Few devotional books have had the impact of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis. Kempis was a 15th Century Augustinian monk whose entire life was devoted to the pursuit of communion with God. His words, originally intended for his fellow monastics, have since become one of the most widelyread spiritual books within the Christian tradition. In The Imitation of Christ, Kempis meditates on a number of themes, at the heart of which is renunciation of the world in favor of a Christ-centered existence. The Imitation of Christ is an influential piece of Christian writing with resonance for anyone on a spiritual path.