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The Inner Life
'We are all frail; consider none more frail than yourself.'
Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are.
Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1427
37 people are currently reading
1176 people want to read
About the author
Thomas à Kempis
727 books393 followersThomas Hammerken (or Hammerlein -- both mean "little hammer") / Thomas de Kempis / Thomas Hamerken von Kempen was born at Kempen (hence the "A Kempis") in the duchy of Cleves in Germany around 1380. He was educated by a religious order called the Brethren of the Common Life, and in due course joined the order, was ordained a priest, became sub-prior of his house (in the low Countries), and died 25 July 1471 (his feast is observed a day early to avoid conflict with that of James bar-Zebedee the Apostle).
Thomas is known almost entirely for composing or compiling a manual of spiritual advice known as The Imitation of Christ, in which he urges the reader to seek to follow the example of Jesus Christ and to be conformed in all things to His will.
Thomas is known almost entirely for composing or compiling a manual of spiritual advice known as The Imitation of Christ, in which he urges the reader to seek to follow the example of Jesus Christ and to be conformed in all things to His will.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 15, 2008
I don't know exactly why I choose to read this book. The design is wonderful, and I'm a sucker for the whole Penguin Great Idea series. Maybe I was hoping for something more in this book instead of what it ended up being. But a part of me still liked it, the writing was nice, and I'm sure much better than what is found in the modern day thriving Christian self-help market, of which I'm an unwitting guardian of at work so I see them all. While I was finishing up the book I realized that I'd read the whole book as bathroom reading, and maybe that added a little to my enjoyment. Maybe there is something about me that likes to read about Jesus while pooping.
This book is kind of like a blue-print to submission. Here it's submission to Christ, but it is easy to re-apply most of the chapters to any of the 'cult of personality' totalitarian leaders of the 20th century. A nice handbook for taking all of the shitty things that happen to you on to yourself, while attributing anything good to something way beyond your power. This is the kind of thinking that originally drove me towards atheism, now that I find atheism to be boring I just find the messages contained in this book to be part of the legacy that has left our world a festering shit hole. And that's just a little sad.
This book is kind of like a blue-print to submission. Here it's submission to Christ, but it is easy to re-apply most of the chapters to any of the 'cult of personality' totalitarian leaders of the 20th century. A nice handbook for taking all of the shitty things that happen to you on to yourself, while attributing anything good to something way beyond your power. This is the kind of thinking that originally drove me towards atheism, now that I find atheism to be boring I just find the messages contained in this book to be part of the legacy that has left our world a festering shit hole. And that's just a little sad.
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November 25, 2009The Inner Life (a name the people at Penguin invented for their excerpts from Thomas à Kempis's famous The Imitation of Christ) rounds out my first set of four Great Ideas volumes. I have to admit that, outside of the context of the series, this fourteenth-century Catholic devotional tract is not something I would normally pick up, find interesting, or recommend to anyone except those with a strong interest in the history of Christian theology. As an agnostic person in particular, trying to find anything in its pages to which I could personally relate was...well, let's just say that wasn't the approach that worked best for me. Within the curated Great Ideas experience, though, it takes part in a number of dialogues I find fascinating. And when I stop to situate Kempis in the context of the other three philosophers I've read in the series thus far, there are even a few points on which I would align myself more with him than with anyone else. More importantly, and beyond my personal reactions, Kempis represents an important phase of Western Christian thought, which I'm sure will prove a key touchstone as I move into the Renaissance writings of Machiavelli and Montaigne.
First, the basics: Thomas à Kempis espouses a characteristically hardcore medieval attitude toward God and faith. He's an absolutist, arguing that one should give up all emotional connection to the people and physical world around one, and put one's entire trust in God. You shouldn't trust other people, your own sensations, or yourself, Kempis writes: humans are changeable and easily tricked by the Devil, and are therefore much too weak and unworthy to make their own life decisions or attain any meaningful knowledge except through complete and utter submission to the will of God. Even the kind of ecstatic devotion espoused by Augustine should, says Kempis, be mistrusted:
In other words, says Kempis, a truly devoted follower of Christ will completely subjugate his own desire, and be equally happy with whatever fate God decides is best for him, however uncomfortable or seemingly tragic it may be, because Christ is all-knowing, and is orchestrating the events of each person's life to best suit that person's spiritual growth.
