Imitation Of Christ

Jun 18, 2008 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A classic. Not everyone's cup of tea. Demanding and ascetic, the upward road to salvation. No platitudes here and calming words, just the raw grain of uneasy truth. Handle with caution.

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Jul 24, 2008 Karen L. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those concerned with the inner life

Recommended to Karen L. by: my beloved husband

Shelves: classics, christianity, devotional

This book is going to forever be in either of two places in my home; my coffee table or my bedside. Reading this book this morning was like drinking deep of Christ's love. Thomas a Kempis wrote this devotion in such a way to fan the flame in our soul with beautiful gentle words. It is a book that calls one deeper and farther in to the heart of God.Psalm 42:7 sums it up: "Deep calls unto deep at the sound of thy waterfalls; All thy breakers and thy waves have rolled over me.

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Apr 15, 2013 Malcolm Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is very deep and high. Most of the theological and spiritual concepts are high theology and spirituality, however you can find practical concepts or thoughts that you can apply in your life. If you have good pastoral psychology background, hence, this will be a good book for you... This is also good material for reflection, meditation, or any religious exercise to deepen your spiritual experience. I have read the Spanish translation of this book which is closer to the original Latin manuscr...more

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Feb 12, 2009 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Currently reading and re-reading (for the rest of my life). Anyone who embraces the wisdom in this book and lives by its precepts, will be a happy and content person. Imitation of Christ was written by a Benedictine monk around 1429. The truth he writes of transcends centuries and applies as much to today's modern man/woman as it did back then because it addresses the issues and attitudes that lie in the human heart. Our world will never change until we, collectively, change our heart attitudes.

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Dec 09, 2012 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: most-beloved, religion-theology

When I do not remember who to be, or how to live, or what to think, then it is best for me to recall this book. But perhaps all the times I have not done so have made the moments where the mists clear and I do find it all the better.

I do not think it is possible to create a piece of art that could help people as much as this book. That is no loss, though. The same thing does not need to be said a thousand times - it only needs to be really heard, and then lived. This is, for me, the summation o...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Ellen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For someone who goes so far wrong sometimes (and he really does), when a Kempis gets things right, he hits the nail dead on the head. There were definitely things that I didn't agree with in this book, but the main, overarching themes -- the supreme importance of God, dying to self, not attaching oneself to earthly things, not pursuing knowledge for knowledge's sake -- are absolute, incontrovertible truth. These ideas can certainly be wrongly applied, and he did definitely stray too far in the d...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Elise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: theology, nonfiction

It would be difficult to overstate the impact this book has had on me. Yes, it's really, really Catholic. Yes, it's ascetic. No, it's most definitely not pro-woman. Even so, I think Jesus meant it when he said to deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily but mention that to a modern evangelical and watch them recoil in horror. This little book calls the reader to a life of intensity and discipline in following Christ. It's not comforting or particularly warm and it makes no accommodations. Yo...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, religious

This classic Christian book was written in the 15th century and contains lyrical prose on becoming like Jesus and learning how to love God more fully. To quote Tim's review, "Taken from the Catholic monastic-like setting of the Brethren of the Common Life in the early 15th century it does feel medieval and Catholic at times (in its deference to authority, its value of community, its welcoming of suffering, its adoration of the Eucharist), but also overflows with a personal and experiential faith...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Trudy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are some absolutely excellent sections in this book that I found very convicting or very good to meditate upon. Some examples

"If God were always the sole object of our desire, we should less easily be troubled by the erring judgment of our fancy"

"Without charity no work profiteth, but whatsoever is done in charity, however small and of no reputation it be, bringeth forth good fruit; for God verily considereth what a man is able to do, more than the greatness of what he doth."

