Christianity · Library · Great Books
The Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis · c. 1418–1427
After the Bible, the most widely read Christian devotional work — a manual of the interior life and the imitation of Christ.
catholicSpiritualityRead on site · 114 parts
Read on site
- Book I, Ch. I — Of the imitation of Christ, and of contempt of the world and all its vanities
- Book I, Ch. II — Of thinking humbly of oneself
- Book I, Ch. III — Of the knowledge of truth
- Book I, Ch. IV — Of prudence in action
- Book I, Ch. V — Of the reading of Holy Scriptures
- Book I, Ch. VI — Of inordinate affections
- Book I, Ch. VII — Of fleeing from vain hope and pride
- Book I, Ch. VIII — Of the danger of too much familiarity
- Book I, Ch. IX — Of Obedience and Subjection
- Book I, Ch. X — Of the danger of superfluity of words
- Book I, Ch. XI — Of seeking peace of mind and of spiritual progress
- Book I, Ch. XII — Of the uses of adversity
- Book I, Ch. XIII — Of resisting temptation
- Book I, Ch. XIV — On avoiding rash judgment
- Book I, Ch. XV — Of works of charity
- Book I, Ch. XVI — Of bearing with the faults of others
- Book I, Ch. XVII — Of a Religious life
- Book I, Ch. XVIII — Of the example of the holy fathers
- Book I, Ch. XIX — Of the exercises of a religious man
- Book I, Ch. XX — Of the love of solitude and silence
- Book I, Ch. XXI — Of compunction of heart
- Book I, Ch. XXII — On the contemplation of human misery
- Book I, Ch. XXIII — Of meditation upon death
- Book I, Ch. XXIV — Of the judgment and punishment of the wicked
- Book I, Ch. XXV — Of the zealous amendment of our whole life
- Book II, Ch. I — Of the inward life
- Book II, Ch. II — Of lowly submission
- Book II, Ch. III — Of the good, peaceable man
- Book II, Ch. IV — Of a pure mind and simple intention
- Book II, Ch. V — Of self-esteem
- Book II, Ch. VI — Of the joy of a good conscience
- Book II, Ch. VII — Of loving Jesus above all things
- Book II, Ch. VIII — Of the intimate love of Jesus
- Book II, Ch. IX — Of the lack of all comfort
- Book II, Ch. X — Of gratitude for the Grace of God
- Book II, Ch. XI — Of the fewness of those who love the Cross of Jesus
- Book II, Ch. XII — Of the royal way of the Holy Cross
- Book III, Ch. I — Of the inward voice of Christ to the faithful soul
- Book III, Ch. II — What the truth saith inwardly without noise of words
- Book III, Ch. III — How all the words of God are to be heard with humility, and how many consider them not
- Book III, Ch. IV — How we must walk in truth and humility before God
- Book III, Ch. V — Of the wonderful power of the Divine Love
- Book III, Ch. VI — Of the proving of the true lover
- Book III, Ch. VII — Of hiding our grace under the guard of humility
- Book III, Ch. VIII — Of a low estimation of self in the sight of God
- Book III, Ch. IX — That all things are to be referred to God, as the final end
- Book III, Ch. X — That it is sweet to despise the world and to serve God
- Book III, Ch. XI — That the desires of the heart are to be examined and governed
- Book III, Ch. XII — Of the inward growth of patience, and of the struggle against evil desires
- Book III, Ch. XIII — Of the obedience of one in lowly subjection after the example of Jesus Christ
- Book III, Ch. XIV — Of meditation upon the hidden judgments of God, that we may not be lifted up because of our well-doing
- Book III, Ch. XV — How we must stand and speak, in everything that we desire
- Book III, Ch. XVI — That true solace is to be sought in God alone
- Book III, Ch. XVII — That all care is to be cast upon God
- Book III, Ch. XVIII — That temporal miseries are to be borne patiently after the example of Christ
- Book III, Ch. XIX — Of bearing injuries, and who shall be approved as truly patient
- Book III, Ch. XX — Of confession of our infirmity and of the miseries of this life
- Book III, Ch. XXI — That we must rest in God above all goods and gifts
- Book III, Ch. XXII — Of the recollection of God’s manifold benefits
- Book III, Ch. XXIII — Of four things which bring great peace
- Book III, Ch. XXIV — Of avoiding of curious inquiry into the life of another
- Book III, Ch. XXV — Wherein firm peace of heart and true profit consist
- Book III, Ch. XXVI — Of the exaltation of a free spirit, which humble prayer more deserveth than doth frequent reading
- Book III, Ch. XXVII — That personal love greatly hindereth from the highest good
- Book III, Ch. XXVIII — Against the tongues of detractors
