2017 Reprint of 1940 Edition. The Imitation of Christ is perhaps the most widely read Christian devotional work, second only to the bible, and is regarded as a devotional and religious classic. Its popularity was immediate, and it was printed 745 times before 1650. Apart from the Bible, few books have been translated into more languages than the Imitation of Christ. The text is divided into four books, which provide detailed spiritual instructions: "Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life", "Directives for the Interior Life", "On Interior Consolation" and "On the Blessed Sacrament". The approach taken is characterized by emphasis on the interior life and withdrawal from the world, as opposed to an active imitation of Christ by other friars. The work book places a high level of emphasis on the devotion to the Eucharist as key element of spiritual life