The Imitation of Christ: A Timeless Classic for Contemporary Readers

by Thomas à Kempis, Dennis Billy C.Ss.R. (Foreword by), William C. Creasy (Editor)

Overview

In preparing this edition of The Imitation of Christ, the aim was to achieve a simple, readable text which would ring true to those who are already lovers of this incomparable book and would attract others to it. No claim of literary excellence over the many English versions now extant is here advanced, nor any attempt to solve in further confusion the problem of the book's authorship. As editor and translator, Kempis was not without his faults, but thanks to him the Imitation became and has remained, after the Bible, the most widely read book in the world. It is his edition that is here rendered into English, without deletion or chapters or parts of them because doubts exist as to their authorship, or because of variants in style, or for any of the other more or less valid reasons.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780870612312
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	01/28/2004
Edition description:	with new foreword
Pages:	194
Sales rank:	82,585
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.45(d)

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST AND CONTEMPT FOR THE VANITIES OF THE WORLD

"Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness," says the Lord. These are Christ's own words by which He exhorts us to imitate His life and His ways, if we truly desire to be enlightened and free of all blindness of heart. Let it then be our main concern to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ.

2. Christ's teaching surpasses that of all the saints, and whoever has His spirit will find in His teaching hidden manna. But it happens that many are little affected, even after a frequent hearing of His Gospel. This is because they do not have the spirit of Christ. If you want to understand Christ's words and relish them fully, you must strive to conform your entire life to His.

3. What good does it do you to be able to give a learned discourse on the Trinity, while you are without humility and, thus, are displeasing to the Trinity? Esoteric words neither make us holy nor righteous; only a virtuous life makes us beloved of God. I would rather experience repentance in my soul than know how to define it.

If you knew the entire Bible inside out and all the maxims of the philosophers, what good would it do you if you were, at the same time, without God's love and grace? Vanity of vanities! All is vanity, except our loving God and serving only Him. This is the highest wisdom: to despise the world and seek the kingdom of heaven.

4. It is vanity to seek riches that are sure to perish and to put your hope in them.

It is vanity to pursue honors and to set yourself up on a pedestal.

It is vanity to follow the desires of the flesh and to crave the things whichwill eventually bring you heavy punishment.

It is vanity to wish for a long life and to care little about leading a good life.

It is vanity to give thought only to this present life and not to think of the one that is to come.

It is vanity to love what is transitory and not to hasten to where everlasting joy abides.

5. Keep this proverb often in mind: The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. Therefore, withdraw your heart from the love of things visible and turn yourself to things invisible. Those who yield to their sensual nature dishonor their conscience and forfeit God's grace.

Chapter 2

HAVING A HUMBLE OPINION OF ONE 'S SELF

Everyone has a natural desire for knowledge but what good is knowledge without the fear of God? Surely a humble peasant who serves God is better than the proud astronomer who knows how to chart the heavens' stars but lacks all knowledge of himself.

If I truly knew myself I would look upon myself as insignificant and would not find joy in hearing others praise me. If I knew everything in the world and were still without charity, what advantage would I have in the eyes of God who is to judge me according to my deeds?

2. Curb all undue desire for knowledge, for in it you will find many distractions and much delusion. Those who are learned strive to give the appearance of being wise and desire to be recognized as such; but there is much knowledge that is of little or no benefit to the soul.

Whoever sets his mind on anything other than what serves his salvation is a senseless fool. A barrage of words does not make the soul happy, but a good life gladdens the mind and a pure conscience generates a bountiful confidence in God.

3. The more things you know and the better you know them, the more severe will your judgment be, unless you have also lived a holier life. Do not boast about the learning and skills that are yours; rather, be cautious since you do possess such knowledge.

4. If it seems to you that you know many things and thoroughly understand them all, realize that there are countless other things of which you are ignorant. Be not haughty, but admit your ignorance. Why should you prefer yourself to another, when there are many who are more learned and better trained in God's law than you are? If you are looking for knowledge and a learning that is useful to you, then love to be unknown and be esteemed as nothing.

5. This is the most important and most salutary lesson: to know and to despise ourselves. It is great wisdom and perfection to consider ourselves as nothing and always to judge well and highly of others. If you should see someone commit a sin or some grievous wrong, do not think of yourself as someone better, for you know not how long you will remain in your good state.

We are all frail; but think of yourself as one who is more frail than others.

Chapter 3

THE TEACHING OF TRUTH

Happy is the individual whom Truth instructs, not by means of obscure figures and fleeting words, but as it truly is in itself.