Like Seneca, Kempis counsels his readers to find "a place apart," to spend time alone for the greater health of their souls. But whereas Seneca recommends spending that time reading philosophy, honing our logical minds and reducing mental busy-ness, Kempis's main object for alone time is coming to a deeper appreciation of just how base and unworthy we are to receive the grace of God. He urges us to "enter deeply into inner things," yet also tells us never to trust ourselves or our own impressions. To Kempis this isn't a contradiction: to him, "entering deeply into inner things" means finding lower and ever lower levels of degradation within, which will in turn motivate us to submit more readily to God's will:
This emphasis on discounting the experience of the senses, of eschewing rationality, is one of Kempis's most interesting positions in terms of the Great Ideas dialogue. Let me briefly and perhaps cheekily paraphrase the conversation thus far as it relates to logic and the rational person:
- Seneca writes to a friend: hey, look at your situation logically. Today you're alive, and tomorrow you may be dead. Why not make the most of your remaining time by withdrawing from the hustle and bustle, and spending some time engaging with philosophy? You will hone your mind and prepare your soul for your inevitable death. After all, people complain about having to die, but we really have sufficient time if only we would use it to good advantage.
- Marcus Aurelius, more pessimistically, opines that the world is going to hell because people everywhere are acting against their true natures. The true nature of a man, says Aurelius, is that of a rational citizen, and the only rational way for a citizen to live is to devote himself to the service of his state, rather than becoming a prey to his irrational (carnal, selfish) desires. Rationality, says Aurelius, will save the day, or at least make life more bearable and death less alarming.
- Augustine of Hippo presents a failure of rationality: a moment (his conversion to Catholocism) when, in order to attain enlightenment, he must put aside his desire to know and learn things logically, and follow his emotions to God.
A thousand years later, Thomas à Kempis (and, I think, medieval Christianity in general) have taken Augustine's break with rationality to the proverbial next level, and then several levels beyond that. The temptation to acquire knowledge through the senses or reasoned logic, he argues, is a crafty ploy of the Devil, who is trying to distract us from the fact that praying and submitting our wills to God are the only ways to attain true enlightenment. The entire physical world, therefore, becomes a minefield of temptations for anyone who has incompletely quashed his curiosity or his impulse towards reason. The best plan for anyone wishing to get close to God, in Kempis's view, is to live the life of a hermit:
Kempis's attitude is that a holy person should withdraw from nearly every aspect of life on earth, and focus his entire energy on anticipating the next life - the one in which he will be released from this prison of a body and be united with God in peace. "Be assured of this," he writes famously, "that you must live a dying life." If you are gaining pleasure or satisfaction from anything in life other than submitting yourself to God, Kempis argues, you're on the wrong track. And if you're attempting to reason something out logically, you're falling prey to the Devil. Aside from a few token comments about "helping one another," there's even surprisingly few mentions of charity, which I tend to consider a staple of Christian theology. Basically, Kempis's holy man withdraws farther and farther from all other people and objects, and spends his time meditating on what a despicable sinner he is. It's hard for me to imagine a God who would encourage such conduct, but there you go. (And Kristin Lavransdatter people: does this behavior pattern sound familiar?) I mean, this is certainly not how Jesus lived, which makes the title Imitation of Christ an interesting one.
I think what stood out most to me about Thomas à Kempis is the feeling that something had to give. His theology is just so extreme and so bleak. If it's at all representative of the life of the educated "establishment" in late medieval Europe, it impresses the reader with the inevitability of some kind of pressure release, some swing of the pendulum in the other direction - which did in fact take place with the advent of Renaissance Humanism and the return to a desire for proto-scientific inquiry.
