About Thomas à Kempis
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471) was a German-Dutch canon regular and spiritual writer whose works profoundly influenced Christian devotional literature. He is best known as the author of The Imitation of Christ (De imitatione Christi), one of the most widely read spiritual texts in Western Christianity. His writings emphasize interior devotion, humility, and the practical pursuit of Christian virtue over external observance.
Note on This Edition
Thomas à Kempis composed various devotional and rhetorical works beyond his most famous treatise, including sermons, meditations, and moral exhortations. Collections of his writings were published and republished in multiple languages and arrangements throughout the early modern period, and French editions of his collected or selected works were common. Œuvres oratoires belongs to this tradition of French-language editions of his shorter devotional and homiletic writings.
