The Imitation Of Christ by Thomas à Kempis - Books

The Imitation of Christ

By Thomas à Kempis Religion & Spirituality 20/01/2023

A new, revised translation of Thomas à Kempis' spiritual masterwork, originally written in 15th century Latin. This edition takes the well-loved Benham translation as its starting point and features:

New translations to more accurately reflect the meaning of the original text for modern readers.

Updated grammar and revised language to reflect modern English conventions, while retaining the classic feel of the Benham edition.

Select annotations to help explain the ideas behind Thomas' writing, including the tensions and apparent contradictions within the text.

The Imitation of Christ is one of the most popular works of Christian devotion and popular piety. Many of its chapters take up only a single page or two, but they are packed with spiritual insights that continue to bear fruit long after the first reading. These bite-sized chapters make the work easy to read and exceptionally approachable - perfect for use as a daily prayer meditation or devotional.

Thomas à Kempis was born in 1379 or 1380 in Kempen, Germany. At the age of thirteen, he followed his brother John to university at Deventer, in Holland, and then into religious life at the nearby town of Windesheim. There, Thomas joined a community of Canons Regular and became part of a fledgling spiritual revival known as the devotio moderna. This work, The Imitation of Christ, would become a seminal text capturing the spirit of this movement and its eager desire to return to a true, humble, and authentic devotion to Christ. It has since become the most widely read book on Christianity apart from the Bible.