"Help me, O Go...more

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Mar 29, 2010 Tim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Somehow I am cheered that this is one of the best-selling Christian devotional books in history, though I imagine it has fallen down the list in recent years. Not that market penetration has anything to do with the reality of devotional life, but this is a serious work that calls the believer to a life of intense and disciplined following after Jesus. Taken from the Catholic monastic-like setting of the Brethren of the Common Life in the early 15th century it does feel medieval and Catholic at t...more

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Oct 16, 2009 David rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

‘You can get used to anything,’ chuckled a retired SS captain in a documentary recently about his posting to Auschwitz, after he’d described how the bodies in the gas chambers always formed a perfect pyramid, with its apex at the grille in the roof. We might take issue with this particular instance of ‘anything’, but the fact remains that human beings are amazingly adaptable when it comes to pushing the psychological boundaries. The initial shock of a new and unpleasant experience fairly quickly...more ‘You can get used to anything,’ chuckled a retired SS captain in a documentary recently about his posting to Auschwitz, after he’d described how the bodies in the gas chambers always formed a perfect pyramid, with its apex at the grille in the roof. We might take issue with this particular instance of ‘anything’, but the fact remains that human beings are amazingly adaptable when it comes to pushing the psychological boundaries. The initial shock of a new and unpleasant experience fairly quickly levels out to a plateau that becomes the new norm.

What we today accept as normal, everyday life would have seemed a vision of hell to a man of the Middle Ages: technology run riot; workers enslaved to capitalism; sex, money and power the presiding deities; religion apparently the preserve of the ignorant, the superficial and the deceived.

The airwaves are creaking like an over-laden galleon under the weight of advice on everything from cosmetic surgery and nutrition to beauty therapies and relationships.

I watched a woman on TV last night having liposuction and extensive, invasive surgery to make her feel happier with her body. The lump of flesh on the operating table, drenched in blood and with two huge wings of fat and skin laid out on either side, made her look like the aftermath of a Viking Blood Eagle execution, or the subject of a tortured painting by Francis Bacon.

It seemed a perfect symbol for the way in which we have lost our way in the materialistic jungle, and certainly if I were Satan I’d be celebrating down the pub – mankind has been successfully hoodwinked, flooded and distracted with gadgets, obsessed with youth, beauty, money and sex, all thoughts of salvation gone out the window.

The purity of the original message from any of the great religions seems to get contaminated as soon as it enters the corrupt medium of the world, so that what we end up with is an idea of the ‘Will of God’ - if it exists at all – as one that is wholly bent on evil, as Umberto Eco suggests in ‘The Name of the Rose’.

There is a need for a return, for a restoration of the spiritual balance without which life is a burden and a struggle, a minimalist drama by Beckett rather than a glorious opera by Mozart. Society will go marching on its self-destructive way, but as individuals we can look out for ourselves and try to rectify the psychic disorders by purifying ourselves of the rubbish that is constantly seeking to make inroads.

Thomas à Kempis’s wonderful book is more relevant today than when it was written. You don’t have to be a Christian or even particularly religious to derive nourishment from it. It hasn’t been out of print for six hundred years, and is worth more than a library of modern ‘self-help’ books.

The Imitation consists of four books on general spiritual topics, each divided into subsections dealing with more focused aspects: ‘On trust in God in all trouble’, ‘On knowing ourselves’, etc. After the Bible itself, no other work can compare with its profound wisdom, clarity of thought, and converting power. Christians of such widely differing period and outlook as Thomas More and General Gordon, Ignatius Loyola and John Wesley, Francis Xavier and Dr Johnson are but a few of the thousands who have acknowledged their debt to this work.

Although à Kempis spent most of his life in the cloister, his burning faith and love of God speak to us on the level of shared humanity. As F.R.Cruise says in his authoritative work on a Kempis, ‘Beyond doubt, the Imitation most perfectly reflects the light which Jesus Christ brought down from heaven to earth, and truthfully portrays the highest Christian philosophy.’
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Oct 11, 2009 Sheldon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: evangelical-escape-pod

If anyone can claim the credentials to be a "card carrying evangelical", it's me. Born and raised Church of the Nazarene. Saved at grandma's Methodist church camp. Baptized, second-act-of-grace santicfication, Youth for Christ trained, Billy Graham crusade foot soldier. It is a membership that lasted well over forty years. But by the end of the 2004 presidential campaign, if there had been somewhere I could go and turn in my card, I would have gladly done so. By that time the word "evangelical"...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Webster Bull rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faith