Our way of thinking and perceiving often misleads us and teaches us very little. What good is there in arguing about obscure and recondite matters, when our ignorance of such things will not be in question on the Day of Judgment? It is utter absurdity for us to neglect the things that are useful and necessary, and needlessly occupy ourselves with those that are merely curious and perhaps harmful. We have eyes, but we do not see.

2. Why should we concern ourselves with such philosophical words as genera and species? He whom the eternal Word teaches is set free from a multitude of theories. From this one Word all things come into being; all things speak this one Word, and this Word, who is the beginning, also speaks to us. Without this Word no one can understand or judge correctly. He for whom all things are in the One, and who refers all things to the One, and sees all things in the One, can remain steadfast in heart and abide in God's peace.

O God my Truth, make me one with You in eternal love. Often I become weary with reading and hearing many things. You are all that I want and desire. Let all teachers be mute and all creation keep silence before You. Speak to me, You, and You alone.

3. The more we are united to You and become inwardly simple, the more we can, and effortlessly too, understand sublime things about You, for we receive light and understanding from above.

He who has a pure, simple, and constant spirit is not distracted by the many things he does, because he does all for the honor of God and endeavors to remain inwardly free of all seeking of himself. What greater hindrance or annoyance is there than our heart's uncontrolled passions?

The good and devout person first inwardly plans the works that he will outwardly do, and does not allow himself to be drawn by any unworthy inclination, but, on the contrary, he accomplishes these works in accordance with the dictates of right reason.

No one undergoes a stronger struggle than the man who tries to subdue himself. This should be our chief employment: strive to overcome ourselves and gain such a mastery that we daily grow stronger and better.

4. All perfection in this life has some imperfection mixed with it, and all speculative thought involves a certain amount of fuzziness. A humble knowledge of yourself is a surer way to God than any deep scientific inquiry.

Neither learning in general nor knowledge of even simple things ought to be condemned, since they are something good in themselves and ordained by God; but a good conscience and a virtuous life are always to be preferred. Because many people spend more time and effort in becoming educated than in living properly, it happens that many, therefore, go astray and bear little or no fruit.

5. If we were as diligent in uprooting vices and planting virtues as we are in debating abstruse questions, there would not be so many evils or scandals among us nor such laxity in monastic communities. Certainly, when Judgment Day comes we shall not be asked what books we have read, but what deeds we have done; we shall not be asked how well we have debated, but how devoutly we have lived.

Tell me, where now are all those professors and doctors with whom you were once so well acquainted when they were alive, and who were famous for their learning? Others hold their positions today and I wonder whether these ever think of their predecessors. While they were alive they appeared to be men of influence, but today no one even mentions their names.

6. O, how quickly the glory of the world evanesces! Would that their living had been equal to their learning; then they would have studied and lectured to good purpose.

How many perish in the world because of useless learning and for caring little about the service of God! Because they prefer to be famous rather than humble, they lose themselves in intellectual acrobatics and come to nothing.

He is truly great who has abundant charity. He is truly great who is unimportant in his own eyes and considers the greatest of honors a mere nothing. He is truly wise who esteems all earthly things as dung so that he may gain Christ. Finally, he who does God's will and abandons his own is truly the most learned.

Chapter 4

PRUDENCE IN OUR ACTIONS

We ought not to be too ready to believe every word or item of gossip, but we ought to weigh each carefully and unhurriedly before God. Alas! Our weakness is such that we are often more readily inclined to believe and speak ill of someone than that which is good. But those who are perfect do not easily give credence to every tale they hear, for they know that human nature is prone to evil and that the human tongue can be treacherous.

2. It is a mark of great wisdom neither to be hasty in our actions nor stubbornly maintain our private opinions. It is also a part of wisdom neither to believe everything we hear, nor to pour it immediately into another's ear.

Seek counsel from one who is wise and honest and ask instruction from one you esteem; do not follow your own devices. A good life makes us wise in the eyes of God and makes us knowledgeable in many things. The more humble you are in heart and the more you submit yourself to God, the wiser will you be in everything, and greater peace will be yours.

Chapter 5

READING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

In Holy Scripture we seek truth and not eloquence. All Sacred Scripture should be read in the spirit with which it was written.

We should search the Scriptures for what is to our profit, rather than for niceties of language. You should read the simple and devout books as eagerly as those that are lofty and profound. The authority of the author, whether he be of great or little learning, ought not to influence you, but let the love of pure truth draw you to read them. Do not inquire about who is the one saying this, but pay attention to what he is saying.

