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The Imitation of Christ : A timeless Christian book on the devotion to the Eucharist as key element of spiritual life The Imitation of Christ by Thomas 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, of which 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. Its popularity was immediate, and it was printed 745 times before 1650. Apart from the Bible, no book has been translated into more languages than the Imitation of Christ. This enhanced text optimized for the reader is divided into four books, which provide detailed spiritual instructions: 'Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life', 'Directives for the Interior Life', 'On Interior Consolation' and '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 for Christian contemporary readers. About the author : Thomas à Kempis Thomas à Kempis, CRSA (c. 1380 - 25 July 1471) was a German who became a canon regular in the Netherlands and authored The Imitation of Christ, one of the most popular and best known Christian books on devotion. His name means Thomas 'of Kempen', his hometown, and in German he is known as Thomas von Kempen (in Dutch, Thomas van Kempen). Thomas was born in Kempen in the Rhineland. His surname at birth was Hemerken, literally 'hammerkin' (little hammer). His father Johann was a blacksmith and his mother Gertrud was a schoolmistress. In 1392, Thomas followed his brother, Johann, to Deventer in the Netherlands in order to attend the noted Latin school there. While attending this school, Thomas encountered the Brethren of the Common Life, followers of Gerard Groote’s Modern Devotion. He attended school in Deventer from 1392 to 1399. After leaving school, Thomas went to the nearby town of Zwolle to visit his brother again, after Johann had become the prior of the Monastery of Mount St Agnes there. This community was one of the canons regular of the Congregation of Windesheim, founded by disciples of Groote in order to provide a way of life more in keeping with the norms of monastic life of the period. Thomas himself entered Mount St Agnes in 1406. He was not ordained a priest, however, until almost a decade later. He became a prolific copyist and writer. Thomas received Holy Orders in 1413 and was made sub-prior of the monastery in 1429. His first tenure of office as subprior was interrupted by the exile of the community from Agnetenberg (1429). A dispute had arisen in connection with an appointment to the vacant See of Utrecht. Pope Martin V rejected the nomination of Bishop-elect Rudolf van Diepholt, and imposed an interdict. The Canons remained in exile in observance of the interdict until the question was settled (1432). During this time, Thomas was sent to Arnhem to care for his ailing brother. He remained there until his brother died November, 1432. Otherwise, Thomas spent his time between devotional exercises, composition, and copying. 3