It took me 33 years to read The Imitation of Christ. I know the exact date when I first heard of this devotional manual by 15th-century monk Thomas à Kempis, said to be the second-most-read religious book in history, after the Bible. It was September 29, 1978, the day Pope John Paul I (the Italian Albino Luciani) was found dead in his bed, before dawn. Sensation-mongers cried murder, but what I heard was The Imitation of Christ—the book the Pope was reading when he died. I drove to Borders and b...more It took me 33 years to read The Imitation of Christ. I know the exact date when I first heard of this devotional manual by 15th-century monk Thomas à Kempis, said to be the second-most-read religious book in history, after the Bible. It was September 29, 1978, the day Pope John Paul I (the Italian Albino Luciani) was found dead in his bed, before dawn. Sensation-mongers cried murder, but what I heard was The Imitation of Christ—the book the Pope was reading when he died. I drove to Borders and bought a copy, same day.

This is hard to explain. I would not be a Catholic for another 30 years, but ever since the conclave that elected Pope John XXIII in October 1958, when I was seven, I had watched Papal transitions with rapt fascination: the red hats, the black smoke and the white, the Latin words Habemus Papam, and the strange sound of that name Wojtyla—voy-TEE-wa. But that came later. The world, Catholic and otherwise, was saddened by the death of the beautiful, unassuming little Luciani, and I was touched when the cardinal from Poland with the strange name honored him by becoming John Paul II.

Why did I buy the book? At the time, I was walking a spiritual path that was only tangentially Christian, but I’m sure the Call was already out for me. I’m hard of hearing, but not entirely deaf. I read the first of the four sections of the book, which today are heavily underlined with 33-year-old ink, then I set the book aside. I wasn’t ready.

What I remember most about that first encounter was the book’s foreword, which explains that Thomas à Kempis started out as a member of the Brotherhood of the Common Life. This movement, which emerged in the 14th century and faded to black in the 19th, was perhaps not unlike Memores Domini, the subset of consecrated laypeople within the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation today. Although I always intended to marry, and have, I continue to be fascinated with the notion of living communally with other Christians while working in the world, a monk with a lunch pail and a daily commute.

I think I know why I was not ready for The Imitation in 1978, at age 25. I had not completely shed my adolescent obsession with rules for living well. I was so lacking in self-confidence as a 19-year-old that I was perpetually writing out rules for living. I read anything that seemed to offer rules, from Martin Buber to Alan Watts, Karen Horney to G. I. Gurdjieff. I thought that if I could just boil all wisdom down to one or two rules—and remember them, all day and night—life would finally sort itself out.

I had not yet come to grips with the Great Commandments—love God, love neighbor—because I had not yet come to grips with the Great Commander.

Now The Imitation of Christ seems so simple to me, if harder to apply. Sure, it is a litany of admonitions, but they all boil down to the same thing: the conversion that Pope Benedict XVI has been calling for, not the conversion of non-Christians but our own conversion, as Catholics, a true turn toward Christ, whom Thomas places inside, in the inmost, quietest corner of the soul.(less)

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Mar 03, 2009 L. R. Bouligny Bouligny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a’Kempis is a collection of proverbs and Scripture-based principles that have been greatly esteemed over the centuries as a helpful meditation on the Christian life. Written sometime between 1420-1427, this work includes various topics that all address the life of the disciple who chooses to forsake the world and follow Christ. Since the original was written anonymously, there has been uncertainty over the years as to who penned this work; however, most scholars...more The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a’Kempis is a collection of proverbs and Scripture-based principles that have been greatly esteemed over the centuries as a helpful meditation on the Christian life. Written sometime between 1420-1427, this work includes various topics that all address the life of the disciple who chooses to forsake the world and follow Christ. Since the original was written anonymously, there has been uncertainty over the years as to who penned this work; however, most scholars today acknowledge a’Kempis as the author.

The book does not begin with any background information or even an introduction. Instead, what we find is a collection of proverbs and pithy statements that are based on the wisdom of the Bible; mostly practical, and oftentimes rich with meditative treasure. The divisions in the book are usually short, not spending too much time on one subject or another.