2. Men enter and pass out of this world, but the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. God speaks to all of us in a variety of ways and is no respecter of persons. Our curiosity proves a hindrance to us, for while reading the Scriptures we sometimes want to stop to debate and discuss, when we should simply read on.

If you wish to derive profit from your reading of Scripture, do it with humility, simplicity, and faith; at no time use it to gain a reputation for being one who is learned. Eagerly ask yourself questions and listen in silence to the words of the saints, and do not let the riddles of the ancients baffle you. They were written down for a definite purpose.

Chapter 6

DISORDERED AFFECTIONS

Whenever you desire anything inordinately, you immediately find that you grow dissatisfied with yourself. Those who are proud and avaricious never arrive at contentment; it is the poor and the humble in spirit who live in great peace.

Anyone who is not totally dead to himself will soon find that he is tempted and overcome by piddling and frivolous things. Whoever is weak in spirit, given to the flesh, and inclined to sensual things can, but only with great difficulty, drag himself away from his earthly desires. Therefore, he is often gloomy and sad when he is trying to pull himself from them and easily gives in to anger should someone attempt to oppose him.

2. If he has given in to his inclinations and has yielded to his passions, he is then immediately afflicted with a guilty conscience. In no way do such yieldings help him to find the peace he seeks. It is by resisting our passions and not by being slaves to them that true peace of heart is to be found.

There is no peace, therefore, in the heart of the man who is given to the flesh, nor in the man who is attached to worldly things. Peace is found only in one who is fervent and spiritual.

Chapter 7

AVOIDING VAIN HOPE AND SELF-CONCEIT

A fool is he who puts his trust in men or created things. Do not be ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ and to be reckoned as a poor man in this world.

Do not rely on yourself, but place your trust in God. Do whatever lies in your power and God will assist your good intentions. Trust neither in your own knowledge nor in the cleverness of any human being; rather, trust in God's grace, for it is He who supports the humble and humbles the overconfident.

2. Glory neither in wealth, if you have any, nor in friends, if they are powerful, but boast in God, the giver of all good things, who desires, above all, to bestow Himself on you.

Do not boast about your good looks nor your body's strength, which a slight illness can mar and disfigure. Do not take pride in your skills and talents lest you offend God, to whom you owe these very gifts and endowments.

3. Do not esteem yourself as someone better than others lest, perhaps, you be accounted for worse in the eyes of God, who knows what is in men's hearts. Take no pride in your good accomplishments for God judges differently than men and it often happens that what is pleasing to men is actually displeasing to God.

