growth. Hügel encouraged his directees to involvement in Church, even though it can be costly, as he recognised four essential benefits. First, rather than being locked up in their prayer cells, Hügel wanted his directees learning from the community in the Church. Second, he recognised that the senses, through the Sacraments awaken the soul to the unseen reality. Third, recognising the interdependence of soul and body, he emphasised that directees not overdo their Church practices. Fourth, he stressed the importance of the historical Christ and a Christocentric focus in our
spirituality. The Institutional Element is a rich, diverse Element that was discussed with each directee. We now turn to examine the Intellectual Element in Hügel's spiritual direction to the ten directees. 147 Garceau:1935:283-4. 148 LN:xix. 149 LN:xix. 150 LN:xxxi. 151 LN:xxxvi. 152 LN:55. 153 LN:55. 154 LN:113;8/12/1920.