On the other hand, I have to admit that I do appreciate Kempis's acknowledgment of the failures of rationality. Reading Marcus Aurelius, I often wanted to shake the man for his blind insistence that Human Beings Are Naturally Rational, even as he was cataloging all the myriad irrational behaviors around him. Falling, myself, somewhere in the middle of the two extremes (I think most people tend to act irrationally and construct rational explanations for our behavior after the fact), it's fascinating to watch the two philosophical strands develop over the centuries. And having already spent some quality time with Machiavelli and Montaigne, the next two stops on the Great Ideas train, I'm pretty confident that they will add some interesting perspectives to the rationality debate. On to Florence, and the demise of the Republic!
PS - Between Augustine, Kempis, and Undset, it's been VERY RELIGIOUS around here lately! I need to read some Emma Goldman or something, just to shake things up a bit. Seriously.
First, the basics: Thomas à Kempis espouses a characteristically hardcore medieval attitude toward God and faith. He's an absolutist, arguing that one should give up all emotional connection to the people and physical world around one, and put one's entire trust in God. You shouldn't trust other people, your own sensations, or yourself, Kempis writes: humans are changeable and easily tricked by the Devil, and are therefore much too weak and unworthy to make their own life decisions or attain any meaningful knowledge except through complete and utter submission to the will of God. Even the kind of ecstatic devotion espoused by Augustine should, says Kempis, be mistrusted:
CHRIST: ... Do not hold an exaggerated opinion of yourself, or believe that you are a favorite of God when you enjoy the grace of great devotion and sweetness; for it is not by these things that the true lover of holiness is known, or is a man's spiritual progress dependent on such things.
THE DISCIPLE: Lord, on what then does it depend?
CHRIST: On complete surrender of your heart to the will of God, not seeking to have your own way either in great matters or small, in time or in eternity. If you will make this surrender, you will thank God with equal gladness both in good times and in bad, and will accept everything, as from His hand, with an untroubled mind. Be courageous and of such unshakable faith that, when spiritual comfort is withdrawn, you may prepare your heart for even greater trials. Do not think it unjust that you should suffer so much, but confess that I am just in all My dealings, and praise My holy Name.
In other words, says Kempis, a truly devoted follower of Christ will completely subjugate his own desire, and be equally happy with whatever fate God decides is best for him, however uncomfortable or seemingly tragic it may be, because Christ is all-knowing, and is orchestrating the events of each person's life to best suit that person's spiritual growth.
Like Seneca, Kempis counsels his readers to find "a place apart," to spend time alone for the greater health of their souls. But whereas Seneca recommends spending that time reading philosophy, honing our logical minds and reducing mental busy-ness, Kempis's main object for alone time is coming to a deeper appreciation of just how base and unworthy we are to receive the grace of God. He urges us to "enter deeply into inner things," yet also tells us never to trust ourselves or our own impressions. To Kempis this isn't a contradiction: to him, "entering deeply into inner things" means finding lower and ever lower levels of degradation within, which will in turn motivate us to submit more readily to God's will:
It is a great obstacle if we rely on external signs and the experience of the senses, and pay small regard to the perfecting of self-discipline. I hardly know what motives can inspire us, or what our purpose may be, when we who wish to be considered spiritual take so much trouble and are so concerned with trivial, daily affairs, and so seldom give our full and earnest attention to our interior life.
Alas, after a short meditation we break off and do not make a strict examination of our lives. We do not consider where our affections really lie, nor are we grieved at the sinfulness of our whole lives.
This emphasis on discounting the experience of the senses, of eschewing rationality, is one of Kempis's most interesting positions in terms of the Great Ideas dialogue. Let me briefly and perhaps cheekily paraphrase the conversation thus far as it relates to logic and the rational person:
- Seneca writes to a friend: hey, look at your situation logically. Today you're alive, and tomorrow you may be dead. Why not make the most of your remaining time by withdrawing from the hustle and bustle, and spending some time engaging with philosophy? You will hone your mind and prepare your soul for your inevitable death. After all, people complain about having to die, but we really have sufficient time if only we would use it to good advantage.