Table of Contents

	Preface	8
	Introduction	11
Book 1	Useful Reminders for the Spiritual Life
1.	Of the Imitation of Christ	30
2.	Of Having a Humble Opinion about Yourself	31
3.	Of the Teaching of Truth	32
4.	Of Thinking before You Act	34
5.	Of Reading Holy Writings	35
6.	Of Confused Feelings	35
7.	Of Avoiding Empty Hope and Self-Praise	36
8.	Of Avoiding Inappropriate Intimacy	37
9.	Of Obedience for Those under Religious Vows	37
10.	Of Avoiding Unnecessary Talk	38
11.	Of Finding Peace and Making Spiritual Progress	39
12.	Of Putting Troubles to Use	40
13.	Of Resisting Temptations	41
14.	Of Avoiding Hasty Judgments	43
15.	Of Works Done Out of Love	43
16.	Of Putting Up with Others' Faults	44
17.	Of the Monastic Life	45
18.	Of the Examples of the Holy Fathers	46
19.	Of the Training of a Good Religious Person	47
20.	Of the Love of Solitude and Silence	49
21.	Of Heartfelt Remorse	51
22.	Of Human Misery	53
23.	Of Thinking about Death	55
24.	Of Judgment and Punishment	57
25.	Of Improving Our Lives	59
Book 2	Suggestions Drawing One toward the Inner Life
1.	Of God Speaking within You	64
2.	Of Placing Your Life in God's Hands	66
3.	Of the Good and Peaceful Person	67
4.	Of Pure Feelings and Simple Intentions	68
5.	Of Paying Attention to One's Self	69
6.	Of the Joy of a Good Conscience	70
7.	Of Loving Jesus above All Else	71
8.	Of Intimate Friendship with Jesus	72
9.	Of Emptiness	73
10.	Of Gratitude for God's Grace	75
11.	Of the Few Who Love Jesus's Cross	77
12.	Of the Royal Road of the Holy Cross	78
Book 3	Of Inner Comfort
1.	Of Christ Speaking in Your Own Heart	84
2.	That Truth Speaks Quietly to the Heart	85
3.	That We Should Listen to God's Words with Deep Humility and Serious Intent	86
4.	That We Should Live in God's Presence in Truth and Humility	88
5.	Of the Wonderful Effects of God's Love	89
6.	Of the Proof of a True Lover	91
7.	Of Protecting Grace with Humility	93
8.	Of Humility before God	95
9.	That All Things Come from God and Must Return to God	96
10.	Of How Good It Is to Serve God	97
11.	That Feelings May Not Always Be What They Seem	98
12.	Of Patience	99
13.	Of Obedience and Humility	100
14.	Of Seeing Ourselves through God's Eyes	101
15.	Of What We Are to Do and Say about All Our Desires	102
16.	That We Are to Seek True Comfort in God Alone	103
17.	That We Should Take All Our Cares to God	104
18.	That We Should Bear Our Hardships Patiently after Christ's Example	105
19.	Of Bearing Injuries and the Proof of True Patience	106
20.	Of Admitting Our Own Weaknesses	107
21.	That We Should Rest in God above All Else	109
22.	Of Remembering God's Many Blessings	111
23.	Of Four Things that Bring Great Peace	112
24.	Of Avoiding Curiosity about Other People's Lives	114
25.	Of True Peace of Heart	115
26.	That True Freedom Comes More from Humble Prayer than from Much Reading	116
27.	That Self-love Blocks Us from Attaining the Highest Good	117
28.	Of Those Who Speak against Us	119
29.	Of How We Should Bless God in Times of Trial	119
30.	Of Asking for God's Help	120
31.	Of Setting Aside All Created Things that We May Find the Creator	122
32.	Of Growing beyond Self	123
33.	Of Our Changing Hearts, and of Focusing Our Sight on God	124
34.	That the Person Who Loves God Enjoys Him above All and in All	125
35.	That There Is No Freedom from Temptation in This Life	126
36.	That You Should Not Worry about What Other People May Say about You	127
37.	Of Gaining a Free Heart through Total Self-Surrender	128
38.	Of Controlling Our Behavior, and of Running to God in Time of Danger	129
39.	That a Person Must Not Be Overly Eager in His Affairs	130
40.	That All a Person's Goodness Comes from God, Not from Himself	131
41.	Of Seeing All Worldly Honor as Nothing	132
42.	That Peace Does Not Depend on Other People	133
43.	Against Arrogant Learning	134
44.	Of Minding Our Own Business	135
45.	That We Should Not Believe Everything We Hear and of How Easy It Is to Speak Ill of Others	136
46.	Of Having Confidence in God when Sharp Words Attack Us	137
47.	That All Burdens Are to Be Endured for the Sake of Eternal Life	139
48.	Of Life and of Eternity	140
49.	Of Longing for Eternal Life and of the Promise It Holds	142
50.	How a Lonely Person Should Place Himself in God's Hands	145
51.	That We Must Perform Humble Works When WeAre Unable to Perform Higher Ones	147
52.	That We Should Not Think Ourselves Worthy of Comfort but Deserving of Correction	148
53.	That God's Grace Does Not Mix with the Wisdom of the World	149
54.	Of the Differing Movements of Nature and Grace	150
55.	Of Fallen Nature and the Effect of Divine Grace	153
56.	That We Should Turn from Ourselves and Imitate Christ by Way of the Cross	154
57.	That We Should Not Be Too Dejected When We Fail	156
58.	Of Not Prying into Things That Are beyond Our Understanding	157
59.	That All Hope and Trust Should Be Fixed on God Alone	160
Book 4	The Book on the Sacrament
1.	With What Great Reverence Christ Should Be Received	164
2.	What Great Goodness and Love God Shows to Us in This Sacrament	168
3.	How It is Helpful to Receive Communion Often	170
4.	That Many Good Things Are Given to Those Who Devoutly Receive Communion	171
5.	Of the Dignity of the Sacrament and of the Priesthood	173
6.	The Question of Preparing before Communion	174
7.	Of Examining One's Conscience, and of Planning to Change for the Better	175
8.	Of Christ's Offering on the Cross, and of Our Own Self-Surrender	176
9.	That We Ought to Offer Ourselves and All That Is Ours to God, and That We Ought to Pray for All Others	177
10.	That Holy Communion Is Not to Be Lightly Omitted	179
11.	That the Body of Christ and the Holy Scriptures Are Most Necessary to the Faithful Soul	181
12.	That Receiving Christ in Holy Communion Requires Preparation	183
13.	That a Devout Soul Should Wish Wholeheartedly to Be United with Christ in the Sacrament	185
14.	Of the Ardent Desire of Some Devout People to Receive the Body of Christ	186
15.	That the Grace of Devotion Is Gained by Humility	187
16.	That We Should Make Our Needs Known to Christ and Ask for His Help	188
17.	Of Burning Love and the Strong Desire to Receive Christ	189
18.	That We Should Not Pry into This Sacrament Out of Curiosity	191

