The Imitation of Christ (Vintage Spiritual Classics) (Paperback)

~ Thomas a Kempis (Author), Joseph N. Tylenda (Translator) "Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness," says the Lord..." (more)
Key Phrases: human consolation, Holy Communion, Lord God, Jesus Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Thomas à Kempis fan club includes St. Ignatius, Thomas Merton, Thomas More, and even Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. (She reads a chapter of The Imitation of Christ every night before sleep.) Imitation has exerted immense influence on Christian worship, ethics, and church structure, because it gives specific yet broad-minded guidance about the central task of Christian life--learning to live like Jesus. Better to read this book a little here and there, now and then, than to try gobbling it cover to cover. Imitation is no triumph of orderly thinking, but it's a great monument and incentive to deep living. --Michael Joseph Gross

Review

This classic has drawn thousands of readers down the ages, including Henry VIII's chancellor Thomas More, John Wesley, Irish patriot Daniel O'Connell and St Ignatius of Loyola, who reputedly would offer the book as a gift to acquaintances. Not surprisingly for such a timeless, readable and profound work, it still has many fans. The author, born in Germany and later a monk at Mount St Agnes, Zwolle, made a copy of the Bible as well as writing three other devotional works. He died in 1471. This book is remarkably contemporary in translation, losing none of its simplicity and profoundity. In a chapter on 'despising the world's honours', for example, 'God' advises: 'My son, don't feel down in the dumps when you see others being promoted ... raise your heart to me in heaven and the disdain the world shows you will no longer grieve you.' This edition, part of a series of resurrected spiritual classics and nicely presented in paperback, makes an ideal gift. (Kirkus UK) --(Kirkus UK) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; Rev Sub edition (March 24, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375700188
• ISBN-13: 978-0375700187
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #192,332 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #10 in

  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( T ) > Thomas a' Kempis

• This item is part of The Vintage Spiritual Classics Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Translation of the World's 2nd Most Important Book, March 13, 2000

By	Mark Blackburn (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Imitation of Christ (Paperback)

I have several translations of the Imitation but I keep coming back to this one. I believe many readers will find this translation 'flows' better than the others, written as it is in a warm, gentle and accessible style by a master translator and communicator, Monsignor Ronald Knox. A convert to Catholicism who produced an acclaimed Latin-to-English translation of the Bible, Knox completed the first 30 or so chapters of the Imitation before his death in 1957. He wrote to Michael Oakley, two months before his passing: "If I die without finishing my translation, please tell my executors that you are to finish it." The younger Latin scholar did a splendid, seamless job of completing Knox's superb translation of what was--until this century--the second most widely read book in the world. What a delight that this version is once again available, almost 40 years after its first publication. If you purchase only one copy of the Imitation in your lifetime, make it this one.

60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very important book to Christianity, June 3, 2000

By	Jeffrey Leach (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Imitation of Christ (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I'm not a Christian but I have almost completed a minor in Christianity at the college I attend. I study Christianity because of my interest in European history. This book, written by a 15th century cloistered monk, is amazing for its strong use of language to convey how one should interact with God through Jesus. But even outside the sphere of religious thought, there are some good statements that could apply to everyday life, although Thomas would scoff at the idea that someone could do this independent of God. Consider the following short excerpts:

"It is only by patience and true humility that we can grow stronger than all our foes." --pg. 40

"For every bodily pleasure brings joy at first, but at length it bites and destroys." --pg. 52

"Alas, a long life often adds to our sins rather than to our virtue!" --pg. 58

These are just a few quotes from a book that has many memorable lines. Most of the book deals with how man should submit himself to Christ. The format Thomas uses is dialogue, between Christ and a disciple. Like Plato's use of dialogue, it is an effective means of getting his ideas across. Thomas even examines the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and concludes that only through pure thought and hard work at patience and humility can one be able to effectively use these sacraments to become one with Christ, and through him, God.

The only downfall I can see with this book is that it is aimed at the cloistered, or as Thomas calls them, the "Religious." Thomas sees the process of submitting to God as more then a full-time job. Because of this, most people would be shut out of union with Christ. But the book was written to help those in the monastery.

I certainly recommend this to anyone interested in Christian history or Christianity in general. I believe that for myself, I will probably read this again, as one reading isn't enough to get all the gold out of the text. The book used to be second only to the Bible in popularity. I read the Penguin version translated by Leo Sherley-Price.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Spiritual Classic of the West, May 20, 1998

By A Customer

Imitation of Christ is said to be the most influential spiritual work in Western Christendom other than the Bible itself. This fresh contemporary translation from the 15th Century Latin edition makes the timeless wisdom of this classic available to modern readers in easily understandable language, while retaining the austerity, simplicity and beauty of the original. Meant to be read in small portions, the Imitation is truly a guide for discovering personal holiness. The Imitation speaks to one's heart, rather than one's mind, and provides one with strength, inspiration and fortitude to grow in one's interior spiritual life. Although written from the presepctive of a mideval monastic, The Imitation contains classic advice for every individual who wishes to develop and grow in faith and personal spirituality.