- Marcus Aurelius, more pessimistically, opines that the world is going to hell because people everywhere are acting against their true natures. The true nature of a man, says Aurelius, is that of a rational citizen, and the only rational way for a citizen to live is to devote himself to the service of his state, rather than becoming a prey to his irrational (carnal, selfish) desires. Rationality, says Aurelius, will save the day, or at least make life more bearable and death less alarming.
- Augustine of Hippo presents a failure of rationality: a moment (his conversion to Catholocism) when, in order to attain enlightenment, he must put aside his desire to know and learn things logically, and follow his emotions to God.
A thousand years later, Thomas à Kempis (and, I think, medieval Christianity in general) have taken Augustine's break with rationality to the proverbial next level, and then several levels beyond that. The temptation to acquire knowledge through the senses or reasoned logic, he argues, is a crafty ploy of the Devil, who is trying to distract us from the fact that praying and submitting our wills to God are the only ways to attain true enlightenment. The entire physical world, therefore, becomes a minefield of temptations for anyone who has incompletely quashed his curiosity or his impulse towards reason. The best plan for anyone wishing to get close to God, in Kempis's view, is to live the life of a hermit:
You should be so mortified in your affection towards loved ones that, for your part, you would forego all human companionship. Man draws the nearer to God as he withdraws further from the consolations of this world. And the deeper he descends into himself and the lower he regards himself, the higher he ascends towards God.
Kempis's attitude is that a holy person should withdraw from nearly every aspect of life on earth, and focus his entire energy on anticipating the next life - the one in which he will be released from this prison of a body and be united with God in peace. "Be assured of this," he writes famously, "that you must live a dying life." If you are gaining pleasure or satisfaction from anything in life other than submitting yourself to God, Kempis argues, you're on the wrong track. And if you're attempting to reason something out logically, you're falling prey to the Devil. Aside from a few token comments about "helping one another," there's even surprisingly few mentions of charity, which I tend to consider a staple of Christian theology. Basically, Kempis's holy man withdraws farther and farther from all other people and objects, and spends his time meditating on what a despicable sinner he is. It's hard for me to imagine a God who would encourage such conduct, but there you go. (And Kristin Lavransdatter people: does this behavior pattern sound familiar?) I mean, this is certainly not how Jesus lived, which makes the title Imitation of Christ an interesting one.
I think what stood out most to me about Thomas à Kempis is the feeling that something had to give. His theology is just so extreme and so bleak. If it's at all representative of the life of the educated "establishment" in late medieval Europe, it impresses the reader with the inevitability of some kind of pressure release, some swing of the pendulum in the other direction - which did in fact take place with the advent of Renaissance Humanism and the return to a desire for proto-scientific inquiry.
On the other hand, I have to admit that I do appreciate Kempis's acknowledgment of the failures of rationality. Reading Marcus Aurelius, I often wanted to shake the man for his blind insistence that Human Beings Are Naturally Rational, even as he was cataloging all the myriad irrational behaviors around him. Falling, myself, somewhere in the middle of the two extremes (I think most people tend to act irrationally and construct rational explanations for our behavior after the fact), it's fascinating to watch the two philosophical strands develop over the centuries. And having already spent some quality time with Machiavelli and Montaigne, the next two stops on the Great Ideas train, I'm pretty confident that they will add some interesting perspectives to the rationality debate. On to Florence, and the demise of the Republic!
PS - Between Augustine, Kempis, and Undset, it's been VERY RELIGIOUS around here lately! I need to read some Emma Goldman or something, just to shake things up a bit. Seriously.
