Imitazione di Cristo (1418)

Preventing the Worldliness of the Church: "Imitação de Cristo" by Tomás de Kempis (transl. and annotated by Monsignor Manuel Martinho)

Imitação de Cristo" by Tomás de Kempis (transl. and annotated by Monsignor Manuel Martinho)

Thomas de Kempis found a fertile field to write the "The Imitation of Christ" providing practical guidelines for the life of the believer. The book is divided into independent chapters, that is, each has a beginning, middle and end, so it can be read autonomously. This justifies the traditional custom of saying a prayer and opening the book at random. Its characteristic is to put the believer in contact with Christ, helping him in his conversion process, which requires a break up with the world of mundane affairs.

It is precisely at this point that the work is criticized, because the separation from the world that it suggests makes it labeled individualistic, that is, with a disincarnated spirituality, outside the real world. Far from the truth! It is possible to overcome this obstacle, this side effect of such an excellent remedy, remembering that the book was written for monks, that is, people who already lived apart from the world. To do so, just adapt it on day-to-day basis. In spite of this, it is still a book of extraordinary importance, since in these current times when many in the Church itself embrace the worldly mentality, "The Imitation of Christ" puts things in a Christocentric perspective. The centrality in Our Lord Jesus Christ, the break with the world and with sin, in a spirituality that engages the person through the heart and makes him live for what really matters: Heaven.

The book is divided into four major sections, the first two introducing the reader to spiritual life. The third part is a dialogue between Christ and the soul. It is a devotional, and meditative part (my favourite). The fourth part refers to the Eucharist, teaching how to receive it, adore it and how to approach it properly.

"Imitation of Christ" should be on every Catholic's bedside. It is a valid stance, especially at a time when the Church, instead of being a missionary and evangelizing the world, is just being "evangelized" by it. "The Imitation of Christ" can undoubtedly help to prevent the worldliness of the Church and of each one of us.


NB: I own the 18th edition (1947) in Portuguese (vide photo above), translated and annotated by Monsignor Manuel Martinho (from Latin into Portuguese). ( )

(large print)

The prose is beautiful, but the content of this book? That is another matter altogether, particularly in the third section, when much of the content purports to be from the mouth of Christ. As a Christian within the Reformed tradition and confessionally holding to the Three Forms of Unity it was at this point the book went out-of-bound theologically. Do you want to imitate Christ as you live by faith? Then read the Bible and read the Puritans, for their writings contain many of the same general ideas but they do so with frequent scripture references and they never claim to be putting words into the mouth of our Savior that were not placed by His Spirit into the Bible. ( )

ESP-216

with Practical Reflections and Prayers