This is one in a series of new editions of spiritual classics. Together they herald the continuing relevance of early Christian texts. Each paperback contains a preface essay by a noted contemporary writer.

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, edited and translated by Joseph N. Tylenda, contains a preface by Sally Cunneen, co-founder and longtime editor of the inter-religious journal Cross Currents. She finds the spiritual guidance in this four-part volume to be helpful especially for those who want to develop an interior life of prayer. Cunneen states that Kempis's real aim was to teach us to live well with others. She quotes a key passage: "If your heart is right, then every creature is a mirror of life to you and a book of holy learning."