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The Imitation of Christ
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8 ratingsOverview
What does it mean to be a Christian? According to Thomas à Kempis, the Christian must completely imitate the life and example of Jesus Christ. In this classic treasure of Christian instruction, Thomas à Kempis challenges the believer to look intently upon the life of Christ and live in the pattern He established. This spiritual manual begins with the proper outward expressions of faith, moving quickly to the instruction of the reader's spiritual formation. All the while insisting that true imitation of Christ can only occur when the heart and mind are united to Christ.
- Title: The Imitation of Christ
- Author: Thomas à Kempis
- Publisher: Faithlife
- Print Publication Date: 1996
- Logos Release Date: 2001
- Pages: 284
- Era: era:medieval
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Meditations; Spiritual life › Catholic Church--Early works to 1800
- Resource ID: LLS:20.20.1
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2020-03-24T21:54:32Z
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471) was a late-Medieval Catholic monk and the probable author of The Imitation of Christ—a classic in Christian literature and one of the best-known books on Christian devotion. His name means “Thomas of Kempen,” his hometown, and in German he is known as Thomas von Kempen. He also is known by various spellings of his family name: Thomas Haemerkken, Thomas Hammerlein, Thomas Hemerken, and Thomas Hämerken.
As he traveled with his brother to attend school in the Netherlands, he was introduced to the Brethren of the Common Life—followers of Gerard Groote's Modern Devotion movement. After finishing school, he joined the Mount St. Agnes monastery, where he spent the rest of his life in devotion and prayer.
Thomas' sermons, meditations, and prayers—compiled in The Works of Thomas à Kempis (7 vols) have influenced many Christian writers.