The Imitation of Christ
by Thomas à Kempis · De imitatione Christi
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 1418-1427
- Era
- Renaissance
- Form
- Theology
- Language
- Latin
- Length
- Short · 200 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Approachable1 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Imitation of Christ, translated by Leo Sherley-PricePenguin Classics, 1952Plain and long in print; the Harvard Classics uses William Benham's translation.
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A devotional handbook in four books, composed in a monastery near Zwolle and circulated anonymously before being ascribed to the canon Thomas à Kempis. The first book gives counsels for the spiritual life and warns against learning without humility; the second turns inward to the interior life; the third, the longest, is a dialogue between Christ and the disciple on consolation; the fourth concerns the sacrament of the altar. It has been the most widely read Christian book after the Bible.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Imitation of Christ are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.