THE FOLIO SOCIETY

In the early 15th century, a humble monk in an obscure corner of the Low Countries wrote a book second only to the Bible in its significance and popularity throughout the Christian world. This book, Thomas à Kempis’s The Imitation of Christ, speaks to readers now as it did then, offering a wise and compassionate answer to the eternal question of how to live a better life.

Thomas imparts his deep theological learning with great intelligence and simplicity, and his teachings address everyday situations: how to be humble, value adversity, put up with the faults of others, resist temptation – the whole of human experience is lovingly and wisely examined. Thomas’s understanding and encouragement make him an endearing counsellor. This, combined with beautiful and direct expression, lends his book its extraordinary resonance and enduring appeal. Nowhere is this conveyed more powerfully than in the well-loved translation by the early 17th-century Catholic divine, Anthony Hoskins.

First published two years after the King James Bible – and subsequently revised – it rivals the latter in its unforgettable language and distinguished cadences, giving us such proverbial phrases as ‘Out of sight, out of mind’, ‘for man purposes, but God disposes’ and ‘The lesser of two evils’.

The Imitation of Christ was intended to be a practical book, to be consulted daily, and this Folio edition is the ideal readers’ edition. Beautiful as well as useful, it is enhanced by exquisite 15th-century paintings of scenes from the life of Christ.