Religion & Spirituality · Book club
The Imitation of Christ book club questions
Here are 12 book club questions for The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. Copy them, print them, or bring them up one at a time.
The Imitation of Christ is a 15th-century devotional text structured as four books of short, meditative chapters.
Thomas à Kempis · 1418 · 4h 0m
Full summary and key takeaways →The 12 questions
- 1.
À Kempis says 'Many words satisfy not the soul, but a good life refresheth the mind.' Where in your life does consuming more information substitute for actually changing your behavior?
- 2.
The book treats humility as a practice rather than a feeling. What does practicing humility actually look like in a modern professional or social context?
- 3.
À Kempis distrusts excessive socializing as a drain on interior life. Is that a useful observation, or a relic of monastic culture that doesn't translate?
- 4.
Which of your intellectual or professional achievements, if taken away tomorrow, would leave you most unsettled? What does that tell you?
- 5.
The book argues that suffering well is more spiritually significant than suffering little. What's the difference between genuine equanimity and just suppressing difficulty?
- 6.
À Kempis says consolations are temporary and should not be depended on. How do you respond when a source of comfort — a relationship, a routine, a sense of purpose — is withdrawn?
- 7.
The book was written for monks. What does the concept of 'withdrawal from the world' mean in practical terms for someone embedded in modern work and family life?
- 8.
À Kempis mistrusts people who are quick to speak and slow to listen. Where do you recognize that pattern in yourself?
- 9.
The text assumes that interior change is the only kind that matters. Do you believe external change — in your circumstances, your work, your community — can substitute for it?
- 10.
Book one says you fall because you have not fled vain curiosity. What does 'vain curiosity' mean to you in a world saturated with information?
- 11.
The Imitation has been returned to by readers across centuries. Why do you think a 15th-century monastic handbook has lasted this long? What in it survives translation?
- 12.
À Kempis writes that 'rest from inordinate desire of knowledge' is necessary for peace. What desire for knowledge in your own life might be inordinate?
How to run the discussion
- Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
- Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
- Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
- Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.
Themes worth steering toward
If the conversation stalls, these are the threads that usually restart it.
Common questions
What are good book club questions for The Imitation of Christ?
Here are 12 book club questions for The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. The strongest openers ask what each reader noticed rather than what they concluded, and the discussion usually turns on humility, spiritual discipline, contemplation.
How long should a book club discussion of The Imitation of Christ last?
Most groups run 60 to 90 minutes of actual discussion. That is roughly six to eight questions, not all of them, so pick the ones that suit your group rather than working down the list in order.
What are the main themes in The Imitation of Christ?
Humility, Spiritual discipline, Contemplation, Renunciation, Inner life. Those are the threads most likely to divide a room, which makes them the useful places to steer a discussion that has gone quiet.
Picking the next one? See books like The Imitation of Christ or questions for other book club picks.
