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Imitation of Christ (book)
Encyclopedia
The Imitation of Christ (Latin: De Imitatione Christi) by Thomas à Kempis
is a Christian
devotional book. It was first composed in Latin
ca.1418-1427. It is a handbook for spiritual life arising from the Devotio Moderna
movement, where Kempis was a member. The Imitation is perhaps the most widely read devotional work next to the Bible
, and is regarded as a devotional and religious classic.
The text is divided into four books which provide detailed spiritual instructions. The four books are, "Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life", "Directives for the Interior Life", "On Interior Consolation", "On the Blessed Sacrament".
The approach taken in the Imitation is characterized by its emphasis on the interior life and withdrawal from the world, as opposed to an active imitation of Christ by other friars. The book places a high level of emphasis on the devotion to the Eucharist
as key element of spiritual life.
has been an important element of Christian theology, ethics and spirituality. References to this concept and its practice are found in the earliest Christian documents, e.g. the Pauline Epistles
.
Saint Augustine viewed the imitation of Christ as the fundamental purpose of Christian life, and as a remedy for the imitation of the sins of Adam
. Saint Francis of Assisi
believed in the physical as well as the spiritual imitation of Christ, and advocated a path of poverty and preaching like Jesus who was poor at birth in the manger and died naked on the cross. The theme of imitation of Christ existed in all phases of Byzantine theology, and in the 14th century book Life in Christ Nicholas Cabasilas
viewed "living one's own personal life" in Christ as the fundamental Christian virtue.
Against this backdrop, the Devotio Moderna
movement was started by Geert Groote
who was highly dissatisfied with the state of the Church and what he perceived as the gradual loss of monastic traditions and the lack of moral values among the clergy. The initial focus of Devotio Moderna was the rediscovery of genuine pious practices and conversion and re-conversion of the lukewarm clergy. The Imitation was written within the Devotio Moderna community, as it was flourishing in Northern Europe, but grew far beyond that movement which came to an end with the Protestant Reformation
.
ca. 1418-1427 and Thomas à Kempis
is generally accepted as the author. Several sources of authority, including members of his own order, name Kempis as the author and various contemporary manuscripts, including one autograph codex, bear his name.
Joseph N. Tylenda S.J writes that the book was composed anonymously is "not surprising" since the author writes in the Imitation that one should "love to be unknown."(Book 1; Chap.2). Regarding the anonymity of the work, William C. Creasy also notes that the author of the Imitation wrote, "Do not let the writer's authority or learning influence you, be it little or great, but let the love of pure truth attract you to read. Do not ask, 'Who said this?' but pay attention to what is said."(Book 1; Chap.5).
By 1471, the manuscripts of the book were so frequently hand copied and passed across monasteries, that there are around 750 extant manuscripts of the Imitation. Thomas à Kempis's 1441 autograph manuscript of the book is available at the Bibliotheque Royale in Brussels. The first printed edition appeared in Augsburg
in ca.1471-2. By the end of the 15th century, the book had more than 100 printed editions and translations in French, German, Italian and Spanish.
The book received an enthusiastic response from the very early days, as characterized by the statement of George Pirkhamer
, the prior of Nuremberg regarding the 1494 edition: "Nothing more holy, nothing more honorable, nothing more religious, nothing in fine more profitable for the Christian commonweal can you ever do than to make known these works of Thomas à Kempis."
The number of counted editions exceeds 2000; 1000 different editions are preserved in the British Museum
. The Bullingen collection, donated to the city of Cologne
in 1838, contained at the time 400 different editions. De Backer enumerates 545 Latin and about 900 French editions. A critical edition
was published in 1982.
