Thomas A'Kempis

"This is not everyone's favorite, but its on everyone's list. This is the most widely published and read book on spirituality in our tradition. It is amazing how well its medieval monkishness carries over into the modern world. When Dag Hammarskjold was killed in an airplane crash in Africa, the books found in his briefcase were the Bible and The Imitation." --Eugene Peterson, from his book Take and Read Next to the Bible itself, The Imitation of Christ is the most-published--and most deeply cherished--book in any language. For nearly 600 years, these thoughtful meditations on Jesus' life and teachings offer practical guidance on the central task of the Christian life: learning day by day to live like Jesus. This modern translation is direct and concise, yet retains a deep devotional flavor. Every Christian library needs the classics--the timeless books that have spoken powerfully to generations of believers. Now Hendrickson Christian Classics allows readers to build an essential classics library in affordable modern editions. Each volume is freshly retypeset for reading comfort, while thoughtful new introductions place each in historical and spiritual context. Attractive, classically bound covers look great together on the shelf. Best of all, value pricing makes this series easy to own. Planned to span the spectrum of Christian wisdom through the ages, Hendrickson Christian Classics sets a new standard for quality and value.

The Imitation of Christ

Thomas à Kempis, C.R.S.A. (Thomas van Kempen or Thomas Hemerken or Haemerken, litt. "Hammerkin" (small hammer); c. 1380 - 25 July 1471) was a Dutch canon regular of the late medieval period and the author of 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. He also is known by various spellings of his family name: Thomas Haemerken; Thomas Hammerlein; Thomas Hemerken and Thomas Hämerken. (wikipedia.org)

The treatise "Of the Imitation of Christ" appears to have been originally written in Latin early in the fifteenth century. Its exact date and its authorship are still a matter of debate. Manuscripts of the Latin version survive in considerable numbers all over Western Europe, and they, with the vast list of translations and of printed editions, testify to its almost unparalleled popularity. The most probable author, however, especially when the internal evidence is considered, is Thomas Haemmerlein, known also as Thomas a Kempis, from his native town of Kempen, near the Rhine, about forty miles north of Cologne. Haemmerlein, who was born in 1379 or 1380, was a member of the order of the Brothers of Common Life, and spent the last seventy years of his life at Mount St. Agnes, a monastery of Augustinian canons in the diocese of Utrecht. Here he died on July 26, 1471, after an uneventful life spent in copying manuscripts, reading, and composing, and in the peaceful routine of monastic piety. With the exception of the Bible, no Christian writing has had so wide a vogue or so sustained a popularity as this. And yet, in one sense, it is hardly an original work at all. Its structure it owes largely to the writings of the medieval mystics, and its ideas and phrases are a mosaic from the Bible and the Fathers of the early Church. But these elements are interwoven with such delicate skill and a religious feeling at once so ardent and so sound, that it promises to remain, what it has been for five hundred years, the supreme call and guide to spiritual aspiration. - Taken from "The Imitation Of Christ" by Thomas à Kempis

The Imitation Of Christ

Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine of Hippo

Here, in one volume, are two of the most influential works of Christian spirituality and philosophy: "The Confessions of St. Augustine" and "The Imitation of Christ." (Christian)

The Confessions of St. Augustine, Including the Imitation of Christ

Andrew Murray

G.K. Chesterton

John Bunyan

E.M. Bounds

C.H. Spurgeon

J. Oswald Sanders

J.C. Ryle

R. A. Torrey

Hannah Whitall Smith

Mrs. Howard Taylor

St. Augustine

Dr. Howard Taylor

Apostolic Fathers

George Mueller

L.E. Maxwell

D.L. Moody

F.B. Meyer

Nathan Stone

This package includes the entire collection of the Moody Classics Set: The Confessions of St. Augustine, Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret, The Apostolic Fathers, The Incomparable Christ, Orthodoxy, Answers to Prayer, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, Power Through Prayer, The Imitation of Christ, The True Vine, The Pilgrim's Progress, How to Pray, All of Grace, Born Crucified, Holiness (Abridged), The Overcoming Life, The Secret of Guidance, Names of God, and Prevailing Prayer. Of all the factors influencing our spiritual growth and development, pivotal books play a key role. Learning from those who have walked the path and fought the fight brings wisdom and strengthens resolve. And hearing the familiar chords of kingdom living sung by voices from other times can penetrate cultural barriers that limit our allegiance to the King. To this end, Moody Publishers is honored to present all nineteen books of its spiritual classics series. Selected for their enduring influence and timeless perspective, these new editions promise to shape the lives of spiritual pilgrims for generations to come.

Includes 19 Classics of the Faith in a Single Volume

Moody Classics Complete Set

Thomas A'Kempis

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