Thomas a Kempis (1380–1471)
Author of The Imitation of Christ
About the Author
Thomas à Kempis was born at Kempen, Germany in 1380. He attended Deventer in the Netherlands where he eventually joined the Canons and was later ordained as a priest. His most well-known work is the Imitation of Christ. It has been acclaimed as one of the greatest spiritual writings of all time. show more For some time there was some dispute as to the title's authorship. He died July 25, 1471. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Series
Works by Thomas a Kempis
On the Passion of Christ: According to the Four Evangelists : Prayers and Meditations (2004) 135 copies
The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (Volume I Advent Season and Christmas Season) (1974) — Contributor — 126 copies, 1 review
Wellsprings of Faith: The Imitation of Christ; The Dark Night of the Soul; The Interior Castle (2005) 60 copies
Thomae à Kempis canonici regularis, Ordinis S. Augustini, De imitatione Christi libri quatuor : recensiti ad fidem… (1982) — Author — 36 copies
The Imitation of Christ: Extracts Chosen from Challoner's 1737 Translation, Illustrated with Illuminated Manuscripts (2004) 34 copies
Christian Classics: Confessions of Saint Augustine: The Imitation of Christ: Pilgrim's Progress (1997) — Contributor — 17 copies
Solace in Suffering: Wisdom from Thomas a Kempis (Classic Wisdom Collection) (2010) 14 copies, 2 reviews
The Founders of the New Devotion: Being the Lives of Gerard Groote, Florentius Radewin and Their Followers (2013) 9 copies
Den lilla Kempis, eller Korta språk och böner, utur de mest obekanta Thomæ af Kempis små werk… (2008) 5 copies
A Meditation on the Incarnation of Christ, Sermons on the Life and Passion of Our Lord and Of Hearing and Speaking Good… (2016) 4 copies
Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like… (2014) 4 copies
La imitación de Maria. 2 copies
Fyra böcker om Kristi efterföljelse 2 copies
De Imitando Christo, Liber Tertivs 2 copies
Pattrwm y Gwir Gristion 2 copies
La imitació de Jesucrist. 2 copies
The imitation of Christ 2 copies
Meditations on Our Lady 2 copies
The earliest English translation of first three books of the De imitatione Christi : and the earliest printed… 2 copies, 1 review
Kristuse jälgedes : kolm raamatut 2 copies
The Imitation of Christ 1 copy
Thomas à Kempis als schrijver der Navolging van Christus gehandhaafd ; Nalezing op mijn Thomas a Kempis als schrijver… (1880) 1 copy
A Vida Interior 1 copy
O naśladowaniu Chrystusa 1 copy
Diamanti di spiritualità 1 copy
Imitazione di Cristo : Della imitazione di Cristo : libri quattro / di Tommaso da Kempis ; volgarizzamento dal latino!… 1 copy, 1 review
OM KRISTI ETTERFYLGJING 1 copy
О подражании Христу 1 copy
Thomae Hemerken a Kempis canonici regularis ordinis S. Augustini Opera omnia. VII. Thomae Hemerken a Kempis ... De… (1922) 1 copy
Um Kristi etterfylgjing 1 copy
O nasladowaniu Maryi 1 copy
Thomae Hemerken a Kempis canonici regularis ordinis S. Augustini Opera omnia. VI. Thomae Hemerken a Kempis ... Sermones… (1905) 1 copy
Ni Sekvu Kriston 1 copy
El Valle de Los Lirios. 1 copy
Breytni eftir Kristi 1 copy
Instructions for religious [tr.] from the works of Thomas a Kempis, revised and ed. by T.T. Carter 1 copy
A Kempis 1 copy
Alphabetum Monachi 1 copy
Of the imitation of Christ 1 copy
Thomae Hemerken a Kempis canonici regularis ordinis S. Augustini Opera omnia. V. Thomae Hemerken a Kempis ... Orationes… (1902) 1 copy
Thomae Hemerken a Kempis canonici regularis ordinis S. Augustini Opera omnia. IV. Thomae Hemerken a Kempis ... Hortulus… (1918) 1 copy
Thomae Hemerken a Kempis canonici regularis ordinis S. Augustini Opera omnia. III. Thomae Hemerken a Kempis ...… (1904) 1 copy
Thomae Hemerken a Kempis canonici regularis ordinis S. Augustini Opera omnia. II. Thomae Hemerken a Kempis ... De… (1904) 1 copy
Thomae Hemerken a Kempis canonici regularis ordinis S. Augustini Opera omnia. I. Thomae Hemerken a Kempis ... De… (1910) 1 copy
De Middelnederlandse vertaling van "De imitatione Christi" (Qui sequitur) van Thomas a Kempis : in hs. Leiden,… (1954) 1 copy
Toraidheacht ar Lorg Chriost 1 copy
Imitation du Christ 1 copy
Das Rosengärtlein 1 copy
De la imitación de Cristo 1 copy
Imitazione di Cristo 1 copy
The Imitation of God 1 copy
الإقتداء بالمسيح 1 copy
Leven van Geert Grote 1 copy
Isten felé 1 copy
Works 1 copy
Associated Works
The Consolation of Philosophy / The Imitation of Christ / Religio Medici (1943) — Author — 98 copies
