T H O M A S A K E M P IS

bi o g r a p h y

9 DE SE P T I E M B R E DE 20 2 1

RE A D I N G MI S S RE C A R T E NI N T H
Hilla r y t h Da y a n n a Or d ó ñ e z Cá c e r e s
 TH O M A S A KE M P I S

Th o m a s a Ke m p i s , w h o s e re a l n a m e w a s Th o m a s He m e r k e n , wa s a Ch r is t i a n

m o n k , a co p y i s t , a n d a wr it e r . His na m e Ke m p i s co m e s fro m th e pl a c e he wa s bo r n .

Th e r e ’ s no ex a c t da te of his b i r t h , b u t it w a s n e a r 1 3 7 9 . Th o m a s en t e r e d in Br e t h r e n
o f th e Co m m o n Li f e , in D e n v e r . He sp e n t hi s lif e in th e Ne th e r l a n d s . Ke m p i s en t e r e d

to th e pr i e s th o o d in 14 1 3 . He die d on Ju l y 26 , 14 7 1 , ne a r Zw o l l e , Ne t h e r la n d s .

Th o m a s a Ke m p i s is w e l l kn o w n f o r hi s bo o k Im i t a t i o n of Ch r i s t .

He sta r t e d to st u d y at th e ag e of tw e l v e , in a fam o u s sc h o o l ca t h e d r a l th a t

wa s fa m o u s i n hi s ti m e s . Th e r e he me e ts a p r e a c h e r th a t w a s an es t e e m e d me m b e r

of Br e t h r e n of th e Co m m o n Li f e , his na m e wa s Fl o r e n t i u s Ra d e w ij in s . He to o k

Th o m a s as hi s pr o te c t e d , be c a u s e he re c o g n i z e d in him sp i r i t u a l vi r t u e an d an

inc lin a ti o n to w a r d s pi e t y . Fl o r e n t i u s off e r e d a ro o f an d bo o k s to Th o m a s si n c e he

did n ’t ha v e en o u g h m o n e y . Th a t wa s n o r m a l i n Br e t h r e n Co m m o n L i f e , th e y he l p e d
an d ed u c a t e d p o o r yo u n g pe o p le .

He co p i e d ma n u s c ri p ts , inc lu d in g th e Bi b l e . He al s o wr o t e de v o ti o n a l s ,

se r m o n s an d pr a c t ic a l te a c h i n g s . Th o m a s a Ke m p i s wr o t e fou r bo o k l e ts , kn o w n as

Th e Im i t a t i o n of Ch r is t . Th i s bo o k is th e se c o n d mo s t re a d bo o k in th e wo r l d , afte r

th e Bi b l e . On e fa m o u s qu o te th a t we ca n ta k e fro m th i s bo o k is “W e mu s t im i t a t e

Ch r i s t ’s lif e an d hi s wa y s if we ar e to be tr u l y en li g h t e n e d an d s e t fr e e fr o m th e

da r k n e s s of ou r ow n he a r t s . Le t it be th e m o s t im p o r t a n t th i n g we do , th e n , to

re f le c t on th e lif e of Je s u s Ch r i s t . ” Th i s bo o k is wr it te n in a lo t of diff e r e n t

lan g u a g e s , an d it a l s o ha s ins p ir e d a lot of Ch r i s ti a n s su c h as Ge o r g e El l i o t , Ma r t i n

Lu t h e r , an d Sa m u e l Jo h n s o n .

He de v o t e d or d i n a r y p e o p le an d re l i g i o u s de v o t e e s , mo s t of th e s e pe o p l e

we r e in s p i r e d be c a u s e of hi s hu m b le n e s s an d de v o ti o n to w a r d s Ch r i s ti a n it y .

Th o m a s a Ke m p i s ha s a lo t of i n f l u e n c e i n re l i g i o n . I re a d his bo o k an d ev e n

th o u g h it w a s bo r in g fo r me , it ’ s a co m p l e t e bo o k . It’ s a bo o k th a t ev e r y Ch r is t i a n

mu s t re a d . It sh o w s ho w we mo s t be th r o u g h te a c h i n g s sh o w e d i n th e Bi b l e . Fr o m

wh a t I re a d , he wa s a pe r s o n hu m b le an d ha s sp i r i t u a l vi r t u e , as Fl o r e n t i u s sa i d . I

do n ’ t ha v e an y th i n g el s e to sa y , C h r i s t i a n i t y is n o t a to p i c I’ m inte r e s t e d in an d pe o p l e

li k e hi m ar e no t my fav o r it e to p i c to ta l k ab o u t.
 CI T A T IO N S

• “T h o m a s à Ke m p i s . ” Le a r n Re li g io n s (f a s t f a c t s an d a l l th e pa r a g r a p h s
inc lu d e d )
• “T h o m a s à Ke m p i s . ” En c y c l o p e d i a (f i r s t p a r a g r a p h )
• “T h o m a s à Ke m p i s . ’ ’
http s : // d 2 y 1 p z 2 y 6 3 0 3 0 8 . c lo u d fr o n t .n e t / 1 5 4 7 1 / d o c u m e n ts / 2 0 1 6 /1 0 / T h o m a s
% 2 0 A % 2 0 K e m p is - T h e % 2 0 I m i ta t io n % 2 0 o f% 2 0 C h r is t .p d f (li n k of th e bo o k I
re a d )