The Imitation Of Christ [Paperback]

Thomas A. Kempis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2007

With the exception of the Bible, no Christian writing has had so wide a vogue or so sustained a popularity as this. And yet, in one sense, it is hardly an original work at all. Its structure it owes largely to the writings of the medieval mystics, and its ideas and phrases are a mosaic from the Bible and the Fathers of the early Church. But these elements are interwoven with such delicate skill and a religious feeling at once so ardent and so sound, that it promises to remain, what it has been for five hundred years, the supreme call and guide to spiritual aspiration. The treatise "Of the Imitation of Christ" appears to have been originally written in Latin early in the fifteenth century. Its exact date and its authorship are still a matter of debate. Manuscripts of the Latin version survive in considerable numbers all over Western Europe, and they, with the vast list of translations and of printed editions, testify to its almost unparalleled popularity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Filiquarian (November 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599869799
• ISBN-13: 978-1599869797
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,090,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Imitation of Christ, February 13, 2009

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Rosary Girl (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Imitation Of Christ (Paperback)

I like the content of this book; however, the interpretation is hard to follow. I bought another with an interpretation that was easier to understand.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imitate Christ by living a spiritual life, May 18, 2008

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Steve Burns (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Imitation Of Christ (Paperback)

This wonderful book was written by the priest Thomas a Kempis in the 1400's and is very reminecient of the Apostle Paul's writings by encouraging readers to live a simple spiritual life. It recommends that peace is found in the heart of the humble and that in overcoming the ego you overcome the world. Joy is found in a quiet conscience and you are only happy when you have done what is right. This may also be the original source of the advice to choose the less of two evils. It also warns that pleasure and desire carry the seeds of sorrow. This book is spiritual focusing on living the inner life and not getting entangled with the world. A must read for all Christians or anyone on a spiritual path.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second Only to The Bible, January 22, 2008

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D. Harrington (NYC) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Imitation Of Christ (Paperback)

It is true that this book is second only to the Bible in terms of readership but also in inspiration. And it may seem that contemporary English versions (and they are available) would be more relevant and easier to read than this "old fashioned" way of speaking and writing, with the "thou"s and "thou wilt"s. But this way of writing is actually more conducive to capturing the original flavor of what the original must have been like. Written in the 1400s by Thomas Kempis, it was written by a monk FOR MONKS, as a kind of handbook. But nowadays its relevance is for all of us. I recommend this particular translation much much more than the contemporary English versions. This one takes the text to a higher level, in my opinion.