The Imitation of Christ (Hendrickson Christian Classics) [Hardcover]

Thomas a Kempis (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hendrickson Christian Classics | Publication Date: August 2004

One of the best-loved books of Christianity after the Bible, The Imitation of Christ is a passionate celebration of God and His love, mercy and holiness, which has inspired conversion and stimulated religious devotion for over five hundred years. With great personal conviction, Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) demonstrates the individual's reliance on God and on the words of Christ, and the futility of life without faith. Thomas spent some seventy years of his life in the reclusive environment of monasteries, yet in this astonishing work he demonstrates an encompassing understanding of human nature and his writing speaks to readers of every age and every nation.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers (August 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565634365
• ISBN-13: 978-1565634367
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #313,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Landmark of Spiritual Growth, May 5, 2007

By 

J. Miller (LA, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Imitation of Christ (Hendrickson Christian Classics) (Hardcover)

Thomas' work is a call to the experience of God in the tradition of medieval spiritual writings. He calls the reader to the disciplines of obedience, humility, and self-denial. If we suffer in this world, we are only to take it as a reminder that our hope and our reward are not here (I.12). We should avert ourselves from the pleasures and conceits of this world to focus on silence and solitude (I.20). Jesus is to be loved more than anything in the world (II.8).

Book three, by far the longest of the four, focuses on renouncing the world for the sake of inner peace. Here Thomas sounds a hint like a Buddhist, unflappable and unaffected, but rather than hoping for the destruction of self as an end in itself, he is hoping for another world that makes this one pale in comparison. Written as a prolonged dialogue between Christ and "The Disciple," we are told, "I desire to have you wholly divested of self" (III.37). Like many works of monastic or medieval spirituality, we seem to receive a lot more on what we are to give up than on the benefits of doing so. In a rare break with the flow of the text, Thomas gives us a rhapsody on the beauty of love (III.5). Aside from that, the primary benefit of self-denial seems to be freedom of conscience.

Book four concludes with a praise of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the importance of preparing one's heart for it before receiving it, and the power of being brought into the presence of God through it. This is apparently either the source of or a supreme example of our union with Christ, experienced as we take his body into ours to become his body.

Overall, a powerful call to humility and self-denial that are the prerequisites for the experience of the presence of God.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another timeless Christian Classic, August 29, 2005

By 

M. King "Book Digester" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Imitation of Christ (Hendrickson Christian Classics) (Hardcover)

Another Christian Classic that stands head and shoulders above most of the rest. This book is written so that you can read it for 5 minutes a day and be truly blessed. Thomas `a Kempis insight into the human condition is truly timeless. The spiritual condition of man in the 1400's was not different than today. Times may change but man remains the same.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone Should Own, Regardless of Faith, March 3, 2007

By 

Prosecutor (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Imitation of Christ (Hendrickson Christian Classics) (Hardcover)

This book was first given to me by a law school professor who was Catholic. I was a bit unsure of the book at first because I was not Catholic. It is a wonderful book. It has practical applications for all, regardless of what faith they hold. I have given this book to several people since it was first given to me. A must have for any library.