Thomas a Kempis

Thomas à Kempis – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Discover the life, spiritual legacy, and famous sayings of Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380 – 1471), the German-Dutch devotional writer whose Imitation of Christ became one of the most influential Christian works in history.

Introduction

Thomas à Kempis stands among the most enduring spiritual writers of the late Middle Ages. Though relatively little is known of his early years, his name became inseparable from one of Christian devotional literature’s greatest treasures: The Imitation of Christ. This work—second only to the Bible in its influence for many Christians—continues to inspire seekers of holiness, discipleship, and interior devotion centuries later. In this article, we explore his life, influences, writings, philosophy, and enduring lessons.

Early Life and Family

Thomas was born around 1379 or 1380 in Kempen, in the Rhineland region of the Holy Roman Empire (near present-day Düsseldorf) Thomas Hemerken (or variants such as Hämerken or Haemerken), Latinized in some sources as Malleolus, meaning “little hammer,” likely reflecting a family connection to metalworking or blacksmithing .

His father, John (Johann) Hemerken, is traditionally described as a craftsman working with metals, while his mother, Gertrude (Gertrud), may have been involved in teaching or running the village school . The exact family circumstances were humble, and young Thomas likely grew up in a modest, devout household.

From an early age, Thomas displayed a keen interest in learning and piety, traits that would shape his entire life.

Youth and Education

In 1392, as a young adolescent, Thomas traveled to Deventer (in present-day Netherlands) to pursue Latin schooling. He joined his brother, who was already studying there, and became associated with the movement known as the Brethren of the Common Life and the broader spiritual renewal called Devotio Moderna .

The Brethren of the Common Life emphasized practical piety, community life, humility, and interior devotion, rather than elaborate scholasticism or monasticism. Thomas was drawn to their way, and the spiritual milieu shaped his approach to faith and devotion .

He studied in Deventer until about 1399 . Those years deepened his scriptural grounding, devotional habits, and connections to spiritual mentors in the Devotio Moderna movement.

After his schooling, Thomas relocated to Zwolle, in the Netherlands, where his brother John served as prior of the Augustinian monastery of Mount St. Agnes (Agnietenberg / Agnetenberg). Thomas entered that monastic community in 1406, marking the beginning of his life as a canon regular (an Augustinian community) .

Although he entered in 1406, he was not ordained a priest until 1413 .

Career and Achievements

Monastic Life & ing

Throughout his monastic life at Mount St. Agnes, Thomas combined prayer, teaching, copying manuscripts, and spiritual guidance. He took up the painstaking work of manually copying religious and biblical texts—a key devotion of many medieval scholars and monks—reportedly copying the entire Bible four times .

Because printing technology had not yet spread, copying was a sacred duty—both scholarly and spiritual. Thomas’s copies were known for their accuracy, devout care, and devotional reflections.

Spiritual Writing & Instruction

From about 1418 to 1427, Thomas composed a sequence of short devotional treatises intended for novices in his community. These booklets addressed humility, the inner life, the Passion of Christ, and practical Christian living. Over time, these writings became collected and circulated under the title The Imitation of Christ (Latin: De Imitatione Christi) .

The Imitation of Christ became his most lasting legacy. Although it was published anonymously in Latin, its authorship was widely attributed to Thomas à Kempis. Over the centuries, it has been translated into many languages and has been considered by some to be the most widely read book in Christian devotion outside the Bible itself .

In addition to The Imitation, Thomas authored other works: sermons to novices, meditations on Christ’s life and passion, works titled Prayers and Meditations on the Life of Christ, Meditations on the Incarnation of Christ, Of True Compunction of Heart, Soliloquy of the Soul, Garden of Roses, Valley of Lilies, and a Life of St. Lidwina of Schiedam, among others .

Leadership & Community Challenges

In 1429, Thomas was appointed sub-prior (deputy superior) of his community interdict and a period during which the Augustinian community was exiled from their monastery at Agnetenberg. Thomas and his brethren remained in exile from 1429 to 1432 while the dispute was resolved .

During this exile, Thomas was sent to Arnhem (in the Netherlands) to care for his ailing brother, who died in 1432 . After the dispute ended, the community returned to Agnetenberg and resumed their monastic life.

Thomas spent the rest of his life largely in quiet devotion, writing, guidance, and teaching his novices. He remained sub-prior and teacher in his monastery.

Death

Thomas à Kempis died in 1471, near Zwolle (in the Bishopric of Utrecht, modern Netherlands) 25 July or 8 August; some also give May 1 in certain traditional reckonings .

A curious tradition (likely a legend) claims that his coffin bore scratch marks on its interior lid—interpreted by some later as an indication he might have been buried alive—but scholars generally regard this as apocryphal and without reliable evidence .

Although never formally canonized by the Catholic Church, Thomas is venerated in some Christian traditions, and his feast is observed (especially by Anglicans and later devotional communities) on 30 August .

Historical Milestones & Context

Devotio Moderna and Spiritual Renewal

Thomas lived during a period of religious ferment in late medieval Europe. The movement known as Devotio Moderna (Modern Devotion) sought to renew Christian life by emphasizing personal piety, interior life, humility, and communal discipline over institutional formalism or ritual alone. The Brethren of the Common Life and the Congregation of Windesheim (Augustinian houses affiliated with that movement) were part of that spiritual wave. Thomas was deeply influenced by this environment, and his writing echoes its themes — personal spiritual formation, the imitation of Christ, the inner struggle against sin, and humility before God .

His work served as a bridge from medieval piety toward the more interior devotional currents that would influence the Reformation and later Christian spiritual writers .