Reading Group Guide

"God is our home but many of us have strayed from our native land. The venerable authors of these Spiritual Classics are expert guides--may we follow their directions home."--Archbishop Desmond TutuThe Vintage Spiritual Classics present the testimony of writers across the centuries who have pondered the mysterious ways, unfathomable mercies, and deep consolations afforded by God to those who call upon Him from out of the depths of their lives. These writers are our companions, even our champions, in a common effort to discern the meaning of God in personal experience.The questions, discussion topics, and background information that follow are designed to enhance your group's reading of the six works that make up the first series in Vintage Spiritual Classics. We hope they will provide you with a variety of ways of thinking and talking about these ancient and important texts.We offer this word about the act of reading these spiritual classics. From the very earliest accounts of monastic practice--dating back to the fourth century--it is evident that a form of reading called lectio divina ("divine" or "spiritual" reading) was essential to any deliberate spiritual life. This kind of reading is quite different from that of scanning a text for useful facts and bits of information, or advancing along an exciting plot line to a climax in the action. It is, rather, a meditative approach, by which the reader seeks to taste and savor the beauty and truth of every phrase and passage. There are four steps in lectio divina: first, to read, next to meditate, then to rest in the sense of God's nearness, and, ultimately, to resolve to govern one's actions in the light of new understanding. This kindof reading is itself an act of prayer. And, indeed, it is in prayer that God manifests His Presence to us.

1. Like the three previous classics of monastic literature, The Imitation of Christ is a guide to changing our lives and learning to grow closer to Christ in spirit and in deeds. The book opens with a quote and an exhortation: "'Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness'--.These are Christ's own words by which He exhorts us to imitate His life and His ways" [p. 3]. What does it mean to "follow" Christ in your life? How does Thomas à Kempis approach this task differently from the Desert Fathers, Benedict, and Saint Francis?

2. The injunction that one should "have a humble opinion of one's self" and "love to be unknown and be esteemed as nothing" [pp. 4-5] is quite at odds with the culture of ambition, striving, and success in which we live. What mental and practical conflicts arise when we attempt to live according to this rule? What does Thomas mean when he writes, "He is truly great who is unimportant in his own eyes and considers the greatest of honors a mere nothing"? Is it at all possible to reconcile such teachings with worldly success?

3. Thomas wrote his Imitation for his fellow monks and it is based on the monastic life. How can we who are not living in monasteries, but rather very much in the world, use his precepts to grow closer to God and to attain inner peace? Which of the principles here are easiest to adapt to the busy lives we lead at the end of the 20th century, which most difficult?

4. Like Benedict, Thomas encourages the practice of silence and the setting aside of time for prayer and deep personal reflection [pp. 26-29]. What are the parallels in our contemporary lives to "listening to idle news and gossip" [p. 27]? What time-wasting activities can we learn to do without, in order to make time for solitude and meditation? How does the Christian monastic practice of silence and meditation compare with that of Eastern religions like Buddhism? If you are familiar with "mindfulness meditation" or meditation as practiced by Buddhists, what is similar and what is different between these Asian-based approaches and the Christian monastic approach?

5. Thomas addresses the most difficult question of all, perhaps: that of having the resolve and making the commitment to change our lives: "Come now, and begin this very moment and say to yourself: 'Now is the time to do it--.Now is the right time to amend my life'" [p. 32]. How do you respond to such a radical challenge? Do you feel, like Augustine, the desire to be changed, but "not yet" [Confessions, Book VIII]?

6. How can Thomas's advice on living in community and "Bearing with One Another's Failings" [pp. 20-21] be used to better our relationships with those with whom we live and work? What particular insights into human intimacy did you find most useful?

Editorial Reviews

This classic of theology, written in 1441 is cited in BCL3. William C. Creasy has newly translated the work from the Latin autograph manuscript. He has crafted the language and style of his translation for modern readers, while retaining the fervor and power of the original text; his work will undoubtedly attract a new generation of readers who will appreciate the access he has provided. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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