In examining this work, it is helpful to know that its author was a monk, and his intention was to encourage other monks to live lives devoted to Christ through submission and sacrifice. His devotion to seclusion and self denial are made evident on nearly every page. Because of this overemphasis on isolation, however, it does not take long to discover glaring errors in the theology of a’Kempis. His understanding of God is very consistent with the time in which he lived and the Catholic Church in which he served. His constant plea to the reader is one of works, sacrifice, and submission. No one would argue that all of these are vital to a Christian’s life, but the context in which a’Kempis writes often gives the impression that these things make one righteous before God.

A’Kempis is puzzling to say the least. In one portion of his writings his focus is on the sovereignty of God over all things—including the human will—and in the next section he seems to convey the idea that it is ultimately man’s responsibility. For example, in Book III he says, “Are not all arduous labors to be endured to gain eternal life? Losing or gaining the kingdom of God is no small matter!” (47:4). Yet, just a few chapters later, he comments, “Father, all holy, this is the way You have designed it and desired it and since You have commanded it, it has come to pass.” (50:3 ). Contrasting statements like these beg the question whether it is God who saves the lost sinner, or if it is man’s persistence in the disciplines.

The contention here may be over how the author applies the word ‘grace’. In the biblical view, grace means that salvation is free because of what Christ has done for those who believe—by faith alone, in Christ alone. What a’Kempis means by grace, it appears, it entirely different. The grace he speaks of is God responding to the efforts of human behavior, saving men because of their self denial rather than God initiating grace and transforming men unto good works. It is hard to codify his true thoughts because there is so much language throughout the book that makes one think that a’Kempis is on the biblical path—only to get a little farther to find him making contradictory claims.

Because of the aforementioned issues, it is difficult to say whether or not the author is a genuine believer or one who is trusting in his works to be saved. In reading this, the Christian cannot help but be stirred with the love that a’Kempis seems to have for the Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks to Him from his inmost being, yearning to be with Him and to know Him. But since it is impossible to look into someone’s heart, all the pleas of self denial and sacrifice make his standing with God appear to be entirely works-based. It is not for certain that it is the biblical Jesus to whom a’Kempis is crying out.

He often makes very spiritually nebulous comments that sound like they could be written on the walls of a Buddhist temple. For example, he states, “[I:]t is great and wonderful to be able to do without all consolation, both human and divine…and not seek one’s self nor think of ones deserts” (Book II, chp 9:1). Since Buddhist principles teach that the pinnacle of living is to escape all desires and feelings, it is not difficult to make the comparison. The book is replete with such statements that associate holiness with isolation and self denial. All throughout the work he is pitting himself against any type of comfort, drawing the reader to the conclusion that all forms of comfort are unspiritual or equivalent to loving the world. While it is true that any comfort here on earth is merely temporal and we are not to adore these things, a’Kempis implies that all earthly comfort is from the evil one and is used to pull believers away from Christ.

Perhaps the most disheartening thing about The Imitation of Christ, is when a’Kempis transitions from a monologue to an alleged dialogue with Jesus himself. Each chapter is broken up into sections where Jesus speaks to the Disciple, and the Disciple responds to Jesus. The idea of transcribing what the Son of God is saying apart from Scripture is near to the sin of blasphemy. Since no one knows what Jesus says or thinks apart from what has already been revealed, having an imaginary conversation with Him is attributing things to Him from one’s own thoughts.

Once the reader reaches part IV of the book, the author’s theological errors mixed into the words of Jesus create no small insult to the Christian who relates to the Jesus of Scripture and understands the plain meanings of his teachings. He portrays Jesus as repeatedly encouraging the partaking of the Eucharist, making it obvious that Jesus teaches its importance for sanctification. As it goes on, it is clear why men are not to put words into Jesus’ mouth—because man is sinful and fallen and cannot clearly grasp what Jesus might say. One example of this would be where a’Kempis has Jesus telling the Disciple not to listen to the devil’s temptations, but instead to rebuke him. He writes, “And when [the devil:] does suggest foul and wicked things to you, give it right back to him, saying: ‘Get out of here you foul mouthed spirit, you obscene tempter! You are nothing but filth to utter such gross things into my ears.” (Book II chp 26:4). This is contrary to Scripture, since it says in the book of Jude that not even the Archangel Michael rebuked the devil, but rather said “The Lord rebuke you!"

