Imitation of Christ: Classic Devotions in Today's Language

by James N. Watkins

The timeless classic, The Imitation of Christ, is updated into modern English and arranged topically for daily devotions.

Genres: Classics

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 12, 2016

Reviews

[James N.]

Since I edited it, I may be a bit biased! It is a very accurate paraphrase compared to the original Latin by my good friend, Michael Fraley. It also divided into 90 chapters and organized by Christ's characteristics.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough about this book. The original Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis is a well known classic for Christians, and for those who have read and pondered it, it is an invaluable prayer tool for the life of anyone wanting to grow in their spirituality and the life of Christ.

What James N. Watkins has done for us in this version of the classic book is nothing short of wonderful. He has broken down the book into an easier translation that can be used everyday to ponder, meditate and grow in your faith journey. The book is easy to use and well worth the time to read and study. I like to carry this book with me and open it up anytime I get a few minutes of quiet time to meditate, pray or study. A gem of a book!

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are moments that A Kempis speaks directly to me and there are times I feel like he is advising a superhuman. Few books have made me feel so incredibly inspired to dive into Christianity and made me want to give it up completely. This is a great book, but I might not have been ready for it yet. A book to come back to in a few years and put into practice then.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Watkins read The Imitation of Christ, it changed his life. He thinks it will change yours too. He has created an updated version, arranged for a 90 day devotional reading. He added headings to note who is speaking and biblical passages to reinforce each reading.

This book presents a spirituality uncommon in this modern world. We are encouraged to follow the example of Christ. Such a life requires sacrifice and endurance in trials. “When you stop living for yourself, you will grow in union with me.” (10) We are reminded of the spiritual benefit of sorrows and adversities, something rarely encouraged in today's world of pleasure and gratification.

We are encouraged to find all we need in Christ, giving up our bent to worldly pleasures. “When people arrive at the point where they seek comfort in no created thing, they begin to perfectly enjoy God and are perfectly contented no matter what happens to them.” (122)

Many topics are covered in the book including temptation, how it arrives and how it is resisted. We are asked to discipline our conversation (gossip). We are helped to understand what it means to be crucified to the world. “The Christ-follower desires hard discipline and severe labor to become like his master.” (95)

Watkins has identified the speaker of each section. Sometimes it is the Disciple and sometimes it is Christ. That means some of what we read is as if Jesus is speaking to us. Other authors have been criticized for writing words supposedly from Jesus. This book has stood the test of time, however. This book is over five hundred years old and is still a source of encouragement to Christians world wide.

I would encourage those to read this book who are ready to have their spirituality shaken up a bit. You will find yourself called to a level of spirituality and disassociation from this world rarely seen today. Watkins has given us just enough thought provoking material for each day.

Food for thought: “We must learn to die to the world now, so we can begin to live with Christ now.” (257)

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

[Yonasan Aryeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas Kempis, is a classic work that has inspired many for centuries. James Watkins set out to edit the title to bring it to a modern generation with a modern English rendering of the title. The original title has been so popular, in fact, that it is second is sales only to the Bible itself.

This devotional read discusses imitating Christ in every way, including his character (loving, teachable, wise, trusting, obedient, self-sacrificing, humble, gracious, forgiving, patient, peaceful, pure, disciplined, self-controlled, and eternally minded). Like most other devotional works, this book sets out to examine differnet attributes of G-d in the goal of leading the reader to emulate these attributes in their own lives and become more Christ-like. Or did the other titles copy this one, if this is the earliest edition?

There are plenty of books on the topic, one for every person it would seem. For those who enjoy classical works, this book is a great selection. Imagine being able to read and understand Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet with a modern translation of the text. As those titles would be praised in academia, so this title is undoubtedly praised in the religious setting. As a foundational read that has inspired devotional titles of the past five hundred years, its impact is easy to see.

Personally, this book isn't for me. I am not a fan of classic works. My favorite devotional read that covers much of the same content is a more modern title, but it is no doubt based heavily on this work. My favorite Shakespeare is Leonardio DiCaprio's performance, if you get what I mean. Despite my personal aversion to the style, however, this book is one that is written well and would give A. W. Tozer a run for his money...

Disclosure: I have received a reviewer copy and/or payment in exchange for an honest review of the product mentioned in this post.

[Jon Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is again my pleasure to share some thoughts regarding the classic writings of Thomas A Kempis. His latest book has been in print for only 500 years.....

The Renaissance period writing has been masterfully translated to Modern English by James Watkins. And Mr. Watkins does not disappoint. The book I once tried to read back in junior high was suddenly understandable, suddenly available, and suddenly life challenging. Mr. Watkins provides a great work in modern language, and has still maintained the beautiful prose and mystery of Kempis' original work.

I enjoy reading modern translations. The second Bible I owned was The Living Bible. It, too, came along during my junior high years. It was during that season when the Bible started to make sense to me, and started to impact my life.

I look at "The Imitation of Christ" through a similar lens. Things that were long ago beyond my capabilities to grasp and understand, are now made understandable. Consequently, that understanding leads to a broader perspective on the Life of Christ, a wider grasp of His life of grace, and the life changing challenges to my basic Christian beliefs. And, that's all good.

