The Imitation of Christ

By Thomas A'Kempis, Thomas à Kempis, Thomas Rogers, et al.

Book Overview

"The Imitation of Christ" stands as one of the most influential works of Christian devotion and spiritual guidance in history. Attributed to the monk Thomas Kempis, this profound text serves as a roadmap for the soul's journey toward spiritual maturity and a more intimate union with God. Organized into four distinct books, the work offers practical and contemplative advice on cultivating humility, renouncing worldly vanities, and fostering an interior life centered on the teachings and example of Jesus Christ.

The text is a cornerstone of the Devotio Moderna movement, emphasizing a personal, heartfelt connection with the divine over mere outward ritual. Through its meditations on the importance of silence, prayer, and the Eucharist, it encourages readers to find solace in the spiritual realm rather than in the fleeting pleasures of temporal life. Its direct and compassionate tone addresses the universal struggles of human frailty while pointing toward a path of discipline and virtue.

As a masterpiece of medieval literature, "The Imitation of Christ" has transcended its 15th-century origins to become a timeless classic of Western spirituality. It remains a vital resource for anyone seeking to deepen their faith and live a life of greater purpose and inner peace.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025735188
• ISBN13: 9781025735184
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.7" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

The imitation of Christ

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Interior spiritual growth for the courageous seeker

This book hit me hard in the preface and introductory. This book is for someone who wants a closer more personal relationship with God. If one is willing to apply these words then yes growth will occur. I am diligently taking notes and attempting to absorb various aspects of unhealthy self focus and immaturity. I think every serious student of Christinanity should have a copy of this in there library.

Truly amazing

Absolutely deep and right in line with the teachings of Christ. I bought one for my mother as well! A must share!

Best book ever

Reading this book will change your life. If you put this book in your heart, you will surely become a Saint

Packs a punch

As a person trying to grow everyday in Christian practice and thought, I found this book worth its weight in gold. It's easy to read (short segments) -- in fact, it's so easy you have to be careful you don't coast right past a diamond buried in every paragraph. No wonder John Wesley found it to be on of his favorite guidance books!

Humble beginnings

A great book for those who have never understood humility. As great as this book is, it reflects little of an understanding of what might be called 'the apprehended grace of God'. Lots of "I am so terribly unworthy". Very little of "I am so profoundly grateful for the grace of God by which I am worthy in the eyes of the Father'. Don't get me wrong, this book is a gem, and of profound value to all Christians. A lot of so called Christians seem to never have experienced anything even close to mindset of unworthiness from which they were "saved" (and if so, what were they "saved" from?). This book might get some folks on their knees asking God to teach their hearts a humility, as displayed in this book, that they missed out on.

Medieval Illustrations Set A Certain Tone That Fits This Work

This 18th century translation of the 500-year-old Christian classic has both beautiful Medieval illustrations and an archaic tone to its passages that work well together in removing the reader from the confines of contemporary life and putting them inside the mindset of the monk who wrote this meditation on imitating the life of Christ. This is the version of this work to have, in my opinion, far better than the endless, text-only editions of this we had to wade through in theology classes in high school. I've always liked The Imitation, even though I recognized early on that its lofty goals were absolute impossibilities for we imperfect mortals.

A Classic with Art!

The most widely read Christian book after the Bible now has glorious medieval illustrations on every page that complement the profound meditations by Thomas A Kempis. A wonderful book for spiritual reading, and also as a beautiful gift book. Divided up by several thematic spiritual topics, this book is great for just quiet meditation on how to better imitate Christ in our daily lives, and the pictures offer great images for helping the meditation. Just a handsome book all around. One of the best editions of this classic by A Kempis I have ever seen. Very highly recommended!

A very important book to Christianity

I'm not a Christian but I have almost completed a minor in Christianity at the college I attend. I study Christianity because of my interest in European history. This book, written by a 15th century cloistered monk, is amazing for its strong use of language to convey how one should interact with God through Jesus. But even outside the sphere of religious thought, there are some good statements that could apply to everyday life, although Thomas would scoff at the idea that someone could do this independent of God. Consider the following short excerpts:"It is only by patience and true humility that we can grow stronger than all our foes." --pg. 40"For every bodily pleasure brings joy at first, but at length it bites and destroys." --pg. 52"Alas, a long life often adds to our sins rather than to our virtue!" --pg. 58These are just a few quotes from a book that has many memorable lines. Most of the book deals with how man should submit himself to Christ. The format Thomas uses is dialogue, between Christ and a disciple. Like Plato's use of dialogue, it is an effective means of getting his ideas across. Thomas even examines the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and concludes that only through pure thought and hard work at patience and humility can one be able to effectively use these sacraments to become one with Christ, and through him, God.The only downfall I can see with this book is that it is aimed at the cloistered, or as Thomas calls them, the "Religious." Thomas sees the process of submitting to God as more then a full-time job. Because of this, most people would be shut out of union with Christ. But the book was written to help those in the monastery.I certainly recommend this to anyone interested in Christian history or Christianity in general. I believe that for myself, I will probably read this again, as one reading isn't enough to get all the gold out of the text. The book used to be second only to the Bible in popularity. I read the Penguin version translated by Leo Sherley-Price.