While this review may seem harsh and critical, there were segments of this book that were glimmers of light and comfort to me. I could read portions of this devotionally, not concentrating on the errors of purgatory, the elevation of the mass, or even comments about praying for the dead, but just focusing on statements that are true and helpful for me in my Christian walk. Statements such as “If you have completely conquered yourself, you will easily conquer all other things.” (Book III chp. 53:2), or “He who only superficially trims his temptations and does not pull them out by their roots, advances little.” (Book I chp. 13:4). This type of insightful truth is helpful to the Christian, yet there is too much theological ignorance throughout this work to recommend it to a fellow believer. His dialogue with “Jesus”, false view of the sacraments, and misunderstanding of self denial are all too great of hurdles to leap in an attempt to find a nugget of truth.

Whether a’Kempis was a Christian or not will be revealed on the last day, but as for now, we must strive to maintain his passion for servitude and submission, while watching our doctrine carefully, so as to not put unnecessary burdens on others.
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Jul 28, 2010 Ellie Sorota rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-nonfiction

Truly, this is a 1.5 star book in my record, but I didn't have the option. Although one of the most popular books in Christian literary history, I found this text difficult to connect with because of the jabbing absolutes and insistence on isolation. Kempis' Christianity resounds with joylessness; and as one member of our book group commented, he comes across as the kind likely to be disappointed by heaven.
The overwhelming theme of the text is suffering, that is, imitating Christ through suffe...more Truly, this is a 1.5 star book in my record, but I didn't have the option. Although one of the most popular books in Christian literary history, I found this text difficult to connect with because of the jabbing absolutes and insistence on isolation. Kempis' Christianity resounds with joylessness; and as one member of our book group commented, he comes across as the kind likely to be disappointed by heaven.
The overwhelming theme of the text is suffering, that is, imitating Christ through suffering. Many times in the text, this point crescendos to suffering for the sake of suffering, rather than for any particular religious goal. Perhaps that impression stems from his lack of balance in describing Christian humility and our post-salvation predicament. Kempis endorses a life void of rejoicing in one's salvation, and suggests that to do so would imply haughtiness of spirit and a lack of contempt for sin. He also emphasizes disdain for the world, that the more mature one becomes in their faith, the more one should enjoy suffering and despise both self and world.
While I agree that humility is a difficult virtue to exist alongside human intellect, as humanity is always inventing ways to be impressed with itself, I cannot endorse Kempis' view that the world and self should be completely despised. Scripture tells us that the Kingdom of God is NOW, not just in the future, but occurring since Jesus began his ministry and finding its fulfillment in heaven. Why Kempis avoids this discussion, I do not know. However, if God is able to reside in my own heart, then there is that part of me which should never be despised.
Kempis also insist on solitude in the Christian life, and while it is true that we all eventually fail one another due to our own sinful imperfections, nowhere in scripture do I find solitude and isolation endorsed. Kempis says that one should seek God not above others, but instead of others. Again, this avoids a scriptural discussion on the body of Christ and our needs and obligations to others. Again and again, scripture resounds with the reminder that we cannot exist outside of community. Which, I suppose, is why even the monks retired from the world in the company of others.
The emphasis on suffering was a good reminder that adversity is, indeed, a guarantee of the Christian life (of any life, for that matter); and Kempis' insistence on faithfulness in the experience of suffering is a needed reminder for today's feel-good age. Also enjoyable, and boosting my review from 1 to 1.5 stars, is the end portion on communion. Reading Kempis' guide to communion preparation reminds the spirit of what a contrite posture feels like, and helps one bend into that impossible pose.
Overall, this is not a book I enjoyed reading, but my own disagreements with the text were quite stimulating. Perhaps that is the aim of Thomas a Kempis' impossible absolutes.(less)

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Oct 08, 2011 Donald Linnemeyer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: meditative-spiritual-writings

I read only the first two books, which are his ethical exhortations, which were great; very challenging and relevant, that same tone all good meditative authors seem to have. Some highlights:

It is a great thing to live in obedience, to be under a superior, and not to be our own judges.
It is much safer to obey than to govern.
Many live under obedience out of necessity rather than out of love. Those who do are discontented and easily distressed. They will never obtain peace of mind until they willi...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Regina Ripamonti rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've heard it said that every book has some bones in it....you eat the meat and spit out the bones. Well this book, The Imitation of Christ, has lots of 'bones' in my opinion. Some good morsels of meat too, though, thankfully. Written in the 15th C, I had to keep reminding myself that Thomas a Kempis wrote before the Reformation had taken off. He was a monk and embraced a lot of monkisms, like isolation is great, also encouraged harsh treatment of the body to purge us of sin, etc. He didn't seem...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Charles Lewis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I feel like a heretic giving this book such a low rating. Everything I've heard about it said it was a great spiritual classic and a must read for Catholics. Yet, at a certain point it just wore me down. It's view of the flesh and the material world is so bleak that it feels more fundamentalist Protestant than Catholic. It was explained to me that this was written for a certain audience at a certain point in history. Which is great but I'm not sure how it relates to me now. After all, we believe...more

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Jan 14, 2009 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Christians, but Catholics especially

Shelves: catholicism

This is a very difficult book. Not because it is a challenge to read, but because it is a challenge to understand. It is the sort of book that does not comfort, but forces you to question everything about your own life. And so it is a great book, and even a necessary one.

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Dec 01, 2008 Chellie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-my-possession

This one will definitely add thought throughout your day to day life in the actions you make and way you view even the little things random things. A must read for anyone of the faith and much guidance for those who are not!!!

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Feb 23, 2013 Dblaroche rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Listened to the Audible version which was converted by Dr Bill Creasy into contemporary English and read by Don Ranson. If you have never been able to get thru this Christian classic because of the archaic language, listening to this version is the solution. It's like listening to a very close long time friend who is mature in his Christian walk encourage you in your own walk. This is also available on iTunes so you don't have to be an Audible subscriber to get it. $5 what a deal. Listening is a...more

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Nov 10, 2009 Jonathan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: theology

Weak sauce.

It was okay, but his theology (his view of truth) is slightly askew in some important areas. He focuses mainly on the contemplative life, humility, and his worthlessness. He also focused on Jesus Christ as his only salvation and satisfaction; this was the best part of the book.

However, his three other emphases (as listed above) are so reflected on that I think he redefines the terms or if he doesn't redefine the terms he places an inordinate emphasis upon them (rather it might be bett...more

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Jul 23, 2011 David Sarkies rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian

I read this book for church history and I really did not like it. In a nutshell, it says that to get to heaven you have to be like Christ. That is not entirely correct. Okay, call me one-eyed, but as for my reading of the scriptures, it is not being good that get's one to heaven, because if it came down to being good, then we all loose out. Rather, it is through God's grace that he allows us into his presence, and this is something that is completely missed in this book. Many say that the reform...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Noel Barcelona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

The Imitation of Christ by St. Thomas a Kempis invites its audience to reflect and be of the shadow of the Master Lord Jesus Christ. It's a collection of reflections and prayers written by the revered monk. If read by spirit, it will take you to the heights of practical (Catholic) Christian spirituality and will able to fulfill what the Lord himself had said: "Otherwise believe for the very works' sake. Amen, amen I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do; and...more

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Jan 02, 2010 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: theology-apologetics

The insights into human life were excellent, but the theology wasn't that great. (Obviously, he was a Catholic monk). The entire fourth book was about the receiving of Holy Communion or the Eucharist. He believed in transubstantiation as well as the ability of man's reason to 'choose' good. He also advocated an ascetic life of deprivation for all readers. I suppose that in this time period, the only people who would read his book would have been monks, and so this recommendation would have been...more

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Sep 22, 2009 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is not a book that can be read quickly. It is very spiritual and challenges the reader. At the same time,this book can be rather intimidating. After all, the writer was a monk and lived in a religious community -- and his opportunities for prayer and meditation and quietness are inherent in his environment. I was able to relate more readily to Brother Lawrence's book, as he worked in a kitchen, and his walk was linked to his relationship with others in his everyday encounters. There are par...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Josiah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Thomas A. Kempis speaks to us across the centuries with the timeless, hard truths about the Christian's quest to become as like our Lord and Savior as is possible in this life here below. The writing and ideals of this book savor strongly of the ascetic life of the monastery but do not succumb to a fully monastic frame of thought, and even though the author may speak too strongly at times in favor of abandoning the company of men to be alone with Christ, I fear many of us are so far the apposite...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Steven van Doorn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