Kempis stresses the importance of solitude
and silence
, "how undisturbed a conscience we would have if we never went searching after ephemeral joys nor concerned ourselves with affairs of the world..." Kempis writes that the "World and all its allurements pass away" and following sensual desires leads to a "dissipated conscience" and a "distracted heart".(Chap.20) Kempis writes that one should meditate on death and "live as becomes a pilgrim and a stranger on earth...for this earth of ours is no lasting city."(Chap.23) On the Day of Judgement, Kempis writes that a good and pure conscience
will give more joy than all the philosophy one has ever learned, fervent prayer will bring more happiness than a "multi-course banquet", the silence will be more "exhilarating" than long tales, holy deeds will be of greater value than nice-sounding words.(Chap.24)
Kempis writes one must remaining faithful and fervent to God, and keep good hope of attaining victory and salvation, but avoiding overconfidence. Kempis gives the example of an anxious man who, oscillating between fear and hope and with grief went to the altar and said: "Oh, if only I knew that I shall persevere to the end." Immediately he heard the divine answer, "What if you knew this? What would you do? Do now what you would do then, and you will be very safe." After this the man gave himself to God's will, and his anxiety and fear of future disappeared.(Chap 25)
Kempis writes that we must not attribute any good to ourselves but attribute everything to God. Kempis asks us to be grateful for "every little gift" and we will be worthy to receive greater ones, to consider the least gift as great and the most common as something special. Kempis writes that if we consider the dignity of the giver, no gift will seem unimportant or small.(Chap.10) The the last chapter "The Royal Road of the Cross", Kempis writes that if we carry the cross willingly, it will lead us to desired goal, but on the other hand if we carry our cross grudgingly, then we turn it in to a heavy burden and if we should throw off one cross, we will surely find anther, which is perhaps heavier. Kempis writes that by ourselves we cannot bear the cross, but if we put the trust in the Lord, He will send the strength from heaven.(Chap. 12)
Jesus says that very few turn to God and spirituality, since they are more eager to listen to the world and desires of their flesh than to God. Jesus says that the world promises things that are passing and of little value,which are served with great enthusiasm; While He promises things that are most excellent and eternal and men's hearts remain indifferent.(Chap.3) Jesus says that the "man who trusts in Me I never send away empty. When I make a promise I keep it, and I fulfill whatever I have pledged—if only you remain faithful...unto the end."(Chap.3)
Jesus says that Spiritual progress and perfection consists in offering oneself to the divine will and not seeking oneself in "anything either small or great, in time or in eternity."(Chap.25) Jesus says not be anxious about future—"Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." Jesus advises the disciple that all is not lost when the result is not as planned, when one thinks he is farthest from Jesus, it is then that Jesus is nearest, when one thinks that all is lost, it is then that victory is close at hand. Jesus says not to react to a difficulty as if there were no hope of being freed from it.(Chap.30)
Joseph Tylenda summaries the central theme of the third book with the teaching in Chapter 56, "My son, to the degree that you can leave yourself behind, to that degree will you be able to enter into Me. Just as desiring nothing outside you produces internal peace within you, so the internal renunciation of yourself unites you to God." Jesus gives his important teaching, "Follow Me...I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without the Way, there is no going; without the Truth, there is no knowing; without Life, there is no living. I am the Way you are to follow; I am the Truth you are to believe; I am the Life you are to hope for."(Chap. 56)
spiritual grace
is conferred, the soul's strength is replenished, and the recipient's mind is fortified and strength is given to the body debilitated by sin.(Chap.1)
Jesus says that the sooner one resigns wholeheartedly to God, and no longer seeks anything according to his own will or pleasure, but totally places in God's hands, the sooner will one be united with God and be at peace. Jesus continues, "Nothing will make you happier or please you as much as being obedient to the divine will."(Chap.15) Jesus also delivers his "changeless teaching"—"Unless you renounce all that you have, you cannot be my disciple."(Chap.8)
To receive the Sacrament, Jesus says "make clean the mansions of your heart. Shut out the whole world and all its sinful din and sit as a solitary sparrow on a housetop and, in the bitterness of your soul, meditate on your transgressions."(Chap.12) Jesus says that there is no offering more worthy, no satisfaction greater, for the washing away of sins and to offer oneself purely and completely to God at the time the Body of Christ
is offered in the Mass
and in Communion
.(Chap. 7)
. It has been admired by St. Thomas More
, chancellor and renowned humanist who gave his life in the anti-Catholic pogrom of King Henry VIII of England, St. Ignatius of Loyola
, founder of the Society of Jesus
, twentieth century American Catholic author and monk, Thomas Merton
, and countless others, both Catholic and Protestant. The Jesuits give it an official place among their "exercises". John Wesley
and John Newton
, the founders of the Methodist Movement
listed The Imitation among the works that influenced them at their conversion. General Gordon
carried it with him to the battlefield. In the French translation of Lamennais, it was an early influence on the spirituality of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Filipino national hero Jose Rizal
reportedly read this book while in prison at Intramuros, Manila, in the Philippines before his execution by a Spanish squad of soldiers.
