Love for the Bible

One reads a lot of the immense popularity of Thomas a Kempis’ Imitiation of Christ. But this was not his only book. He wrote almost fourty books, amongst others three biographies on well-known figures in the New Devotion (Geert Groote, Florens Nadewijn and St. Lydwine of Schiedam).

But one underestimates his life if one does not take into account his involvement in the reading of the Bible. He was immersed in reflecting on the Bible through the daily readings on his own and in the liturgy. There are beatiful stories about Thomas’ involvement in the liturgical reading of the Bible. He lost himself in the reading of the text, to such an extent that other people near to him sometimes joked about his love of Scripture. It is said that he almost always spoke about God and Scriptures in his discussions with other people. If you’ve read a book, thank God for its wisdom and then place it carefully back on the shelf – in its proper place, he insisted.

Remarkable also is his involvement in writing the Bible. He copied the whole of the Bible and praised the activity of producing manuscripts of the Bible. He was crticial of people who did not respect and read the Bible with the necessary attention and devotion. Many readers of the Imitiation recognise how it is saturated with Biblical language. Thomas was so deeply involved in reading the Bible that he came to speak and write in Biblical language.

Thomas was a deeply religious person who impressed others with his practical piety. He was a book worm. He wrote that he only found peace when he read and reflected on the Bible in his cell.

Thomas’ piety needs to be understood in the light of his context. He was born in 1379, towards the end of the fourteenth century. This was a difficult time for the church. In the previous century, Thomas of Aquinas wrote his theological writings in which he constructed an impressive theological system which had a lasting influence. Soon his work was heavily disputed in intense debates about the relationship between God’s revelation and human reason. The initial leaders were Duns Scotus and William of Occam. As a result theology became more and more a matter of intellectual debates. Debates about the understanding of Scriptures were in focus rather than living a life of faith. Faith was debated rather than experienced.

It was also a time of vulgar and popular religious activity. People were indiscreet in their religious observances. It was a deeply pessimistic age, driven by a feeling of gloom. The symbol of the cross was in the centre of attention. Church leaders were more interested in politics than in religion. They sought material gains and made light of their religious duties. Individuals lost their trust in these leaders and sought religious fulfillment outside their sphere of influence. When one reads The Imitation of Christ, one recognizes in his prouncements how he responds to these difficult times.