Imitation Of Christ (Moody Classics) [Mass Market Paperback]

Thomas A. A'Kempis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 1984 | Series: Moody Classics

A classic treasure on prayer, devotion, and communion that will aid believers in cultivating the riches of the inner life with God.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"e;There is no middle ground; our faith must be passionately focused on Christ, or we become earthbound, caught up with concerns, pleasures, and friends who will inevitably fail us."e;

Thomas a Kempis was not a haphazard follower of Jesus.  The depth of his masterpiece mirrors the life of a man who did whatever was necessary to imitate his own Savior. 

A Kempis lived as intentionally as he wrote.  We must turn away from the things of this world, we must live sacrificially, we must be inundated with Christ's passionate teaching, and we must pray to be removed from distraction.

A classic in every state of the word, The Imitation of Christ places the fruit of one man's single-minded devotion to God's calling on his life within the reach of every reader.  May we all commit to be this effective in our emulation of Jesus. 

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

THOMAS A KEMPIS (1380-1471), a Dutch priest, quietly lived to more than ninety, practicing exercises of devotion, writing and copying, reading, preaching, and exhorting others.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Moody Publishers (April 8, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802440053
• ISBN-13: 978-0802440051
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,748,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humble beginnings, August 8, 2007

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Michael D. Stone "Mikie" (greeneville Tn) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Imitation Of Christ (Moody Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True spiritual classic, July 10, 2011

By 

Dr. Bojan Tunguz (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Imitation of Christ (Moody Classics) (Paperback)

"Imitation of Christ" is one of the most widely read Christian spiritual works of all time. In the Middle Ages only the Bible had a wider readership. After you start reading it, it becomes immediately obvious why this would be the case: its approachable style and the perennial good advice that emanates from its every page make this an incredibly readable and inspiring book. The book is not strictly speaking an invitation for modeling one's life on particular historical events in the life of Jesus. This is no "What Would Jesus Do" manual. Rather, it's a distillation of the wisdom and teachings of Christianity as presented primarily in the Bible and the early Church Fathers. The result is a fascinating work of spiritual insight that has proven to have timeless practical relevance to the lives of Christians throughout the centuries.

The book also places a strong emphasis on growing one's faith within the Church. The last part of the book is almost entirely dedicated to the veneration and reflection on the Eucharist. Unfortunately, in recent years there has been a diminishing appreciation of Church's sacramental gifts, even within Christian communities that had traditionally placed a great emphasis on this particular way of getting closer to Christ. Hopefully reading this book may rekindle some of that appreciation in a reader who has not thought about it much lately.

Whatever your Christian tradition may be, you will take a lot from this insightful and inspirational book. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in deepening their spiritual life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too World-Denying at Times but Still Nourishes the Soul, February 18, 2011

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Fr. Charles Erlandson (Tyler, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Imitation of Christ (Moody Classics) (Paperback)

Thomas a Kempis' "The Imitation of Christ" is a perennial spiritual classic that many have heard of but fewer have read. Surprisingly, considering I'm a 21st century Protestant (alright, I'm an Anglican and a Reformed Catholic), it's a book that I find provides a lot of spiritual nourishment.

"The Imitation of Christ" is divided into 4 Books and 114 chapters. The Books are titled: "Admonitions Useful for a Spiritual Life," "Admonitions Leading to the Inner Life," "The Inward Speaking of Christ to a Faithful Soul," and "Which Treats Especially of the Sacrament of the Altar."

It is a cornucopia of devotional material, some of it better than others. What a Kempis does well is place before the believer the continual need to seek Christ above all things. A Kempis is definitely on the ascetic side, which is not surprising since he was a monk. He makes a constant plea for denying oneself to follow Christ, a plea that many contemporary Christians and churches need to hear. This is not an "inspirational," "I'm OK you're OK," "God has to bless me with riches" kind of a book!

Much of what a Kempis offers is practical spiritual advice, such as advice on "the profit of adversity" or the importance of knowing God and not just studying about Him. This advice is often very pithy and useful, and he definitely gives the soul a lot to meditate one. Another thing a Kempis does well is to keep pointing us toward eternity and reminding us that this world is not all there is. This, too, is a helpful antidote to our modern lives. One of the best and most overlooked features of this book is the wonderful, deep prayers that are scattered throughout the work. Some of these are truly moving and should be prayed more often.

However, there are a few reasons why I can't give the book 5 stars. Sometimes the advice sounds a little like Polonius from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Other times, it's clear that a Kempis is too world-denying in his faith. As a pastor, I am constantly counseling people to deny themselves and take up their cross. On the other hand, a Kempis counsels us too often to retreat from the world.

Sometimes a Kempis advice is too moralistic and even legalistic in that his advice can seem like a list of things we have to do to merit God's favor. At times there is too much of a tone of "You must do this to find favor with God" and not enough of the grace of God. And sometimes, coming from a medieval monastic world, his advice is not very good for people who have to live in the world.

You might think that Book IV, on "The Sacrament of the Altar," would be offensive to non- Roman Catholics. Yet most of what he says is acceptable to most Protestants, especially those from more historic traditions, such as Anglicans and Lutherans. I find that is spurs me on, above all, to reverence Christ and seek Him.

In summary, there is still a place for a book like "The Imitation of Christ" in the world of devotional books today, for it still has the ability to help lead us to and to imitate Christ.