The Imitation of Christ
by Thomas à Kempis
Fifteenth century, the Low Countries. A movement called the Modern Devotion is urging Christians toward a simple, interior faith, and from it comes a little book traditionally credited to a monk named Thomas à Kempis. Its title is its whole program: The Imitation of Christ.
There are four parts. The first gives advice for the spiritual life. The second counsels the interior life. The third is a long dialogue in which Christ speaks to the soul. The fourth is a book on the Eucharist. The chapters are short, often a single page, and full of sayings that go straight for the heart. They cover humility, not judging others, carrying your cross, the vanity of chasing praise, and the peace of loving God above all things. The tone is serious, sometimes stern, never cold.
It suits daily reading and prayer, people who want wisdom in small doses, and catechumens preparing for the Eucharist, who will find the fourth book especially fitting. Read one chapter. Then stop. Let it work. This is not a book to sprint through.
Key Takeaways
- Humility and freedom from the need for praise.
- How to carry your cross with peace.
- An inner dialogue with Christ.
- A devotional preparation for the Eucharist.
It is a centuries-old book of short readings on humility, prayer and the love of Jesus.
