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Helen

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Helen’s currently-reading shelf

The Collected Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis

We Know It When We See It by Richard Masland

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Helen is Currently Reading

Helen is currently reading

Mind The Gap: The truth about desire and how to futureproof your sex life

by Karen Gurney

bookshelves: currently-reading, adult-themes, keeping, mmxxvi, non-fiction

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progress:

(page 146 of 336)
— Apr 08, 2026 01:54AM

Jan 07, 2026 03:57PM

Helen is currently reading

We Know It When We See It

by Richard Masland

bookshelves: currently-reading, keeping, mmxxv, science-psychology, mmxxvi

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Jan 01, 2026 03:42PM

Helen is currently reading

The Imitation of Christ

by Thomas à Kempis

bookshelves: non-fiction, theology-philosophy, classic, mmxii, favs, reviewed, currently-reading, mmxxiii

Reading for the 2nd time

read in August 2012

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Helen said: " Written in the early C15th by a Catholic monk, one may be forgiven for initially believing this book to be irrelevant in today's modern world. Written primarily it seems for men in a monastic setting, it recommends solitude, constant devotion and mor Written in the early C15th by a Catholic monk, one may be forgiven for initially believing this book to be irrelevant in today's modern world. Written primarily it seems for men in a monastic setting, it recommends solitude, constant devotion and mortification etc in order to get closer to God. "Imitation of Christ" would be expected to be being like Jesus IN the World, as He was, whereas Thomas a Kempis shuns the world totally and suggests readers - to whom he addresses directly on occasion - do likewise via the medium of gently sermonising chapters. Some of the book is written from different points of view in different voices; sometimes the voice of the disciple, sometimes God (The Voice of the Beloved) and this makes it read a little like Gibran's The Prophet, Song of Solomon or The Psalms in the Bible. The 4th Chapter - on the Eucharist - has a beautiful portion that is in part a prayer in contemplation prior to Communion. It's beautifully written, and I can't imagine any Christian not getting something from it especially exorting readers to take more time, attention and reverence to the occasion, or generally uplifting their spiritual walk.

The book still maintains the old English - thankfully not modernised (I have no idea when my edition was printed) - although I think the translation is not contemporary to C15th but more in the language of the King James Bible (C17th), perhaps even later. It is beautiful to read aloud, it isn't difficult to understand and has a charming lyrical flow. I found it fairly easy to see through/past the cultural and theological differences (eg transubstantiation, honour of saints etc) they just weren't relevant in the light of the grand scheme of what Kempis has to say. Essentially, it is a magnum opus of piety and spiritual observation or "exercise" as Kempis calls it in devotion, rather like the Psalms were a work of devotion for King David.

Much of what he has to say is strangely relevant in our culture today; focussing more on Christ and putting our spiritual communion with God first, and put "The World" in the backseat. This book recommends the joys of more time spent in quiet meditation, and reminds us that living in the shadow of the cross isn't meant to be easy, popular or free from tribulation (take heed Prosperity teachers!) and we must aim to store up treasure in Heaven not here. Alongside reading of the Bible and imitating the Christ of the Gospels too, this book can be valuable but not necessarily an unchallenging read as it asks difficult questions, asks you to look to your own heart. For such a little book, it packs quite a punch, and one can learn a lot no matter how old or culturally unfamiliar it may at first seem.

In the voice of The Beloved (Book IV, Chapter VIII) a distillation of the whole book, Christ says:
"What do I require of thee more, than that thou study to resign thyself entirely unto Me?
Whatsoever thou givest besides thyself, is of no value in My sight, for I seek not thy gifts, but thee" ...more "

progress:

(6%)
— Feb 06, 2023 04:59PM

Aug 29, 2012 02:03PM · see review

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