The Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis on the inner life, in four books, c. 1420: the most read Christian book after the Bible. By Thomas à Kempis, 1441. 114 chapters, free to read here.
Read It In A Plan
The Imitation of Christ In 30 Days30 days · about 10 min a dayThe Imitation of Christ, A Chapter A Day114 days · about 3 min a dayThe Imitation of Christ In 7 Days7 days · about 43 min a dayThe Imitation of Christ In 14 Days14 days · about 21 min a day
Chapters
1. First Book · Chapter I · Of the imitation of Christ, and of contempt of the world and all its vanitiesabout 2 min2. First Book · Chapter II · Of thinking humbly of oneselfabout 2 min3. First Book · Chapter III · Of the knowledge of truthabout 4 min4. First Book · Chapter IV · Of prudence in actionabout 1 min5. First Book · Chapter V · Of the reading of Holy Scripturesabout 1 min6. First Book · Chapter VI · Of inordinate affectionsabout 1 min7. First Book · Chapter VII · Of fleeing from vain hope and prideabout 1 min8. First Book · Chapter VIII · Of the danger of too much familiarityabout 1 min9. First Book · Chapter IX · Of Obedience and Subjectionabout 1 min10. First Book · Chapter X · Of the danger of superfluity of wordsabout 1 min11. First Book · Chapter XI · Of seeking peace of mind and of spiritual progressabout 3 min12. First Book · Chapter XII · Of the uses of adversityabout 1 min13. First Book · Chapter XIII · Of resisting temptationabout 4 min14. First Book · Chapter XIV · On avoiding rash judgmentabout 1 min15. First Book · Chapter XV · Of works of charityabout 1 min16. First Book · Chapter XVI · Of bearing with the faults of othersabout 2 min17. First Book · Chapter XVII · Of a Religious lifeabout 1 min18. First Book · Chapter XVIII · Of the example of the holy fathersabout 3 min19. First Book · Chapter XIX · Of the exercises of a religious manabout 4 min20. First Book · Chapter XX · Of the love of solitude and silenceabout 5 min21. First Book · Chapter XXI · Of compunction of heartabout 3 min22. First Book · Chapter XXII · On the contemplation of human miseryabout 4 min23. First Book · Chapter XXIII · Of meditation upon deathabout 5 min24. First Book · Chapter XXIV · Of the judgment and punishment of the wickedabout 5 min25. First Book · Chapter XXV · Of the zealous amendment of our whole lifeabout 6 min26. Second Book · Chapter I · Of the inward lifeabout 5 min27. Second Book · Chapter II · Of lowly submissionabout 1 min28. Second Book · Chapter III · Of the good, peaceable manabout 2 min29. Second Book · Chapter IV · Of a pure mind and simple intentionabout 1 min30. Second Book · Chapter V · Of self-esteemabout 2 min31. Second Book · Chapter VI · Of the joy of a good conscienceabout 2 min32. Second Book · Chapter VII · Of loving Jesus above all thingsabout 2 min33. Second Book · Chapter VIII · Of the intimate love of Jesusabout 3 min34. Second Book · Chapter IX · Of the lack of all comfortabout 5 min35. Second Book · Chapter X · Of gratitude for the Grace of Godabout 3 min36. Second Book · Chapter XI · Of the fewness of those who love the Cross of Jesusabout 3 min37. Second Book · Chapter XII · Of the royal way of the Holy Crossabout 9 min38. Third Book · Chapter I · Of the inward voice of Christ to the faithful soulabout 1 min39. Third Book · Chapter II · What the truth saith inwardly without noise of wordsabout 2 min40. Third Book · Chapter III · How all the words of God are to be heard with humility, and how many consider them notabout 4 min41. Third Book · Chapter IV · How we must walk in truth and humility before Godabout 2 min42. Third Book · Chapter V · Of the wonderful power of the Divine Loveabout 4 min43. Third Book · Chapter VI · Of the proving of the true loverabout 3 min44. Third Book · Chapter VII · Of hiding our grace under the guard of humilityabout 4 min45. Third Book · Chapter VIII · Of a low estimation of self in the sight of Godabout 2 min46. Third Book · Chapter IX · That all things are to be referred to God, as the final endabout 2 min47. Third Book · Chapter X · That it is sweet to despise the world and to serve Godabout 3 min48. Third Book · Chapter XI · That the desires of the heart are to be examined and governedabout 2 min49. Third Book · Chapter XII · Of the inward growth of patience, and of the struggle against evil desiresabout 2 min50. Third Book · Chapter XIII · Of the obedience of one in lowly subjection after the example of Jesus Christabout 2 min51. Third Book · Chapter XIV · Of meditation upon the hidden judgments of God, that we may not be lifted up because of our well-doingabout 2 min52. Third Book · Chapter XV · How we must stand and speak, in everything that we desireabout 2 min53. Third Book · Chapter XVI · That true solace is to be sought in God aloneabout 2 min54. Third Book · Chapter XVII · That all care is to be cast upon Godabout 1 min55. Third Book · Chapter XVIII · That temporal miseries are to be borne patiently after the example of Christabout 2 min56. Third Book · Chapter XIX · Of bearing injuries, and who shall be approved as truly patientabout 2 min57. Third Book · Chapter XX · Of confession of our infirmity and of the miseries of this lifeabout 3 min58. Third Book · Chapter XXI · That we must rest in God above all goods and giftsabout 4 min59. Third Book · Chapter XXII · Of the recollection of God’s manifold benefitsabout 3 min60. Third Book · Chapter XXIII · Of four things which bring great peaceabout 3 min61. Third Book · Chapter XXIV · Of avoiding of curious inquiry into the life of anotherabout 1 min62. Third Book · Chapter XXV · Wherein firm peace of heart and true profit consistabout 2 