- Book III, Ch. XXIX — How when tribulation cometh we must call upon and bless God
- Book III, Ch. XXX — Of seeking divine help, and the confidence of obtaining grace
- Book III, Ch. XXXI — Of the neglect of every creature, that the Creator may be found
- Book III, Ch. XXXII — Of self-denial and the casting away all selfishness
- Book III, Ch. XXXIII — Of instability of the heart, and of directing the aim towards God
- Book III, Ch. XXXIV — That to him who loveth God is sweet above all things and in all things
- Book III, Ch. XXXV — That there is no security against temptation in this life
- Book III, Ch. XXXVI — Against vain judgments of men
- Book III, Ch. XXXVII — Of pure and entire resignation of self, for the obtaining liberty of heart
- Book III, Ch. XXXVIII — Of a good government in external things, and of having recourse to God in dangers
- Book III, Ch. XXXIX — That man must not be immersed in business
- Book III, Ch. XL — That man hath no good in himself, and nothing whereof to glory
- Book III, Ch. XLI — Of contempt of all temporal honour
- Book III, Ch. XLII — That our peace is not to be placed in men
- Book III, Ch. XLIII — Against vain and worldly knowledge
- Book III, Ch. XLIV — Of not troubling ourselves about outward things
- Book III, Ch. XLV — That we must not believe everyone, and that we are prone to fall in our words
- Book III, Ch. XLVI — Of having confidence in God when evil words are cast at us
- Book III, Ch. XLVII — That all troubles are to be endured for the sake of eternal life
- Book III, Ch. XLVIII — Of the day of eternity and of the straitnesses of this life
- Book III, Ch. XLIX — Of the desire after eternal life, and how great blessings are promised to those who strive
- Book III, Ch. L — How a desolate man ought to commit himself into the hands of God
- Book III, Ch. LI — That we must give ourselves to humble works when we are unequal to those that are lofty
- Book III, Ch. LII — That a man ought not to reckon himself worthy of consolation, but more worthy of chastisement
- Book III, Ch. LIII — That the Grace of God doth not join itself to those who mind earthly things
- Book III, Ch. LIV — Of the diverse motions of Nature and of Grace
- Book III, Ch. LV — Of the corruption of Nature and the efficacy of Divine Grace
- Book III, Ch. LVI — That we ought to deny ourselves, and to imitate Christ by means of the Cross
- Book III, Ch. LVII — That a man must not be too much cast down when he falleth into some faults
- Book III, Ch. LVIII — Of deeper matters, and God’s hidden judgments which are not to be inquired into
- Book III, Ch. LIX — That all hope and trust is to be fixed in God alone
- Book IV, Ch. I — With how great reverence Christ must be received
- Book IV, Ch. II — That the greatness and charity of God is shown to men in the Sacrament
- Book IV, Ch. III — That it is profitable to Communicate often
- Book IV, Ch. IV — That many good gifts are bestowed upon those who Communicate devoutly
- Book IV, Ch. V — Of the dignity of this Sacrament, and of the office of the priest
- Book IV, Ch. VI — An inquiry concerning preparation for Communion
- Book IV, Ch. VII — Of the examination of conscience, and purpose of amendment
- Book IV, Ch. VIII — Of the oblation of Christ upon the cross, and of resignation of self
- Book IV, Ch. IX — That we ought to offer ourselves and all that is ours to God, and to pray for all
- Book IV, Ch. X — That Holy Communion is not lightly to be omitted
- Book IV, Ch. XI — That the Body and Blood of Christ and the Holy Scriptures are most necessary to a faithful soul
- Book IV, Ch. XII — That he who is about to Communicate with Christ ought to prepare himself with great diligence
- Book IV, Ch. XIII — That the devout soul ought with the whole heart to yearn after union with Christ in the Sacrament
- Book IV, Ch. XIV — Of the fervent desire of certain devout persons to receive the Body and Blood of Christ
- Book IV, Ch. XV — That the grace of devotion is acquired by humility and self-denial
- Book IV, Ch. XVI — That we ought to lay open our necessities to Christ and to require His Grace
- Book IV, Ch. XVII — Of fervent love and vehement desire of receiving Christ
- Book IV, Ch. XVIII — That a man should not be a curious searcher of the Sacrament, but a humble imitator of Christ, submitting his sense to holy faith
Availability & copyright. This public-domain work is rendered in full on-site from Project Gutenberg eBook #1653, verbatim (structural formatting only).