I highly recommend this book to any Christian who is hungry for understanding, a faith "booster", and a growing intimacy with our Lord and Savior.

I received a copy of this book as an advanced reader's copy (ARC) from the publisher (Worthy), in exchange for an honest and timely review. There are no other expectations or connections between the publisher, the author, nor myself. God is so amazing, and the beauty of His World, Word, and Works, is beyond the comprehension of our limited human minds. Thanks for reading this review. Your feedback is important to me as I continue daily to hone my own writing skills.

Happy Reading and God Bless!!

[David Fessenden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read The Imitation of Christ before, but I can't remember understanding it as clearly as I did with Jim Watkins' paraphrase. He has done a valuable service to the church to rework this translation. Considering that it is a translation (done in the 1800s) from another language, it is possible that Jim's text, while a paraphrase, may be closer to the meaning of the original. Certainly it is far more readable!

I was prepared for a touch of irrelevancy, but I find that the spiritual issues that A Kempis wrestled with in a much earlier era relate so closely to my own that I feel a kinship with him. Again, I have to thank Jim's paraphrase for that. The fact that the book is organized by subject and divided up into daily readings (forcing me to ponder A Kempis' words in small bites) also has a lot to do with it. Jim Watkins has breathed new life into an old classic, and I truly appreciate his work. It's a devotional I expect to use regularly.

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NOTE: To comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: I selected this book to review and received it free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read the original Imitation of Christ. I may have read excerpts at some point, but I am not even sure I did that. A book that old just scared me away. But now we have this updated version in today's language.

I have no idea how the original book was set up, but this is separated into two sections:
1) Imitating Christ
2) Imitating Christ's character

The first section is rather short, only having five parts and taking up just nineteen pages. The second section is split up into fifteen different character traits of Christ, with a varying amount of daily readings under each trait.

I found the readings very easy to read and very relevant to my life. Several different topics are addressed throughout the book, and I can relate to most or all of them. Since I never read the original, I cannot attest to how closely the editor stayed to the original, but I can attest that the end result is worth reading. It is split up into 90 daily readings, and would make a great devotional for a three month period or more.

[Julie D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This classic book has been a favorite of many for over 500 years but the old fashioned wording could make it difficult to read and understand. Mr. Watkins has updated this wonderful book to make it readable, and therefore, more applicable to apply to our life today.

Each devotion starts with a Scripture to meditate on and then a devotion to go with it. The devotions are in different sections focusing on imitating Christ's character and include certain attributes such as being wise, humble, trusting, disciplined, and being pure. These devotions are just as timely now as they were when they were written.

There are a total of 90 devotions in this book, not enough for the whole year, but I would highly recommend going through this book over again as each time you read them you definitely get something new out of it.

I really enjoyed this book as it grew me deeper in relationship with the Lord. It's a great book for your daily devotional/quiet time. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by First Look

[Hallie (Hallie Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is also posted on Book by Book.

I have never read the classic version of The Imitation of Christ, but James N. Watkins’ updated version of the devotional allows it to be a more understandable yet still convicting modern-day read. This devotional explores the importance and application of imitating Christ and his character. With short chapters, it is easily incorporated into a daily reading routine, but offers plenty of spiritual food for thought. An excellent devotional that I found both enjoyable and valuable, The Imitation of Christ would benefit any follower of Christ - I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Worthy’s First Look, I received a copy of The Imitation of Christ and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed reading the Imitation of Christ for some time. The small, but potent, devotions in this book have challenged me to know Christ more.

However, the older English can be a bit tough to comprehend. While I enjoy the older English in such cases it would be nice to be able to read a copy of The Imitation of Christ without having to consult a dictionary.

James N. Watkins has produced an updated version of this long-time classic for today's reader. He has also arrange the readings by subject rather than the days commonly used in previous printings.

By doing this, Watkins has enhanced the devotional aspect of Kempis' work while not losing the depth of this work. While I still suggest that reader get a copy of the older style I would encourage them to also get this copy of this work for those times when you want to read uninterrupted.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Worthy Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

[Tanya Marlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The subtitle is ‘Classic Devotions in Today’s language’ and it’s a great concept – taking the classic text on spirituality by Thomas à Kempis and arranging it into bitesize pieces, with slightly updated, more readable language. So many of the classics can seem completely inaccessible, and the way that it’s arrange in short sections makes it ideal for a devotion.

It is written (following the original) as a dialogue between Christ and his disciple, and there’s a lot of applied Biblical wisdom there. I compared the two texts briefly (the original and this one), and he really seems to keep faithfully to the original rhythm and heart of the text, so it’s a very sensitively-crafted update.

If you want to read this classic text, this is by far the easiest and most pleasurable way of doing it.

*Disclosure: I received an advance copy for review purposes; this is my honest review*

[David Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an updated version of the devotional classic. One of the best books on the deeper life has been done by James N. Watkins in modern English to make it more accessible for readers today. He did a great job on this because it flows so well. You could read this all at once, but it is best digested one page at a time so you came read it slowly and meditate on the work. This will be a book to return to time and again.