August 17, 2014
There are things about this book that I find comforting and beautiful, but the advocacy of, in effect, asceticism as the only possible course if life is one that grates, I'm afraid. If God created the world and it is therefore good, why demand its rejection in total, including our fellow 'creatures' as a condition of spiritual attainment? I am familiar with the fall of man arguments, but it seems odd to ask that we should actively seek out misery and pain and revel in them as a means of salvation. More social inequality has come from 'blessed are the poor' than just about any other statement in history. Why alleviate the wretchedness of poverty when writers like this advocate it as a higher spiritual state? So much of the church's consolidation of power has come from requiring utter obedience and telling people that, in the words of an old hymn 'the rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, He made them high and lowly and ordered their estate'. Christianity is about joy and compassion and social justice. Above all, it's not about selfishly seeking your own spiritual advancement and cutting yourself off from the world and other people, but working to alleviate the suffering of others and striving for a better and more equal society.
March 30, 2017
Consider this a Stoic's manual for the Orthodox Christian crowd. The constant exhortations to Christ and condemnations of Satan are somewhat difficult to reconcile for an atheist reader like myself, but recall that Musonius and Epictetus credited Zeus and the Gods in their writings, and Marcus referred often to the Logos, or divine will. So, read "around" the tremendously pious Christian slant (easier said than done in some chapters) and you'll find some practical advice about humility, virtue, and the right way to live. At least, in the first third... Then the secular advice phases out and the rest is wholly Christian in tone and subject matter, with the final half being an imagined dialogue between Christ and a disciple with a good number of prayers mixed in. There you've got to sift through a lot of traditional Christian supplication to uncover the core principles of abiding, accepting, and taking right action according to your circumstances that I believe are common throughout Stoic philosophy.
2.5 stars out of 5. In this sort of condensed format the early counsel comes so rapidly with one recommendation followed immediately by another that it begins to seem trite. Probably best read slowly over time, a page or two a day, so as not to "burn out" on advice.
(Read in 2017, the ninth book in my Alphabetical Reading Challenge)
2.5 stars out of 5. In this sort of condensed format the early counsel comes so rapidly with one recommendation followed immediately by another that it begins to seem trite. Probably best read slowly over time, a page or two a day, so as not to "burn out" on advice.
(Read in 2017, the ninth book in my Alphabetical Reading Challenge)
February 23, 2015
A very moving and thought provoking book with excerpts from a book on Christianity originally written in 1400s. The book offers thoughts on true spiritual enlightenment, and a devoted Christian life. Sometimes I felt this book could only be truly followed by someone wholly dedicated and removed from everyday life such as a nun or monk, but it does make you realise, that is not the purpose of it, but understanding our own imperfections and frailty is. Well worth reading for anyone seeking spiritual guidance.
April 17, 2013
A constantly "tuned up" inner life isn't only for cloistered monks or nuns. It is for everyone. I can say that I've become a little less uptight because of this book...I'm definitely still a work in progress.
October 27, 2021
If I had a hammer
November 18, 2019
The priest who taught my Confirmation Class suggested I read this book before I was Confirmed. The messages of this book have stayed with me since that time. It was heavy reading for a very young person.