Swami Vivekananda
, the 19th Century Hindu
Philosopher and founder of Vedanta Society
, drew a number of parallels between the teachings of the Imitation and the Bhagavad Gita
. Vivekananda wrote a preface and a translation of the Imitation in 1899. Vivekananda would always carry a copy of the Bhagavad Gita and the Imitation. Spiritual writer Eknath Easwaran
compared the teachings of the Imitation with the Upanishads.
Theologian Shailer Mathews
wrote that the Imitation presents an accurate description of the Christ of the Gospels, and gives an unbiased reading of the words of Jesus. Mathews wrote that the "For centuries men have found in it inspiration to sacrifice and humility, and to severest self-examination...He who has never come under its influence has missed something that would have made him more humble and more ambitious for purity of life."
Friedrich Nietzsche
on the other hand was critical and stated that this was "one of those books that I cannot pick up without a physiological feeling of repulsion."
, in English, translated by William Benham, 1905
Thomas à Kempis
Thomas à Kempis was a late Medieval Catholic monk and the probable author of The Imitation of Christ, which is one of the best known Christian books on devotion. His name means, "Thomas of Kempen", his home town and in German he is known as Thomas von Kempen...
is a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
devotional book. It was first composed in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
ca.1418-1427. It is a handbook for spiritual life arising from the Devotio Moderna
Devotio Moderna
Devotio Moderna, or Modern Devotion, was a 14th century new religious movement, with Gerard Groote as a key founder. Other well known members included Thomas à Kempis who was the likely author of the book The Imitation of Christ which proved to be highly influential for centuries.Groote's initial...
movement, where Kempis was a member. The Imitation is perhaps the most widely read devotional work next to the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, and is regarded as a devotional and religious classic.
The text is divided into four books which provide detailed spiritual instructions. The four books are, "Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life", "Directives for the Interior Life", "On Interior Consolation", "On the Blessed Sacrament".
The approach taken in the Imitation is characterized by its emphasis on the interior life and withdrawal from the world, as opposed to an active imitation of Christ by other friars. The book places a high level of emphasis on the devotion to the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
as key element of spiritual life.
Background
The ideal of the imitation of ChristImitation of Christ
In Christian theology, the Imitation of Christ is the practice of following the example of Jesus. In Eastern Christianity the term Life in Christ is sometimes used for the same concept....
has been an important element of Christian theology, ethics and spirituality. References to this concept and its practice are found in the earliest Christian documents, e.g. the Pauline Epistles
Pauline epistles
The Pauline epistles, Epistles of Paul, or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen New Testament books which have the name Paul as the first word, hence claiming authorship by Paul the Apostle. Among these letters are some of the earliest extant Christian documents...
.
Saint Augustine viewed the imitation of Christ as the fundamental purpose of Christian life, and as a remedy for the imitation of the sins of Adam
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
. Saint Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
believed in the physical as well as the spiritual imitation of Christ, and advocated a path of poverty and preaching like Jesus who was poor at birth in the manger and died naked on the cross. The theme of imitation of Christ existed in all phases of Byzantine theology, and in the 14th century book Life in Christ Nicholas Cabasilas
Nicholas Cabasilas
Nicholas Cabasilas was a Byzantine mystic and theological writer.Cabasilas is a saint within the Orthodox Church. His feast day is June 20.-Life:...
viewed "living one's own personal life" in Christ as the fundamental Christian virtue.
Against this backdrop, the Devotio Moderna
Devotio Moderna
Devotio Moderna, or Modern Devotion, was a 14th century new religious movement, with Gerard Groote as a key founder. Other well known members included Thomas à Kempis who was the likely author of the book The Imitation of Christ which proved to be highly influential for centuries.Groote's initial...
movement was started by Geert Groote
Geert Groote
Gerard Groote , otherwise Gerrit or Gerhard Groet, in Latin Gerardus Magnus, was a Dutch preacher and founder of the Brethren of the Common Life and a key figure in the Devotio Moderna movement....
who was highly dissatisfied with the state of the Church and what he perceived as the gradual loss of monastic traditions and the lack of moral values among the clergy. The initial focus of Devotio Moderna was the rediscovery of genuine pious practices and conversion and re-conversion of the lukewarm clergy. The Imitation was written within the Devotio Moderna community, as it was flourishing in Northern Europe, but grew far beyond that movement which came to an end with the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
.
