Hugh of Balma Hugh of Balma was a Carthusian mystical writer. One of his works, De theologia mystica, also known as De triplici via, was written between 1246 and 1297. This book was one of the first to attempt a methodical description of the interior life according to the schema of the "three ways". Those "three ways" consisted of the purgative, illuminative, and unitive. The purgative way is when the soul considers God’s goodness in the mysteries of Creation and Redemption, and is cleansed of its sin by contrition. The illuminative way meditates upon the Scriptures, and becomes more enlightened and guided by grave. The unitive way closely unites G