June 7, 2017
Penguin's Great Ideas series showcases important works in an abbreviated format (not my favourite way to read), and this work by Thomas à Kempis is drawn from the larger work
The Imitation of Christ
. After reading Benjamin Franklin (see his 13-week virtues program in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin), Albert Camus, and James Allen, I can see the connections to this work dating from the early fifteenth century. There are also elements of Stoicism, recalling Marcus Aurelius. For example, on death at p. 20:
If you are not ready to die today, will tomorrow find you better prepared?And of being in the world, especially when one is distracted by others, on p. 28:
But to be able to live at peace among hard, obstinate, and undisciplined people and those who oppose us, is a great grace, and a most commendable and manly achievement... He who knows the secret of endurance will enjoy the greatest peace. Such a one is a conqueror of self, master of the world, a friend of Christ, and an heir of Heaven.Here, James Allen's meditations shine through and it is pleasing to read these in the original. Having said that, there are times when the dialogue between Christ and the disciple, I suppose borrowing from Plato, irked me a little. Nevertheless, there is one part where, and I say this without having researched others' views on the matter, but in Chapter 2 of Book 3 (pp. 40-41), entitled How Truth Instructs us in Silence, the disciple raves on and on and never lets God put a word in edge-wise. This reminded me of Franklin's second virtue, silence, and how we tend to talk too much. I wonder if this was a precursor to the style of La Rochefoucauld? It certainly had me yelling at the disciple to just shut up and listen! Finally, Franklin's thirteenth virtue, to be like Jesus or Socrates, might make the reading of the complete book worthwhile. This is the most difficult of the virtues to comprehend. My reading of Kempis suggests that to think ourselves capable of imitating Christ is folly, and as a non-Christian, even emulating Socrates is egotistical, especially if one were to self-assess as anything other than a black mark for each day for not having been able to be so. Again, without looking to others, what I have gained from Kempis is not that we can imitate Christ (or Socrates, for that matter), but that we can only strive for the ideal. In self-assessing against Franklin's thirteenth virtue, I can only ever give myself a perforated black mark, as I could never say I had reached such levels of perfection (some suggest that Socrates belongs to the list of Abrahamic prophets, so he may well be out of reach, too). And yet the struggle over this one problem is exactly what Kempis suggests we do. Herein lies the genius of Franklin. In assessing himself every day for thirteen weeks, I doubt he could ever not give himself a black mark; yet every day he was reminded to strive for the ideal, no matter how imperfect a man may be in (as opposed to "of"), the world.
January 20, 2017
This book is decent, but I found that discernment is needed to wade through it all. It's formatted in short essays (kind of devotional thoughts). The best way to get a feel for the book, perhaps, is for me to share quotes.
Awesome quotes:
We could enjoy much peace if we did not busy ourselves with what other people say and do, for this is no concern of ours. (p. 11)
If truth set you free, you are truly free, and need care nothing for the vain words of men. (p. 44)
To remain silent about others makes for peace and goodwill, neither believing all that is said, nor repeating all that is heard. (p. 97)
Questionable quotes:
If your inner life were rightly ordered and your heart pure, things would turn to your good and advantage. (p. 25)
Those who are still new and untried in the way of the Lord can easily be deceived and lost. (p.52)
You should be so mortified in your affection towards loved ones that, for your part, you would forego all human companionship. (p. 92)
Awesome quotes:
We could enjoy much peace if we did not busy ourselves with what other people say and do, for this is no concern of ours. (p. 11)
If truth set you free, you are truly free, and need care nothing for the vain words of men. (p. 44)
To remain silent about others makes for peace and goodwill, neither believing all that is said, nor repeating all that is heard. (p. 97)
Questionable quotes:
If your inner life were rightly ordered and your heart pure, things would turn to your good and advantage. (p. 25)
Those who are still new and untried in the way of the Lord can easily be deceived and lost. (p.52)
You should be so mortified in your affection towards loved ones that, for your part, you would forego all human companionship. (p. 92)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2014
One of the most spiritually edifying books I've ever read. Made all the more powerful that it was written in the 15th century.
An incredibly challenging book and a must read for all born again christians who are truly seeking God. This book was an encouraging reminder that life this side of heaven is a war, but Kempis also reminds that if we seek God with all of our hearts and allow his grace to cultivate our lives, we can make it to the promised land and live lives truly glorifying our creator.
The book also covers many many other aspects of living for Christ. (51 Chapters focused on various aspects of Christian life!) Overall I found this book an extremely encouraging practical resource for my faith, one which has humbled and enriched me again and again in my journey with Christ.
God bless.
An incredibly challenging book and a must read for all born again christians who are truly seeking God. This book was an encouraging reminder that life this side of heaven is a war, but Kempis also reminds that if we seek God with all of our hearts and allow his grace to cultivate our lives, we can make it to the promised land and live lives truly glorifying our creator.