History
The book was written anonymously in Latin in NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
ca. 1418-1427 and Thomas à Kempis
Thomas à Kempis
Thomas à Kempis was a late Medieval Catholic monk and the probable author of The Imitation of Christ, which is one of the best known Christian books on devotion. His name means, "Thomas of Kempen", his home town and in German he is known as Thomas von Kempen...
is generally accepted as the author. Several sources of authority, including members of his own order, name Kempis as the author and various contemporary manuscripts, including one autograph codex, bear his name.
Joseph N. Tylenda S.J writes that the book was composed anonymously is "not surprising" since the author writes in the Imitation that one should "love to be unknown."(Book 1; Chap.2). Regarding the anonymity of the work, William C. Creasy also notes that the author of the Imitation wrote, "Do not let the writer's authority or learning influence you, be it little or great, but let the love of pure truth attract you to read. Do not ask, 'Who said this?' but pay attention to what is said."(Book 1; Chap.5).
By 1471, the manuscripts of the book were so frequently hand copied and passed across monasteries, that there are around 750 extant manuscripts of the Imitation. Thomas à Kempis's 1441 autograph manuscript of the book is available at the Bibliotheque Royale in Brussels. The first printed edition appeared in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
in ca.1471-2. By the end of the 15th century, the book had more than 100 printed editions and translations in French, German, Italian and Spanish.
The book received an enthusiastic response from the very early days, as characterized by the statement of George Pirkhamer
George Pirkhamer
George Pirkhamer was a Roman Catholic theologian and prior at Nuremberg, Germany in the 15th century.-References:...
, the prior of Nuremberg regarding the 1494 edition: "Nothing more holy, nothing more honorable, nothing more religious, nothing in fine more profitable for the Christian commonweal can you ever do than to make known these works of Thomas à Kempis."
The number of counted editions exceeds 2000; 1000 different editions are preserved in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. The Bullingen collection, donated to the city of Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
in 1838, contained at the time 400 different editions. De Backer enumerates 545 Latin and about 900 French editions. A critical edition
Textual criticism
Textual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
was published in 1982.
Teachings
The Imitation of Christ is divided into four books which provide detailed spiritual instructions.Book One
The Book One of The Imitation is titled "Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life." The Imitation derives its title from the first chapter of Book I, "The Imitation of Christ and contempt for the vanities of the world" (Latin: "De Imitatione Christi et contemptu omnium vanitatum mundi"). The Imitation is sometimes called as Following of the Christ, which comes from the opening words of the first chapter—"Whoever follows Me will not walk into darkness." The Book One deals with the withdrawal of the outward life—so far as positive duty allows and emphasizes an interior life by renouncing all that is vain and illusory, resisting temptations and distractions of life, giving up the pride of learning and to be humble, forsaking the disputations of theologians and patiently enduring the world's contempt and contradiction.Kempis stresses the importance of solitude
Solitude
Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, i.e., lack of contact with people. It may stem from bad relationships, deliberate choice, infectious disease, mental disorders, neurological disorders or circumstances of employment or situation .Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one...
and silence
Silence
Silence is the relative or total lack of audible sound. By analogy, the word silence may also refer to any absence of communication, even in media other than speech....
