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The Imitation of Christ

Thomas à Kempis

The Imitation of Christ is 62,592 words — about 4h 10m at 250 words per minute, across 121 chapters. Measure your own speed and read it free, here.

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The treatise “Of the Imitation of Christ” appears to have been originally written in Latin early in the fifteenth century. Its exact date and its authorship are still a matter of debate. Manuscripts of the Latin version survive in considerable numbers all over Western Europe, and they, with the vast list of translations and of printed editions, testify to its almost unparalleled popularity. One scribe attributes it t…

Details

  • AuthorThomas à Kempis
  • SourceProject Gutenberg #1653
  • Length62,592 words · 4h 10m of reading
  • Chapters121
  • DictionaryNot yet generated
  • CopyrightPublic domain in the United States
  • Source checked2026-08-28

Contents

121 chapters

Recovered from the original source text, so you can open the book at any of them.

  1. 01Translated by Rev. William Benham
  2. 02INTRODUCTORY NOTE
  3. 03CHAPTER I
  4. 04Of thinking humbly of oneself
  5. 05Of the knowledge of truth
  6. 06Of prudence in action
  7. 07Of the reading of Holy Scriptures
  8. 08Of inordinate affections
  9. 09Of fleeing from vain hope and pride
  10. 10Of the danger of too much familiarity
  11. 11Of Obedience and Subjection
  12. 12Of the danger of superfluity of words
  13. 13CHAPTER XI
  14. 14Of the uses of adversity
  15. 15Of resisting temptation
  16. 16On avoiding rash judgment
  17. 17Of works of charity
  18. 18Of bearing with the faults of others
  19. 19Of a Religious life
  20. 20Of the example of the holy fathers
  21. 21Of the exercises of a religious man
  22. 22Of the love of solitude and silence
  23. 23Of compunction of heart
  24. 24On the contemplation of human misery
  25. 25Of meditation upon death
  26. 26Of the judgment and punishment of the wicked
  27. 27Of the zealous amendment of our whole life
  28. 28Of the inward life
  29. 29Of lowly submission
  30. 30Of the good, peaceable man
  31. 31Of a pure mind and simple intention
  32. 32Of self-esteem
  33. 33Of the joy of a good conscience
  34. 34Of loving Jesus above all things
  35. 35Of the intimate love of Jesus
  36. 36Of the lack of all comfort
  37. 37Of gratitude for the Grace of God
  38. 38CHAPTER XI
  39. 39Of the royal way of the Holy Cross
  40. 40CHAPTER I
  41. 41CHAPTER II
  42. 42CHAPTER III
  43. 43A PRAYER FOR THE SPIRIT OF DEVOTION
  44. 44CHAPTER IV
  45. 45Of the wonderful power of the Divine Love
  46. 46Of the proving of the true lover
  47. 47A PRAYER TO BE ENABLED TO DO GOD’S WILL PERFECTLY
  48. 48CHAPTER XIX
  49. 49CHAPTER XX
  50. 50CHAPTER XXI
  51. 51Of the recollection of God’s manifold benefits
  52. 52Of four things which bring great peace
  53. 53A PRAYER AGAINST EVIL THOUGHTS
  54. 54A PRAYER FOR ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE MIND
  55. 55CHAPTER XXIV
  56. 56CHAPTER XXV
  57. 57CHAPTER XXVI
  58. 58CHAPTER XXVII
  59. 59A PRAYER FOR CLEANSING OF THE HEART AND FOR HEAVENLY WISDOM
  60. 60Against the tongues of detractors
  61. 61CHAPTER XXIX
  62. 62CHAPTER XXX
  63. 63CHAPTER XXXI
  64. 64Of self-denial and the casting away all selfishness
  65. 65CHAPTER XXXIII
  66. 66CHAPTER XXXIV
  67. 67CHAPTER XXXV
  68. 68Against vain judgments of men
  69. 69CHAPTER XXXVII
  70. 70CHAPTER XXXVIII
  71. 71That man must not be immersed in business
  72. 72CHAPTER XL
  73. 73Of contempt of all temporal honour
  74. 74CHAPTER XLII
  75. 75Against vain and worldly knowledge
  76. 76Of not troubling ourselves about outward things
  77. 77CHAPTER XLV
  78. 78CHAPTER XLVI
  79. 79CHAPTER XLVII
  80. 80CHAPTER XLVIII
  81. 81CHAPTER XLIX
  82. 82CHAPTER L
  83. 83CHAPTER LI
  84. 84CHAPTER LII
  85. 85CHAPTER LIII
  86. 86CHAPTER LIV
  87. 87CHAPTER LV
  88. 88CHAPTER LVI
  89. 89CHAPTER LVII
  90. 90CHAPTER LVIII
  91. 91CHAPTER LIX
  92. 92The Voice of Christ
  93. 93The Voice of the Disciple
  94. 94CHAPTER II
  95. 95CHAPTER IV
  96. 96The Voice of the Disciple
  97. 97CHAPTER V
  98. 98CHAPTER VII
  99. 99The Voice of the Beloved
  100. 100CHAPTER VIII
  101. 101The Voice of the Beloved
  102. 102CHAPTER IX
  103. 103The Voice of the Disciple
  104. 104CHAPTER X
  105. 105The Voice of the Beloved
  106. 106CHAPTER XI
  107. 107The Voice of the Disciple
  108. 108CHAPTER XII
  109. 109The Voice of the Beloved
  110. 110CHAPTER XIII
  111. 111The Voice of the Disciple
  112. 112CHAPTER XIV
  113. 113The Voice of the Disciple
  114. 114CHAPTER XV
  115. 115The Voice of the Beloved
  116. 116CHAPTER XVI
  117. 117The Voice of the Disciple
  118. 118CHAPTER XVII
  119. 119The Voice of the Disciple
  120. 120CHAPTER XVIII
  121. 121The Voice of the Beloved

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