'A humble peasant, who serves God, is more pleasing to God than a conceited intellectual, who knows the course of the stars, but ignores the things of the spirit.' One of the most influential and well-loved books of Christianity, The Imitation of Christ is a passionate celebration of God's love, mercy and holiness, which has stimulated religious devotion for over five hundred years. With great personal conviction and deep humanity, Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) demonstrates the individual's reliance on God and on the words of Christ, and the futility of a life without faith, as well as exploring the ideas such as humility, compassion, patience and tolerance. Thomas spent some seventy years of his life in the reclusive environment of monasteries, yet in this astonishing work he demonstrates an encompassing understanding of human nature, while his writing speaks to readers of every age and every nation. Robert Jeffery's new translation fully conveys the unadorned simplicity and direct tone of Thomas's original work, while a new introduction by Max Von Habsburg discusses XXX. This edition also includes a chronology and further reading. Translated with notes by Robert Jeffery With an introduction by Max Von Habsburg