Focus Paper #1

Focus Paper #1
September 5, 2007

In The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis discussed the different methods of worship and commitment to God, and had various recommendations on how one should live his or her life. These rules and guidelines, which one would expect to be directed mostly at those choosing a life of complete devotion to God (such as the life of a monk or nun) due to their serious and absolute nature, ultimately depicted a life of servitude to God which should also be followed by everyday Christians. Basically, he writes that it is necessary for someone to devote themselves entirely to God and to worship and study and learn about Him. He even states that a relationship with God is more important than any relationship here on Earth, and that material objects and possessions take a “back seat” to a life of God. A life of serving God in solitude is essential if you want to approach Death and Judgment and achieve positives results – if you do not entirely devote yourself to God, you cannot be guaranteed a deserved spot in Heaven and may be forced into a time of suffering and punishment.

In reading this piece, I could not help but to think about the Lindberg text (pages 53-55) and reflect on the situations of various popes described there. Although there were only a few popes described on these pages, the majority were classified as “bad” and not dedicated to God or to serving Him. Rather, they often focused on violence and deceit as main components of their life and “ruling”. I found this to be somewhat ironic – that those supposedly committed to serving God were perhaps doing the most evil and disservice to Him. In reading these descriptions and reflecting on Kempis’ interpretation of how religious people / every Christian should live their lives with complete dedication to God, it has become more clear to me just exactly how the Reformation was able to begin – perhaps as a rebellion against the wrongdoings