, "how undisturbed a conscience we would have if we never went searching after ephemeral joys nor concerned ourselves with affairs of the world..." Kempis writes that the "World and all its allurements pass away" and following sensual desires leads to a "dissipated conscience" and a "distracted heart".(Chap.20) Kempis writes that one should meditate on death and "live as becomes a pilgrim and a stranger on earth...for this earth of ours is no lasting city."(Chap.23) On the Day of Judgement, Kempis writes that a good and pure conscience
Conscience
Conscience is an aptitude, faculty, intuition or judgment of the intellect that distinguishes right from wrong. Moral judgement may derive from values or norms...
will give more joy than all the philosophy one has ever learned, fervent prayer will bring more happiness than a "multi-course banquet", the silence will be more "exhilarating" than long tales, holy deeds will be of greater value than nice-sounding words.(Chap.24)
Kempis writes one must remaining faithful and fervent to God, and keep good hope of attaining victory and salvation, but avoiding overconfidence. Kempis gives the example of an anxious man who, oscillating between fear and hope and with grief went to the altar and said: "Oh, if only I knew that I shall persevere to the end." Immediately he heard the divine answer, "What if you knew this? What would you do? Do now what you would do then, and you will be very safe." After this the man gave himself to God's will, and his anxiety and fear of future disappeared.(Chap 25)
Book two
The Book Two of The Imitation is "Directives for the Interior Life." The book continues the theme of the Book One, and contains instructions concerning "inward peace, purity of heart, a good conscience—for moderating our longings and desires, for patience, for submission to the will of God, for the love of Jesus, for enduring the loss of comfort, and for taking up the Cross." Kempis writes that if we have a clear conscience God will defend us, and whomever God chooses to help no man's malice can harm. Kempis writes that when a man humbles himself, "God protects and defends him...God favors the humble man..and after he has been brought low raises him up to glory."(Chap.2) Kempis stress the importance of a good conscience—"The man whose conscience is pure easily finds peace and contentment...Men only see your face, but it is God who sees your heart. Men judge according to external deeds, but only God can weigh the motives behind them."(Chap. 6) Kempis writes we must place our on Jesus rather than in men and "...Do not trust nor lean on a reed that is shaken ...All flesh is grass, and all its glory shall fade like the flower in the field."(Chap.7) Kempis writes that false sense of freedom and overconfidence are obstacles for spiritual life. Kempis writes that "Grace will always be given to the truly grateful, and what is given to the humble is taken away from the proud."(Chap.10)Kempis writes that we must not attribute any good to ourselves but attribute everything to God. Kempis asks us to be grateful for "every little gift" and we will be worthy to receive greater ones, to consider the least gift as great and the most common as something special. Kempis writes that if we consider the dignity of the giver, no gift will seem unimportant or small.(Chap.10) The the last chapter "The Royal Road of the Cross", Kempis writes that if we carry the cross willingly, it will lead us to desired goal, but on the other hand if we carry our cross grudgingly, then we turn it in to a heavy burden and if we should throw off one cross, we will surely find anther, which is perhaps heavier. Kempis writes that by ourselves we cannot bear the cross, but if we put the trust in the Lord, He will send the strength from heaven.(Chap. 12)
Book three
The Book Three, "On Interior Consolation" is the longest among the four books. This book is in the form of a dialogue between Jesus and the disciple.Jesus says that very few turn to God and spirituality, since they are more eager to listen to the world and desires of their flesh than to God. Jesus says that the world promises things that are passing and of little value,which are served with great enthusiasm; While He promises things that are most excellent and eternal and men's hearts remain indifferent.(Chap.3) Jesus says that the "man who trusts in Me I never send away empty. When I make a promise I keep it, and I fulfill whatever I have pledged—if only you remain faithful...unto the end."(Chap.3)
Jesus says that Spiritual progress and perfection consists in offering oneself to the divine will and not seeking oneself in "anything either small or great, in time or in eternity."(Chap.25) Jesus says not be anxious about future—"Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." Jesus advises the disciple that all is not lost when the result is not as planned, when one thinks he is farthest from Jesus, it is then that Jesus is nearest, when one thinks that all is lost, it is then that victory is close at hand. Jesus says not to react to a difficulty as if there were no hope of being freed from it.(Chap.30)
Joseph Tylenda summaries the central theme of the third book with the teaching in Chapter 56, "My son, to the degree that you can leave yourself behind, to that degree will you be able to enter into Me. Just as desiring nothing outside you produces internal peace within you, so the internal renunciation of yourself unites you to God." Jesus gives his important teaching, "Follow Me...I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without the Way, there is no going; without the Truth, there is no knowing; without Life, there is no living. I am the Way you are to follow; I am the Truth you are to believe; I am the Life you are to hope for."(Chap. 56)
Book four
