The Confessions of St. Augustine & the Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis
The Five Foot Shelf of Classics, Vol. VII (in 51 Volumes)
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Translator name not noted above: William Benham. Originally published between 1909 and 1917 under the name "Harvard Classics," this stupendous 51-volume set-a collection of the greatest writings from literature, philosophy, history, and mythology-was assembled by American academic CHARLES WILLIAM ELIOT (1834-1926), Harvard University's longest-serving president. Also known as "Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf," it represented Eliot's belief that a basic liberal education could be gleaned by reading from an anthology of works that could fit on five feet of bookshelf. Volume VII features two of the most influential works of Christian spirituality and philosophy. The Confessions of Algerian bishop SAINT AUGUSTINE (354-430) is a foundational work of Western theology and one of the earliest autobiographies, offering keen insight into the workings of the medieval mind. The Imitation of Christ, by THOMAS À KEMPIS (1380-1471), is perhaps second only to the Bible in importance in Christian thought, offering the wisdom needed to find a direct path to a relationship with God.
Thomas a Kempis
Thomas à Kempis was born Thomas Hemerken in Kempen, in the Rhineland, around 1380. He spent most of his life as an Augustinian canon regular at Mount St. Agnes, near Zwolle in the Netherlands, where he copied manuscripts, wrote, and advised novices. His community belonged to the Devotio Moderna, a reform movement that stressed simple, practical devotion and the inner life. He died in 1471. The Imitation of Christ is traditionally attributed to him, though its authorship has been debated.
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