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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.

Reviews:

• After the bible, this is the touchstone and probably the best-loved book of Christianity. Its author, Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471), had a wide knowledge of the Scriptures and classical philosophy, and although most of his life was spent in a Dutch monastery, he also possessed a deep understanding of human nature. His acquired wisdom convinced him of man’s complete dependence on God’s love and the empty futility of life without it. The book has exercised a profound influence for over 500 years, and Thomas More, Ignatius Loyola and John Wesley are among the many who have acknowledged their debt to it.

• The Imitation of Christ consists of four books with short chapters in each book. The core message of the work is humility, and for Christians to shut out the world and deny himself. It also discusses the importance of the Sacrament of Eucharist. I was drawn to this book after reading St Therese of Lisieux’s ‘Story of a Soul’. St Therese was clearly greatly inspired by Kempis’ work, and lived her life based on the teachings of this book. At superficial level, one might have the idea that the teachings in this book require holiness of the highest degree. A disciple of Christ would need to shut out the world and devote himself only to Jesus. Not all humans can fully shut out the world. Upon deeper reading, I see this book more as a devotion rather than a list of rules. At the core of its message is the urge for Christians to live in humility and humbleness, and to glorify nothing and no one but God. That God Himself is enough. I understand that un-holiness is a nature of the disciple, that I am unholy, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be close to Jesus and live with Him and He in me. My lack of holiness is the very reason why I should follow Him and remain close to him. Reading this book makes me realise that much of the unhappiness in this world is actually caused by human’s desire to glorify himself and the world, rather than God. If humans can learn to live in humility and ascribe glory to God and God alone, many people can be spared from a lot of sufferings and heartaches.

The book contains not only teachings, but also prayers that I can use daily as my own. I’m very blessed by this book, and would recommend it to all Christians seeking to live a holy life.

Thomas a Kempis was born near Dusseldorf in 1380. He became attached to the Congregation of Common Life at the age of thirteen, and was professed in 1406, receiving the priesthood in 1413 at the age of thirty-three. He wrote many devotional works and became Sub-Prior and Master of the Novices at the monastery of Mount St Agnes. He died in 1471.

Leo Sherley-Price was Rural Dean and parish priest in Devon., and translated a number of historical and theological books.