Baron Friedrich von Hügel’s Spiritual Theology Interpreted by Gwendolen Greene, 1918–1959

Baron Friedrich von Hügel (1852–1925) was a highly celebrated Catholic philosopher of religion who provided spiritual direction to his niece, Gwendolen Greene (1878–1959). This spiritual nurture was published as Letters from Baron Friedrich von Hügel to a Niece (1928). Thereafter, Greene received global correspondence from readers asking how to ‘live’ these letters. In response, Greene wrote her interpretation of von Hügel’s spiritual theology in Mount Zion (1929). This scenario of published private letters followed by a book written by the recipient, explaining how to live out concepts in those letters, provides a fascinating historical case study. Greene’s mystical charism, intuitive temperament, practice of contemplative prayer and endurance of suffering, enabled her to embody key principles of von Hügel’s spiritual nurture. Greene emphasised the Spirit and Trinitarian theology, and provided a vibrant window into von Hügel’s spiritual direction—a central axis that set the frames for his intellectual contribution

Contemplation · Medieval history · Mysticism · Prayer · Religious experience · Spiritual practice · Spirituality · Catholicism and Religious Studies · Education, Philosophy, and Society · Religion, Gender, and Enlightenment