Of the Lack of All Comfort (The Imitation of Christ)

The Imitation of Christ is the most widely read Christian devotional book (aside from the Bible). Written in Latin by Augustinian monk Thomas à Kempis c. 1418–1427, it is a handbook for spiritual life with an emphasis on the interior life and withdrawal from the world. The text is divided into four books, which provide detailed spiritual instructions: “Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life”, “Directives for the Interior Life”, “On Interior Consolation” and “On the Blessed Sacrament”.