Thomas
Kempis’s Imitation of Christ, as noted in the work’s introductory, has
been a source of spiritual direction for centuries. Throughout the text, Kempis
divides his work into four books and inserts Sacred Scripture to support his
ideas. These four books are “Useful Admonitions for a Spiritual Life,” “Admonitions
Concerning Interior Things,” “Interior Consolation,” and “The Blessed
Sacrament.” Kempis wrote this text for “his fellow-religious, an ascetic for
ascetics, a mystic for those who aspire to mystical union with God…”[1]
However, its purpose is to bring everyone into a Christ centered life and is useful
for all Christians who wish to seek a greater spiritual life.
The authorship
of the Imitation was first unknown since it was published as an anonymous
work.[2]
Despite this, scholars attribute the work to Thomas Kempis who most likely, due
to his humility, did not wish to be praised. Kempis was born in the village of
Kempen around the years 1379 or 1380, the exact year is unknown. During his
formative years, he entered a monastery and was ordained in 1413 AD as a priest
of St. Augustine. As mentioned, Kempis wrote the Imitation for his fellow
religious and it was written against the backdrop of a suffering Europe. During
this time, the War of the Roses was waging in England, the Papacy was being
torn apart by a schism, and the great bastion of Christianity in the east, Constantinople,
had fallen to the Ottoman Empire.[3]
The first
book of the Imitation is titled “Useful Admonitions for a Spiritual Life.”
Kempis, aligned with the teachings of Christ, started the book off by
instructing his readers to “withdraw thy heart from the love of visible things,
and to turn thyself to things invisible.”[4]
Kempis received this idea from the book of Ecclesiastes which states, “Vanities
of vanities…All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils
under the sun?” (Ecc 1:203 RSV) This was to express how all things in the world are useless and man's only duty is to love God and keep his commandments.
The next two books, are intended to
guide the reader back to the love of Christ, trusting in God’s providence, and
stripping away those things which guide man towards darkness. Kempis end’s the Imitation
with the greatest Sacrament belonging to the Church, the Eucharist. It is the responsibility
of man to show great reverence, prepare himself, and regularly receive the Blessed
Sacrament. By doing this, readers open themselves up to Christ, who will heal recipients
of their “passions and vices, and be made more strong and vigilant against all
the temptations and deceits of the devil.”[5]
In this
modern world, society is driven by the same vices which plagued those in Kempis’s
time, as well as those before. However, with the advent of technology, society
is becoming more secluded and lonelier. It is beginning to rely more on things
such as wealth, pleasure, honor, and power. The increasing access and use of pornography
are now reaching younger children unlike ever before. This book is one which
every Catholic, and even non-Catholic, must read. Netton notes, the Imitation
leads its readers to “a holy life in a world beset by trials and constant temptations.”[6]
Kempis provides an outstanding synthesis on the process of becoming a saint. His
use of the Sacred Scriptures, by delving deeper into their meaning, allows
readers to fully embrace its teachings. His words can help the world center
their lives on Christ and achieve the eternal happiness all are seeking.
[1] Ian Netton, Islam,
Christianity, and the Mystic Journey: A Comparative Exploration (Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press, 2011), 121. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=6c6e5870-89e4-4859-865b-3593c23b78be%40pdc-v-sessmgr05&ppid=pp_120&vid=0&format=EB
[2] “Thomas A Kempis,” Encyclopedia
Britannica, at www.acedimic.eb.com.
[3] Netton, Islam, Christianity,
and the Mystic Journey, 120.
[4] Thomas Kempis, My
Imitation of Christ, trans. Leo Sherley-Price (Booklyn, NY: Confraternity
of the Precious Blood, 1982), 6.
[5] Kempis, My Imitation,
422.
[6] Netton, Islam,
Christianity, and the Mystic Journey, 121.
Product Details
Publisher: Confraternity of the Precious Blood; revised ed. edition (May 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1618908243
ISBN-13: 978-1618908247
Dimensions: 3.5 x 0.5 x 5.2 inches
Product Price: $10.99
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