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Cburch History: Thomas A Kempis Alvin Shaul Leclerc, HCT2 a Kempis Biography February 2, 2005 Thomas a Kempis �Holy Father, who has nourished and strengthened your Church by the writings of your servant Thomas a Kempis: Grant that we may learn from him to know what we ought to know, to love what we ought to love, to praise what highly pleases you, and always to seek to know and follow your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.� �prayer by James E. Kiefer. Born in 1380, Thomas a Kempis became one of the most respected and powerful influences in the history of Christian tradition. Thomas was born at Kempen in the Diocese of Cologne to John and Gertrude Haemerken. It is thought that both he and his father worked in metals, which was quite common in Kempen, and thus the surname Haemerken means �little hammer�. Thomas was thought to have only one brother, although the possibility that he had any number of sisters is there because the bulk of what we have concerning Thomas comes from after he leaves for his schooling. Since he does this at the age of thirteen, any contact with the rest of his family would have been cut off then. At that time he set off to for the schools of Deventer, in Holland. Ultimately, living to the age of 91, Thomas came to believe that the one ambition of all was to emulate the life and virtues of the first Christians, especially in the love of God and the neighbor, in simplicity, humility, and devotion. (Scully). Thomas� older brother John was fourteen years his senior and had arrived at Deventer at least ten years before him. When Thomas arrived at Deventer he found that his brother had left nearly two years before to begin a new congregation of Canons Regular at Windesheim. Upon hearing this, Thomas traveled the twenty miles route to Windesheim and found his older brother. Thomas received from him a letter of introduction to Florentius Radewyn, the superior of the Brothers of the Common Life at Deventer. Radewyn, after welcoming Thomas, proceeded to give him a care provider, presented him to the rector of the schools, and paid his first. It was during this time at Deventer that Thomas became in the central figure in what would become a revivalist movement in the Low Countries in the fourteenth century. There goal was to restore the wholeness and devotion of the Christians of the first century. This time for Thomas was without a doubt the most important time for him in terms of his spiritual formation. Others within this movement were known as the �Devout Brothers and Sisters� or the �Brothers and Sisters of the Common Life.� Their lives of obedience, poverty and chastity, while taking no vows concerning such, were characteristic of their devotion to Christ. Although they did not seek to become wealthy, their lives of poverty did not permit them to beg. All followers of this movement were to work for the money they received, and those earnings were placed into a common fund for the welfare of all the Brothers and Sisters (Scully). Thomas was one of the most distinguished members of the Canons Regular for seventy-two years. �First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.� Direct from the hand of Thomas, this is just one quote that tells of the wisdom he brought to his order. While at Deventer, he used such a peace to become a quality transcriber of many literary works. His most notable transcription was the entire Bible in four volumes. When Thomas had finished his humanities at Deventer, he sought admission into the Canons Regular of Windesheim near Zwolle at Mount St. Agnes. Radewyn confirmed his request and Thomas was sent to Windesheim where his brother was the prior. John held the office of prior for nine years and built the priory and commenced the church during that time. Because of the lack of buildings and capabilities when Thomas arrived, he did not receive his status of novice until 1406 and was not ordained priest until 1413. We have many stories concerning the priory while Thomas was there that reveal its charm and edification (�The Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes", London, 1906). A day after reporting on �The Perfectly Imperfect Church� by Steve Sjogren, who believed that simplicity was the way to a healthy church body, I see here in Thomas the same line of thought. Indeed, the records we have reveal the simplicity of his religious brethren. Simplicity helps God�s voice to be heard more clearly while striving for a goal that is not hidden. Thomas� humility and simplicity led him to be elected procurator because of his love for the poor. He was finally made superior of the monastery in 1429. However, as becomes evident through his works, Thomas life was very uneventful. He simply traveled his journey, taking large steps and small, all in an attempt to serve those around him. When he later decided to focus more on his literature as a career, few objections were given. According to Kerr, �Revealing little of his own religious experiences and reacting strongly against abstract theological scholasticism, Thomas a Kempis speaks the universal language of Christian mysticism. Theologically, Thomas a Kempis worked to eliminate 1400 years of misguidance in the Christian Church. He is very similar to St. Francis of Assisi in his belief that poverty should be embraced and God lifted up among the less fortunate. As mentioned above, Thomas believed that the one ambition of all was to emulate the life and virtues of the first Christians, especially in the love of God and the neighbor, in simplicity, humility, and devotion. From the time of Christ until Thomas� time, the Church went through many turmoilous years. Much of what occurred did so to find a more exacting and specific line of belief for Christians. At numerous steps along the way, splits occurred which shape the �family tree� of our history. The major split between 40 and 1380 A.D. was the Catholic reformation in 1054. It was because of this huge turmoil that Thomas felt a pull to return to the simple and devotional lifestyles of the Christians of the first century A.D. He sought to end the �bickering� and restore the holiness of God�s people. This holiness is what we as Wesleyans strive for today as well. What God wants more than anything else is for us to love Him and to love others. The minor theological questions are not going to change God. God is who he is for a reason and the mysteries of God are mysteries for a reason. What Thomas wants people to understand is that it�s not their duty to figure out those mysteries when God is not ready to reveal them. Life in the 21st century may be tough for Christians. Political and social agendas seem to be taking over more and more to the point that we can�t even have the Ten Commandments posted in a public park. Political agendas are forming within the Church as well and as people become more liberal, new ideas will arise that will complicate Christianity all the more. Our goal, thus, as those acknowledging the importance and relevance of keeping God�s great command alive and well, is to serve the world with the love of Christ. Only through His love will our lives be blessed. Works Cited: Kerr, Hugh T. Readings in Christian Thought. 2nd Ed. Abington Press, Nashville TN. 1990. Kiefer, James E. �Thomas a Kempis, Priest, Monk, and Writer� http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/208.html. 02/01/05. Scully, Vincent. �Biography and quotes of Thomas a Kempis with pictures and bibliography�http://www.onelittleangel.com/wisdom/art/sacred.asp?mc=333#. 02/01/05. The Quotations Page: Thomas a Kempis. �http://www.quotationspage.com/ quotes/Thomas_a_Kempis. 02/01/05 |