The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (Volume II Lenten Season and Easter Season) (1974) — Contributor — 97 copies
The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (Volume III: The Weeks of the Year 6 - 34) (1974) — Contributor — 68 copies
The Greatest Thing in the World / Acres of Diamonds / As a Man Thinketh / The Practice of the Presence of God / The… (1980) — Contributor — 47 copies
Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (2012) — Contributor — 24 copies, 1 review
Oogst der tijden : keur uit de werken van schrijvers en dichters aller volken en eeuwen (1940) — Contributor — 10 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- à Kempis, Thomas
- Legal name
- Haemerkken, Thomas
Hammerlein, Thomas - Other names
- Thomas van Kempen
Thomas of Kempen
Kempis, Thomas - Birthdate
- 1380
- Date of death
- 1471-07-25
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- County of Cleves
Holy Roman Empire - Country (for map)
- Germany
- Birthplace
- Kempen, Germany
- Place of death
- Zwolle, Netherlands
- Places of residence
- Deventer, Netherlands
- Education
- Deventer school
- Occupations
- copyist
Augustinian monk
priest - Organizations
- Brethren of the Common Life (Deventer, Netherlands)
Augustinian Monastery of Mount St. Agnes (Zwolle, Netherlands)
Roman Catholic Church (holy orders 1413)
Modern Devotion - Short biography
- Thomas à Kempis (c.1380-25 July 1471) was a German canon regular of the late medieval period and the most probable author of The Imitation of Christ, which is one of the best known Christian books on devotion.
Although almost universally known in English as Thomas à Kempis, the "a" represents the Latin "from" and is erroneously accented.
Members
Reviews
Lists
Ambleside Books (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 176
- Also by
- 8
- Members
- 12,509
- Popularity
- #1,877
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 98
- ISBNs
- 557
- Languages
- 25
- Favorited
- 12
Though this doesn’t sound much like an imitation of Christ to me, not the Christ I understand, the book, or at least the first two of the four “books” that make it up anyway, is interesting and not without useful advice that would move the reader closer to a Christ like attitude, or one could also say to a Buddhist like one, given that there are some strong similarities.
It strongly emphasizes being humble, never thinking yourself better than even someone you despise. You may be acting well now, but that’s not likely to always be true. “No harm, if you think of all the world as your betters; what does do a great deal of harm is to compare yourself favorably to a single living soul. To be humble is to enjoy undisturbed peace of mind, while the proud heart is swept by gusts of envy and resentment.” His advice on critiquing others: “Yes, you do well to cultivate patience with the shortcomings, the various disabilities of other people; only think how much they have to put up with in you! We like to have everybody around us quite perfect, but our own faults - we never seem to correct them.”
We cling much too much to our possessions, our wealth, when these things cannot make us happy and indeed cause us anxiety as we fear their loss. Plenty of people have “weak, flabby natures, that are always complaining, ‘Look at So-and-so; what a good time he has! How rich, how important he is; what influence and rank he enjoys!’ But in reality, if you take one look at the prizes of heaven, you will see that all these earthly ones count for nothing; if anything, it is a weight on our minds, the precarious possession of them, a constant source of anxiety and alarm. Man’s happiness doesn’t consist in having more earthly possessions than he knows what to do with... The higher a man’s spiritual aims, the more distasteful does our present life appear to him.”
How’s this for a practice: “Morning is the time for making resolutions; when evening comes, analyse your past behavior - what sort of person have you been today? What have you said, or done; what have been your thoughts? In any of these ways, you may have offended God and your neighbor oftener than you knew.”
And so on. Good advice in the context of an overall too misanthropic and isolationist a worldview. The second two books are a shift in style, taking the form of a sort of dialogue between God and the soul. Very flowery prose, much wordier, more decorative, often liturgical styling. Didn’t find these terribly interesting.… (more)