Nathaniel Parker/GT3215 November 3, 2016

Church History I

Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

“We must imitate Christ’s life and his ways if we are to be truly enlightened and set free from the
darkness of our own hearts. Let it be the most important thing we do.”1

Key Designations:
Possibly the author of the classic devotional, The Imitation of Christ (although this is
disputed).2
Was a member (and the best known member) of the religious order called the Brothers of
the Common Life.3

Key Background Information:

Original name was Thomas Hemerken.4 His surname meant “Little Hammer”.5
Born at Kempen, died in the convent of Mount St. Agnes, near Zwoll, in the Upper
6
Yssel.
While living in the Netherlands, he was known as Thomas from Kempen, which morphed
into the name Thomas à Kempis.7

Key Events:
Christian theologian who studied under Florentius Radewyns (founder of the
Congregation of Windesheim) at Deventer, Netherlands.8
Joined the Windesheim congregation at Agnietenberg monastery and lived there for over
70 years. He took his vows in 1408, had his ordination in 1413, and led other novices and copied
manuscripts.9 He copied the Bible by hand at least four times.10
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1
Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville, TN: Broadman &
Holman Publishers, 2000), 262.
2
Encyclopedia Britannica: Noet Edition (Chicago, IL: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2016), Thomas
À Kempis.
3
Sharon Rusten and E. Michael, The Complete Book of When and Where in the Bible and
Throughout History (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005), 198.
4
Encyclopedia Britannica: Noet Edition.
5
Philip Schaff and David Schley Schaff, History of the Christian Church (New York, NY:
Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1910), vol. 6, pg. 288.
6
John Thein, Ecclesiastical Dictionary: Containing, in Concise Form, Information Upon
Ecclesiastical, Biblical, Archæological, and Historical Subjects (New York, NY; Cincinnati,
OH; Chicago, IL: Benziger Brothers, 1900), 17.
7
Rusten and Michael, The Complete Book of When and Where in the Bible and Throughout
History, 198.
8
Encyclopedia Britannica: Noet Edition.
9
Ibid.
10
Schaff and Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. 6, pg. 288.
Key Ideas:
His writing style was along the lines of devotio moderna, founded by Gerhard Groote
which “made religion intelligible and practicable for the ‘modern’ attitude arising in the
Netherlands at the end of the 14th century”.11
Emphasizes asceticism over mysticism, as well as moderate (but not extreme) austerity.12
Believed humility was “highest virtue, from which all other virtues stem”.13
Consistently held to the following ideas throughout The Imitation of Christ: “Do not trust
yourself, do not indulge yourself, do not put yourself forward; instead put your full trust in God
and, out of love for God’s will, yield to all the circumstances of life into which God places
you.”14
Was an advocate of Mariology (the worship and prayer to Mary, the mother of Christ).15

Key Works:
The Imitation of Christ: A devotional that has been considered “the most influential work
of Christian literature” with the exception of the Bible.The devotional focuses on a spiritual and
Christ-centered life, and affirms Communion as a means to make one’s faith stronger.16

Originally written in Latin, translated into French, German, English, and Spanish, with over two
thousand editions and printings.17

Comprised of four booklets between 1420 and 1427; named after the title of the first booklet: The
Imitation of Christ.18

Benedictine Celestin Wollsgrüber disputes the authorship of The Imitation of Christ to Thomas à
Kempis in his work Giovanni Gersen by stating the manuscript was written in 1384, when
Thomas à Kempis was 4 years old.19

Orationes et Meditationes de Vita Christi.20

Vallis Liliorum.21
————————————
11
Encyclopedia Britannica: Noet Edition.
12
Ibid.
13
Galli and Olsen, 131 Christians Everyone Should Know, 263.
14
Ibid., 263–64.
15
Schaff and Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. 6, pg. 289.
16
Encyclopedia Britannica: Noet Edition.
17
Rusten and Michael, The Complete Book of When and Where in the Bible and Throughout
History, 198.
18
Galli and Olsen, 131 Christians Everyone Should Know, 263.
19
Thein, Ecclesiastical Dictionary: Containing, in Concise Form, Information Upon
Ecclesiastical, Biblical, Archæological, and Historical Subjects, 17.
20
F. L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
(Oxford, England, UK; New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005), 1629.
21
Ibid.
 Soliloquium Animae.22 Also known as Soliloquy of the Soul: contains “practical counsels
on how to be faithful to the movements of grace.”23
————————————
22
Ibid.
23
J. D. Douglas, Philip Wesley Comfort, and Donald Mitchell, Who’s Who in Christian History
(Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), 672.
 Bibliography

Cross, F. L., and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church.
Oxford, England, UK; New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Douglas, J. D., Philip Wesley Comfort, and Donald Mitchell. Who’s Who in Christian History.
Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992.
Encyclopedia Britannica: Noet Edition. Chicago, IL: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2016.
Galli, Mark, and Ted Olsen. 131 Christians Everyone Should Know. Nashville, TN: Broadman &
Holman Publishers, 2000.
Rusten, Sharon, and E. Michael. The Complete Book of When and Where in the Bible and
Throughout History. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005.
Schaff, Philip, and David Schley Schaff. History of the Christian Church. New York, NY:
Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1910.
Thein, John. Ecclesiastical Dictionary: Containing, in Concise Form, Information Upon
Ecclesiastical, Biblical, Archæological, and Historical Subjects. New York, NY;
Cincinnati, OH; Chicago, IL: Benziger Brothers, 1900.