The book also covers many many other aspects of living for Christ. (51 Chapters focused on various aspects of Christian life!) Overall I found this book an extremely encouraging practical resource for my faith, one which has humbled and enriched me again and again in my journey with Christ.
God bless.
January 31, 2012
This book is made up of excerpts from Thomas a Kempis' "The Imitation Of Christ". And it is INCREDIBLY depressing. As I was reading it, I often wanted to lock myself in a dark, secluded room and cry myself to sleep. And that's coming from a genuinely optimistic person :)
It is nicely written, much more fluent than I expected. A bit repetitive though, but I guess that's how Catholic priests roll :)
As much as I don't agree with his philosophy I was surprised to see myself kinda agreeing with some minor details. That's what I like about reading these type of books, realizing how much we think alike even if we believe in completely in different beliefs.
It is nicely written, much more fluent than I expected. A bit repetitive though, but I guess that's how Catholic priests roll :)
As much as I don't agree with his philosophy I was surprised to see myself kinda agreeing with some minor details. That's what I like about reading these type of books, realizing how much we think alike even if we believe in completely in different beliefs.
June 24, 2008
Yjis neat little print from Penguin is great for the pocket. A book to carry around. It's the sort of 'substrate neutral\ spirituality I like, not specific rligious background. The appeal is aesthetic, the sort that drives my loved Georges Bataille to the mystic attempts to render though language and thought what cannot be thought or written, namely the inner experience, the subjectivity, the unique individual. As I take cold showers in Wittgenstein and language as an onject of scientific study, I hesitate to say I find such as Kempis inspiring, but inspiring it is.
January 6, 2008
This is a really good book...I'm only part of the way through it, but the chapters are succinct and to the point. Thomas a Kempis is pretty rad...lots of insight. Read this one. It's not a read-all-in-one-day kinda book, I'm using it as more of a devotional. Anyway, if you want a good read, go get it.
February 21, 2012
This is a great book that is packed with deep thoughts. It would probably make a good devotional book since each section is very short, but contains a lot of stuff to think about regarding the nature of man, his relationship with God, and how to live the Christian life on the inside as well as on the outside.
March 31, 2013
I enjoyed this small book and definitely gleamed some excellent quotes from it, so perhaps it deserves more like a 3.5. There was a powerful challenge to desire none but God alone and give up everything else for him. Overall, however, I think I'd say I "liked it" over "loved it."
December 4, 2013
I just wasn't able to finish this book. Frankly, I found it painful to read and thank fortune that I was born in the late 20th century. Life as a monk may have had its benefits, particularly in the Middle Ages, but I doubt I would have found much joy in it.
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November 10, 2008This is my daily devotional. It really challenges me. If you need a good devotional. This is it.
November 5, 2011
Excerpts from 'The Imitation of Christ'.
Spiritual food; beautiful and simple.
Spiritual food; beautiful and simple.
July 29, 2014
inner life must be enriched in the ways of life turning moments in making things be humble and contrite in one's self
July 29, 2022
More Than It Appears
Initially I was hesitant to purchase this book as I had read in some reviews that it was simply excerpts from the original text The Imitation of Christ.
Although this may be true at a surface level, this book seems to be much more than it appears, at least at deeper energetic levels and based upon my own personal experience.
I started The Inner Life immediately after finishing The Imitation of Christ and therefore have a reasonably accurate baseline to compare the two. While I cannot describe what accounts for the difference in the two works, I can say that I had two very different experiences with each, both being highly positive.
At a surface, packaging level I can say that I appreciated the clean formatting and bite-sized chapters of The Inner Life which I found much easier to read and navigate when compared to the original. I would have appreciated a cleaner, simpler cover as it seems a bit busy given the block of text, although it is original and stands apart from other books in my collection.
I highly recommend this book even for those who have read The Imitation of Christ as it's very possible that you will have a different experience with this text. Even those who do not completely agree with the message may find value here given the simplicity and succinct nature of the message.