Book Four of The Imitation, "On the Blessed Sacrament" is also in the form of a dialogue between Jesus and the disciple. Kempis writes that in this SacramentSacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
spiritual grace
Grace (Christianity)
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
is conferred, the soul's strength is replenished, and the recipient's mind is fortified and strength is given to the body debilitated by sin.(Chap.1)
Jesus says that the sooner one resigns wholeheartedly to God, and no longer seeks anything according to his own will or pleasure, but totally places in God's hands, the sooner will one be united with God and be at peace. Jesus continues, "Nothing will make you happier or please you as much as being obedient to the divine will."(Chap.15) Jesus also delivers his "changeless teaching"—"Unless you renounce all that you have, you cannot be my disciple."(Chap.8)
To receive the Sacrament, Jesus says "make clean the mansions of your heart. Shut out the whole world and all its sinful din and sit as a solitary sparrow on a housetop and, in the bitterness of your soul, meditate on your transgressions."(Chap.12) Jesus says that there is no offering more worthy, no satisfaction greater, for the washing away of sins and to offer oneself purely and completely to God at the time the Body of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
is offered in the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
and in Communion
Communion (Christian)
The term communion is derived from Latin communio . The corresponding term in Greek is κοινωνία, which is often translated as "fellowship". In Christianity, the basic meaning of the term communion is an especially close relationship of Christians, as individuals or as a Church, with God and with...
.(Chap. 7)
Views and influences
The Imitation of Christ is regarded as the most important devotional work in Catholic Christianity and is the most widely read devotional work next to the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. It has been admired by St. Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
, chancellor and renowned humanist who gave his life in the anti-Catholic pogrom of King Henry VIII of England, St. Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
, founder of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, twentieth century American Catholic author and monk, Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O. was a 20th century Anglo-American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion...
, and countless others, both Catholic and Protestant. The Jesuits give it an official place among their "exercises". John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
and John Newton
John Newton
John Henry Newton was a British sailor and Anglican clergyman. Starting his career on the sea at a young age, he became involved with the slave trade for a few years. After experiencing a religious conversion, he became a minister, hymn-writer, and later a prominent supporter of the abolition of...
, the founders of the Methodist Movement
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
listed The Imitation among the works that influenced them at their conversion. General Gordon
Charles George Gordon
Major-General Charles George Gordon, CB , known as "Chinese" Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator....
carried it with him to the battlefield. In the French translation of Lamennais, it was an early influence on the spirituality of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Filipino national hero Jose Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
reportedly read this book while in prison at Intramuros, Manila, in the Philippines before his execution by a Spanish squad of soldiers.
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
, the 19th Century Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Philosopher and founder of Vedanta Society
Vedanta Society
The Vedanta Society of Southern California, with its headquarters in Hollywood, was founded in 1930 by Swami Prabhavananda. The society is a branch of the Ramakrishna Order, and maintains subcenters in Pasadena, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Trabuco Canyon...
, drew a number of parallels between the teachings of the Imitation and the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
. Vivekananda wrote a preface and a translation of the Imitation in 1899. Vivekananda would always carry a copy of the Bhagavad Gita and the Imitation. Spiritual writer Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran was a spiritual teacher, an author of books on meditation and ways to lead a fulfilling life, as well as a translator and interpreter of Indian literature....
compared the teachings of the Imitation with the Upanishads.
Theologian Shailer Mathews
Shailer Mathews
Shailer Mathews was a liberal Christian theologian, involved with the Social Gospel movement.Born in Portland, Maine, and graduated from Colby College there, Mathews was progressive in his day, advocating social concerns as part of the Social Gospel message, and subjecting Biblical texts to...
wrote that the Imitation presents an accurate description of the Christ of the Gospels, and gives an unbiased reading of the words of Jesus. Mathews wrote that the "For centuries men have found in it inspiration to sacrifice and humility, and to severest self-examination...He who has never come under its influence has missed something that would have made him more humble and more ambitious for purity of life."
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
on the other hand was critical and stated that this was "one of those books that I cannot pick up without a physiological feeling of repulsion."
External links
- The Imitation of Christ, in Latin, at The Latin Library
, in English, translated by William Benham, 1905
- The Imitation of Christ, free audiobook from the Librivox project, read by David Barnes