The Imitation of Christ has been one of the most read books, other than the Bible, since its introduction in the early 15th century. Written or compiled by Thomas Kempis, it consists of four books containing spiritual instructions for faithful Christians.This present edition is based on a 1940 public domain English translation, with various updates and corrections. It also places the order of the four books back into their original order, with the exposition on Holy Communion coming in book three, prior to the "Internal Consolation of the Soul" in book four. This is due to the natural flow of the work as a whole; i.e. the internal consolation that a Christian receives about due to his participation in the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist. An index has also been added to the back of the work for easier cross-referencing of themes and subjects.