At a minimum The Inner Life provides a compelling argument for the merits of humility and a simple and spiritual-centered life.
Initially I was hesitant to purchase this book as I had read in some reviews that it was simply excerpts from the original text The Imitation of Christ.
Although this may be true at a surface level, this book seems to be much more than it appears, at least at deeper energetic levels and based upon my own personal experience.
I started The Inner Life immediately after finishing The Imitation of Christ and therefore have a reasonably accurate baseline to compare the two. While I cannot describe what accounts for the difference in the two works, I can say that I had two very different experiences with each, both being highly positive.
At a surface, packaging level I can say that I appreciated the clean formatting and bite-sized chapters of The Inner Life which I found much easier to read and navigate when compared to the original. I would have appreciated a cleaner, simpler cover as it seems a bit busy given the block of text, although it is original and stands apart from other books in my collection.
I highly recommend this book even for those who have read The Imitation of Christ as it's very possible that you will have a different experience with this text. Even those who do not completely agree with the message may find value here given the simplicity and succinct nature of the message.
At a minimum The Inner Life provides a compelling argument for the merits of humility and a simple and spiritual-centered life.
May 8, 2017
While not perfect, this abridged edition of Thomas a Kempis' The Imitation of Christ is truly a good read. The wisdom compacted here seems like common sense - which makes it all the more important as I don't think it was considered common sense when first published in the 15th century. I had problems understanding the strictly Christian and theological tone of the work, but its transcendental beauty made an engaging read nonetheless. I came across this while reading George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss, where Maggie, one the main protagonists reads this book. I'm glad I chose to learn more about A Kempis's works.
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December 31, 2024A secular reader may enjoy The Inner Life for its themes of stoicism, self-awareness, humility, and introspection—qualities that share a foundation with mindfulness, existentialism, and ethics.
Unfortunately, ascetic Christian practice, especially in the latter chapters, complicates the broader meditations on relationship with God. Kempis’ strict views, at times verging on spiritual masochism, overshadow the more universal aspects of personal growth—making the final sections feel more like penance than a guide to peace.
Unfortunately, ascetic Christian practice, especially in the latter chapters, complicates the broader meditations on relationship with God. Kempis’ strict views, at times verging on spiritual masochism, overshadow the more universal aspects of personal growth—making the final sections feel more like penance than a guide to peace.
September 6, 2025
Reading my way through the Penguin Great Ideas series. I tried to approach this book with an open mind and a view to finding advice that could be applicable to a secular, ethical way of living - but when everything boils down to 'all good things in life are due to God, all bad things in life are sent by God to test you, nothing you do on this earthly plain matters unless and you should never be proud of your achievements because the next life and God are the only things that matter', well, this book was never going to be relevant to an avowed humanist.
December 3, 2021
There's some good advice for living here, but with a weird backdrop of everything we have and everything in the world existing purely as part of some cruel test. Don't actually enjoy much of what's available or no heavenly prize. There's a strange insistence on not having much to do with "creatures". Seems like the very best thing that could happen to a Good Christian would be a quick death. An odd way to approach life.
December 5, 2020
A really wonderful book full of profound devotional wisdom. Many things are to be learned from this, sadly this digital edition has some problems with its presentation: the table of contents only shows Chapter 23, 12 and 57 (in that order; spelling errors; one chapter missed a few words at the end... But of course, the presentation does not diminish in any way the content of the book.
April 23, 2021
This is a “spiritual reading” book written by an author who lived from the 14th century into the middle of the 15th century. That notwithstanding, the “advice” given to the disciple 600 years ago is as helpful and pertinent today as it was then.
February 20, 2018
To take no account of oneself, but always to think well and highly of others is the highest wisdom and perfection.
July 30, 2019
Good! Really helps as you examine your life. Well researched!
March 3, 2020
A book to refer to often and a source of Christian contemplative meditations.
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