Influence & Reception

Right after it appeared, The Imitation of Christ was embraced across monastic, clerical, and lay circles. Over centuries it has been translated into many languages, reprinted in countless editions, and adapted for different Christian traditions. In many Christian circles, it has been regarded as a spiritual classic, second only to Scripture itself in influence .

Notably, Thomas More considered it among the three books that every person ought to own Erasmus to Ignatius of Loyola—recognized its impact. Its emphasis on interior spiritual life resonated across denominational lines.

Because The Imitation of Christ circulated widely across Europe before and during the Reformation, some scholars debate how much of it is original to Thomas versus how much he compiled and edited from older devotional sources. Nonetheless, the name of Thomas à Kempis became inseparable from the text, symbolizing a distinct spiritual tone and voice in Christian devotion .

Legacy and Influence

Thomas’s legacy lies less in being a mover of political or ecclesiastical change, and more in shaping the interior life of Christians across centuries. Key aspects of his legacy include:

• Living Devoutly in Quietness: He embodied the ideal that deep spirituality does not always need public acclaim. His monastic life was relatively quiet, devoted to prayer, scholarship, and teaching novices.

• Universal Appeal: His writings speak to both monks and laypersons, clergy and everyday believers. The themes of humility, self-examination, spiritual combat, and the imitation of Christ resonate broadly.

• Influencing Christian Spirituality: His works influenced Catholic, Protestant, and even ecumenical Christian spirituality. Many later devotional writers drew from or responded to his style and theology.

• Timeless Relevance: Centuries after his death, The Imitation of Christ remains in print, studied, quoted, and used in retreats, sermons, and private devotion.

• Model of Simplicity and Purity: Thomas’s consistent message was that true devotion is not about external pomp but about inner transformation, simplicity, purity, and surrender.

Thus, his influence is less about ecclesiastical fame and more about spiritual depth across generations.

Personality and Talents

From whatever sources we have, a picture emerges of Thomas as:

• Humble and Self-reflective: He frequently admonished humility, self-knowledge, and the suppression of vainglory in his writings. He sought to live the counsel he taught.

• Scholarly and Disciplined: His mastery in manuscript copying, precision of language, and careful structure indicate intellectual discipline and respect for the written word.

• Deeply Devotional: His inner life, meditations, contemplations, and sensitivity to Christ’s passion and the cross were central. His writings show someone for whom prayer, suffering, and union with Christ were constant.

• Patient and Enduring: His long life (he lived into his 80s or 90s by late medieval standards) and his patience through communal exile, conflict, and monastic challenges testify to resilience and inner steadiness.

• Teacher and Guide: As sub-prior and instructor of novices, he took seriously the role of spiritual father, guiding younger monks in the path of devotion.

• Interior Spiritual Architect: Rather than promoting flashy theology, he built scaffolding for the soul—practical advice, meditations, self-examination, and guidelines for living a holy life.

Famous Quotes of Thomas à Kempis

Below are selected quotations that capture his spiritual insight and depth (from The Imitation of Christ and other works):

1. “Man sees your actions, but God your motives.”

2. “Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will be worthy to receive greater.”

3. “If we live in peace ourselves, we in turn may bring peace to others. A peaceable man does more good than a learned one.”

4. “It is easier not to speak a word at all than to speak more words than we should.”

5. “Carry the cross patiently, and with perfect submission; and in the end it shall carry you.”

6. “First keep peace with yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.”

7. “A humble knowledge of thyself is a surer way to God than a deep search after learning.”

8. “Gladly we desire to make other men perfect, but we will not amend our own fault.”

9. “Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living.”

10. “Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.”

These quotations reveal recurring themes: inward purity, humility, self-discipline, peace, the cross, and reliance on God.

Lessons from Thomas à Kempis

What can modern readers and spiritual seekers learn from Thomas à Kempis?

1. Embrace the Inner Journey over External Show
   Thomas reminds us that true devotion is cultivated in the hidden places of the heart. External piety without internal transformation is brittle.

2. Live a Life of Humility
   Knowing oneself—one’s weaknesses, motives, limitations—is safer and more foundational than seeking grand theological or intellectual heights.

3. Practice Self-Examination and Daily Reflection
   He encourages examining one’s thoughts, words, and deeds each evening—a spiritual discipline of awareness and repentance.

4. Endure Trials with Patience and Trust
   Thomas often speaks of bearing the cross, accepting suffering, and trusting God’s wisdom even when our understanding is limited.

5. Prioritize Peace, Simplicity, Purity
   The spiritual life, for Thomas, is not about complexity but clarity—simplicity of motive, purity of intention, inner peace, and separation from needless anxiety.

6. Motivation Matters
   He insists that God sees the heart. Our outer acts matter, but what matters more is why we do them.

7. Imitate Christ Holistically
   The path to Christ is imitating Him—not only in prayer and devotion, but in humility, surrender, compassion, and self-denial.

8. Teach by Example
   In his life, Thomas showed that one can be influential not by worldly power, but by consistent character, service, and quiet fidelity.

Conclusion

Thomas à Kempis may not be a household name in secular circles, but within the domain of Christian spirituality he occupies a position of quiet eminence. His life and writings point to a spiritual pathway that values depth over breadth, interior transformation over outward performance, and humble following over loud proclamation.

Through The Imitation of Christ and his other works, Thomas still speaks to believers searching for a spirituality of the heart—urging them to “keep peace with yourself,” “walk as Christ walked,” and let their motives align with eternal truth. His life invites us into a slow, steady, deeply grounded faith.

If you’d like, I can also prepare a collection of Thomas à Kempis quotes with commentary, or a modern devotional adaptation. Would you like me to do that?