| The Most Widely Read Spiritual Classics |
| Written by David Bercot | |
| Wednesday, 09 June 2010 | |
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The enduring classics of Christianity contain a huge treasure trove of spiritual and practical counsel for everyone. By reading these great spiritual works, we can drink in the insights of fellow pilgrims like ourselves. The great spiritual classics don't take away from the Scriptures. Rather, they draw us back to the Bible with more devotion and insights than we had before.
The enduring classics of Christianity contain a huge treasure trove of spiritual and practical counsel for everyone. By reading these great spiritual works, we can drink in the insights of fellow pilgrims like ourselves. The great spiritual classics don't take away from the Scriptures. Rather, they draw us back to the Bible with more devotion and insights than we had before. Precisely what is a spiritual classic? It is a widely read spiritual work that has endured for many years and which people today still recognize as valuable reading. When a Christian work is still in print and being read for many years after it was first written, many people have obviously found it to be of great worth. Reading the Imitation of Christ One of the most widely read spiritual classics today is The Imitation of Christ written (or edited) by Thomas a Kempis about a century before the Reformation. Thomas a Kempis belonged to a religious community in the Netherlands, called the Brethren of Common Life. The Imitation of Christ is a manual of spiritual counsel designed to help the reader to live his or her daily life in the footsteps of Jesus. One of the primary messages of this classic is that, until our lives are conformed to the model of Christ's life, we will never completely understand his words. The Pilgrim's Progress For centuries, The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan was the most widely read book in the western world next to the Scriptures. After finding God, Bunyan settled in the town of Bedford, England, where he worked as a tinker. Soon he became a traveling preacher during the time when the Puritans ruled England. Once the Anglican Church was restored in 1660, Bunyan was arrested for conducting unauthorized religious services, and he was sentenced to jail. It was from the Bedford jail that Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Progress, an allegory of a Christian's spiritual pilgrimage throughout life. The Practice of the Presence of God Another of the lasting spiritual classics was written by a most unusual person. Brother Lawrence was not very learned, nor very poised, and he did not fill any high position at any point in his life. He was just a simple cook in the kitchen of a monastery. He did not write The Practice of the Presence of God as an actual book. Rather, this book is comprised of his letters and interviews that people had with him. The Practice of the Presence is a classic work on prayer. Brother Lawrence lived with the awareness of God's presence all day by praying silently without ceasing as he went about his work. The Article Author: David Bercot, is the author of several Christian books. His latest work is Will the Theologians Please Sit Down. He is also an ardent fan of the enduring Christian classics. To get your own free online copy of The Practice of the Presence of God, please click on the following link: great Christian books. |
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