min63. Third Book · Chapter XXVI · Of the exaltation of a free spirit, which humble prayer more deserveth than doth frequent readingabout 2 min64. Third Book · Chapter XXVII · That personal love greatly hindereth from the highest goodabout 3 min65. Third Book · Chapter XXVIII · Against the tongues of detractorsabout 1 min66. Third Book · Chapter XXIX · How when tribulation cometh we must call upon and bless Godabout 1 min67. Third Book · Chapter XXX · Of seeking divine help, and the confidence of obtaining graceabout 4 min68. Third Book · Chapter XXXI · Of the neglect of every creature, that the Creator may be foundabout 3 min69. Third Book · Chapter XXXII · Of self-denial and the casting away all selfishnessabout 2 min70. Third Book · Chapter XXXIII · Of instability of the heart, and of directing the aim towards Godabout 1 min71. Third Book · Chapter XXXIV · That to him who loveth God is sweet above all things and in all thingsabout 2 min72. Third Book · Chapter XXXV · That there is no security against temptation in this lifeabout 2 min73. Third Book · Chapter XXXVI · Against vain judgments of menabout 2 min74. Third Book · Chapter XXXVII · Of pure and entire resignation of self, for the obtaining liberty of heartabout 2 min75. Third Book · Chapter XXXVIII · Of a good government in external things, and of having recourse to God in dangersabout 2 min76. Third Book · Chapter XXXIX · That man must not be immersed in businessabout 1 min77. Third Book · Chapter XL · That man hath no good in himself, and nothing whereof to gloryabout 3 min78. Third Book · Chapter XLI · Of contempt of all temporal honourabout 1 min79. Third Book · Chapter XLII · That our peace is not to be placed in menabout 1 min80. Third Book · Chapter XLIII · Against vain and worldly knowledgeabout 2 min81. Third Book · Chapter XLIV · Of not troubling ourselves about outward thingsabout 1 min82. Third Book · Chapter XLV · That we must not believe everyone, and that we are prone to fall in our wordsabout 4 min83. Third Book · Chapter XLVI · Of having confidence in God when evil words are cast at usabout 3 min84. Third Book · Chapter XLVII · That all troubles are to be endured for the sake of eternal lifeabout 2 min85. Third Book · Chapter XLVIII · Of the day of eternity and of the straitnesses of this lifeabout 4 min86. Third Book · Chapter XLIX · Of the desire after eternal life, and how great blessings are promised to those who striveabout 5 min87. Third Book · Chapter L · How a desolate man ought to commit himself into the hands of Godabout 5 min88. Third Book · Chapter LI · That we must give ourselves to humble works when we are unequal to those that are loftyabout 1 min89. Third Book · Chapter LII · That a man ought not to reckon himself worthy of consolation, but more worthy of chastisementabout 3 min90. Third Book · Chapter LIII · That the Grace of God doth not join itself to those who mind earthly thingsabout 2 min91. Third Book · Chapter LIV · Of the diverse motions of Nature and of Graceabout 5 min92. Third Book · Chapter LV · Of the corruption of Nature and the efficacy of Divine Graceabout 4 min93. Third Book · Chapter LVI · That we ought to deny ourselves, and to imitate Christ by means of the Crossabout 3 min94. Third Book · Chapter LVII · That a man must not be too much cast down when he falleth into some faultsabout 2 min95. Third Book · Chapter LVIII · Of deeper matters, and God’s hidden judgments which are not to be inquired intoabout 6 min96. Third Book · Chapter LIX · That all hope and trust is to be fixed in God aloneabout 3 min97. Fourth Book · Chapter I · With how great reverence Christ must be receivedabout 7 min98. Fourth Book · Chapter II · That the greatness and charity of God is shown to men in the Sacramentabout 4 min99. Fourth Book · Chapter III · That it is profitable to Communicate oftenabout 3 min100. Fourth Book · Chapter IV · That many good gifts are bestowed upon those who Communicate devoutlyabout 4 min101. Fourth Book · Chapter V · Of the dignity of this Sacrament, and of the office of the priestabout 2 min102. Fourth Book · Chapter VI · An inquiry concerning preparation for Communionabout 1 min103. Fourth Book · Chapter VII · Of the examination of conscience, and purpose of amendmentabout 3 min104. Fourth Book · Chapter VIII · Of the oblation of Christ upon the cross, and of resignation of selfabout 1 min105. Fourth Book · Chapter IX · That we ought to offer ourselves and all that is ours to God, and to pray for allabout 3 min106. Fourth Book · Chapter X · That Holy Communion is not lightly to be omittedabout 4 min107. Fourth Book · Chapter XI · That the Body and Blood of Christ and the Holy Scriptures are most necessary to a faithful soulabout 6 min108. Fourth Book · Chapter XII · That he who is about to Communicate with Christ ought to prepare himself with great diligenceabout 3 min109. Fourth Book · Chapter XIII · That the devout soul ought with the whole heart to yearn after union with Christ in the Sacramentabout 2 min110. Fourth Book · Chapter XIV · Of the fervent desire of certain devout persons to receive the Body and Blood of Christabout 2 min111. Fourth Book · Chapter XV · That the grace of devotion is acquired by humility and self-denialabout 2 min112. Fourth Book · Chapter XVI · That we ought to lay open our necessities to Christ and to require His Graceabout 2 min113. Fourth Book · Chapter XVII · Of fervent love and vehement desire of receiving Christabout 3 min114. Fourth Book · Chapter XVIII · That a man should not be a curious searcher of the Sacrament, but a humble imitator of Christ, submitting his sense to holy faithabout 2 min