The Imitation of Christ , livre ebook

For Alyssa
Contents
Preface
Introduction
BOOK I The Life of the Soul
1. The Imitation of Christ
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2. Humility
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3. Truth
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4. Prudence1
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5. Scripture
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6. Vanity and Pride
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7. Peace
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8. Temptation
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9. Works of Charity
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10. Long-Suffering
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11. Holy Forebears
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12. Solitude and Silence
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13. Discipline
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14. Mortality
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15. The Consequences of Sin
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16. Transformation
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BOOK II The Interior Life
1. The Interior Life
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2. Humble Submission
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3. Peace and Goodness
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4. Simplicity and Purity
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5. Self-Understanding
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6. A Good Conscience
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7. Love of Jesus
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8. Friendship with Jesus
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9. Divine Comfort
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10. Gratitude
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11. The Cross of Christ
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12. The Royal Way
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BOOK III The Comfort of the Heart
1. Christ Speaks
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2. The Internal Voice
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3. God’s Word
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4. Truth and Humility
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5. Divine Love
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6. Free Grace
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7. God’s Service
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8. Human Desires
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9. Entrusting All to God
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10. Resting in God
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11. Causes of Peace
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12. Dangers in Self-Absorption
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13. God’s All-Sufficiency
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14. Freedom of Heart
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15. Brokenness in Life
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16. Wisdom
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17. Eternal Life
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18. Surrender
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19. True Self-Knowledge
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20. Nature and Grace
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21. The Optimism of Grace
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22. Self-Denial
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23. Encouragement
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24. Deep Mysteries
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25. Hope and Trust in God Alone
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BOOK IV The Sacrament of Holy Communion
1. Reverence for Christ
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2. God’s Goodness and Love
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3. Frequent Communion
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4. A Table of Blessing
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5. The Dignity of the Sacrament
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6. Examination of Conscience
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7. Sacrifice and the Meal
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8. Offering All to God
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9. An Essential Meal
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10. Preparation for Communion
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11. Union with Christ
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12. Communion
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13. Humility and Sacramental Devotion
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14. Yearning for God’s Grace
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15. Fervent Love
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Notes
Suggestions for Further Study
Comparison of Editions

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Preface
The Imitation of Christ is the most widely read Christian devotional book next to the Bible. It has influenced the lives of thousands of people both inside and outside the Christian community. First appearing in published form around 1471, and emerging out of a spiritual renewal movement of the late medieval world known as the devotio moderna , a Latin term meaning modern devotion, this classic has been translated into more than fifty languages and has appeared in as many as three thousand editions. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism—an eighteenth-century movement of spiritual renewal in the Church of England—considered this book to be of such great importance that he produced some 120 editions in four different forms. The excerpts in this present volume are based on his translation and abridgement of the work published in 1741. He carried a copy of his pocket edition of this version in his saddlebag for half a century, until his death.
So why a new volume about such a widely read book of Christian devotion? Despite the fact that so many editions of this work remain in print, there are surprisingly few modern English versions that make the text accessible to contemporary readers. Moreover, the vast majority of the editions include little if any commentary to help readers in their own quest for spiritual vitality. This is particularly true of the many online versions of The Imitation of Christ that are easily accessible, but in many ways impenetrable because of the archaic language. This SkyLight Illuminations volume on The Imitation of Christ seeks to remedy this situation. I have modernized Wesley’s English translation and have used his abridgement of the original text as a guide. One of the wonderful features of the SkyLight Illuminations series is the facing-page commentary format that enables readers to enter into a dialogue with the ideas, images, and vision of this classic guide to the spiritual life with greater ease. My hope is that this introduction to The Imitation of Christ will warm your heart, challenge your mind, and inspire you to pursue your journey into the heart of God with greater intentionality and zeal.
I prepared much of the commentary for this volume during a Wesley Heritage Pilgrimage to England, where I stayed in the shadow of Salisbury Cathedral at Sarum College, in the cathedral close. I woke every morning to the peal of the bells calling the community to prayer. I’d like to think that this providential connection, with such a monumental reminder of the medieval church and world, influenced my own reflections. Certainly, in many ways I felt transported from time to time into a different context, a world that the author of The Imitation of Christ both knew intimately and sought to reform. The experience of daily Eucharist in the cathedral undoubtedly enhanced my reflections on Book IV in particular, and gave me a deeper sense of the centrality of this meal in the Christian journey.
Despite the fact that a setting like Salisbury Cathedral and the late medieval context of The Imitation of Christ represent a world far removed from that of my day-to-day life, I am struck by the continuity as well. Have we changed all that much as human beings in the past six hundred years? The spiritual guidance provided to the contemporary God-seeker in this work remains fresh, dynamic, and vital. It focuses on a religion of the heart—a vital connection with God in our innermost being. It advocates the cultivation of virtues, like humility and purity of intention, not through mimicry of Jesus, but by inviting the spirit of Jesus to dwell richly in our lives. It emphasizes the need to translate that life of love into daily action. The Imitation of Christ has changed me in some way every time I have read it. Through this opportunity to engage the spiritual insights of this timeless classic on a more intimate level, God has transformed me anew, and that is my prayer for every reader.
Many people have assisted me in this journey. I first read The Imitation of Christ in its original form in conjunction with a directed study I did with Dr. McMurry Richey on “Devotional Influences on the Life of John Wesley” as a seminary student at Duke Divinity School years ago. I still have my notes from the conversations “Mack” and I shared. He was a wise man. The edition I read for that purpose was the copy of the book in my father’s library. I consulted it on many occasions in the process of producing this new volume, and even touching its binding and leafing through its pages brought back wonderful memories of my father’s spiritual depth. The theme of community pervades The Imitation of Christ , and I owe a great debt of gratitude to so many others who have made this book possible. From a family that has supported me and labored with me at the dinner table to make each word count, to the printers and binders who transformed words on pages into this volume in your hands (or onto your electronic reader), I offer my heartfelt thanks.
Several friends and colleagues made a special effort to read my manuscript in its entirety and offered many helpful suggestions, particularly in the commentary. My deep gratitude, therefore, to Dr. John R. Tyson, editor of Invitation to Christian Spirituality and a fellow Wesley scholar, for his incisive reflections on the commentary; to Sharon Rowland, a disciple of Dallas Willard and keen advocate of Renovaré, for her many helpful suggestions and her commitment to pray for this volume; and to Rick Hatton, one of my students at Ashland Theological Seminary, who has now helped me bring two volumes in the SkyLight Illuminations series to completion. While their particular marks on this book are not immediately visible, I have no doubt that their contributions will help bring readers closer to God.
I dedicate this edition of a timeless classic to my granddaughter, Alyssa, whose parents, Anna and Bobby, are already teaching her what it really means to imitate Christ.
Introduction
The words of the well-known Negro spiritual express a timeless ideal: “Lord, I want to be like Jesus, in my heart.” Ever since the birth of the Christian religion over two millennia ago, followers of Jesus have sought to imitate his life. Whether they understand this vision of the Christian way in a literal or figurative sense, disciples of Jesus in every age have viewed this pursuit as an essential part of their spiritual journey. As