C.S. Lewis makes a very astute point about reading old books "Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books. All contemporary writers share to some extent the contemporary outlook—even those, like myself, who seem most opposed to it. … To be sure, the books of the future would be just as good...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Jeffrey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction-religion

This was my first go at reading a devotional text, so this was a challenging read for me. It was well written and very pretty, which is I think is ironic because the author spends a great deal of time bemoaning the superfluity of words.

Thomas says a few things that I agree with, and if he had stopped there I would have given this book a higher rating. He talks about how prayers should be done in private, because it's more beneficial to you that way. He talks about how you should always be willin...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Helen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, theology-philosophy, classic, 2012, favs, reviewed

Written in the early C15th by a Catholic monk, one may be forgiven for initially believing this book to be irrelevant in today's modern world. Written primarily it seems for men in a monastic setting, it recommends solitude, constant devotion and mortification etc in order to get closer to God. "Imitation of Christ" would be expected to be being like Jesus IN the World, as He was, whereas Thomas a Kempis shuns the world totally and suggests readers - to whom he addresses directly on occasion - d...more Written in the early C15th by a Catholic monk, one may be forgiven for initially believing this book to be irrelevant in today's modern world. Written primarily it seems for men in a monastic setting, it recommends solitude, constant devotion and mortification etc in order to get closer to God. "Imitation of Christ" would be expected to be being like Jesus IN the World, as He was, whereas Thomas a Kempis shuns the world totally and suggests readers - to whom he addresses directly on occasion - do likewise via the medium of gently sermonising chapters. Some of the book is written from different points of view in different voices; sometimes the voice of the disciple, sometimes God (The Voice of the Beloved) and this makes it read a little like Gibran's The Prophet, Song of Solomon or The Psalms in the Bible. The 4th Chapter - on the Eucharist - has a beautiful portion that is in part a prayer in contemplation prior to Communion. It's beautifully written, and I can't imagine any Christian not getting something from it especially exorting readers to take more time, attention and reverence to the occasion, or generally uplifting their spiritual walk.

The book still maintains the old English - thankfully not modernised (I have no idea when my edition was printed) - although I think the translation is not contemporary to C15th but more in the language of the King James Bible (C17th), perhaps even later. It is beautiful to read aloud, it isn't difficult to understand and has a charming lyrical flow. I found it fairly easy to see through/past the cultural and theological differences (eg transubstantiation, honour of saints etc) they just weren't relevant in the light of the grand scheme of what Kempis has to say. Essentially, it is a magnum opus of piety and spiritual observation or "exercise" as Kempis calls it in devotion, rather like the Psalms were a work of devotion for King David.

Much of what he has to say is strangely relevant in our culture today; focussing more on Christ and putting our spiritual communion with God first, and put "The World" in the backseat. This book recommends the joys of more time spent in quiet meditation, and reminds us that living in the shadow of the cross isn't meant to be easy, popular or free from tribulation (take heed Prosperity teachers!) and we must aim to store up treasure in Heaven not here. Alongside reading of the Bible and imitating the Christ of the Gospels too, this book can be valuable but not necessarily an unchallenging read as it asks difficult questions, asks you to look to your own heart. For such a little book, it packs quite a punch, and one can learn a lot no matter how old or culturally unfamiliar it may at first seem.

In the voice of The Beloved (Book IV, Chapter VIII) a distillation of the whole book, Christ says:
"What do I require of thee more, than that thou study to resign thyself entirely unto Me?
Whatsoever thou givest besides thyself, is of no value in My sight, for I seek not thy gifts, but thee"(less)

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Historical Info f...: Looking for suggestions - 15th century Northern Europe	5	35	Jun 07, 2012 08:19pm
Buddy read anyone?	2	17	Nov 12, 2011 04:06pm
the Christian life	2	31	Mar 17, 2010 02:58pm

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