imitation of christ, n.All

The Imitation of Christ (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠easy next to living one's own life as truly as Christ lived his — whoever did that would be crucified.

The Imitation of Christ (n.) creates ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a corresponding shadow in the unconscious — that hardly needs demonstrating.

The Imitation of Christ (n.) somehow ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠leaves out the spiritual sacrifice he made at the start: Jesus preached something different from the religion of his forefathers.

The Imitation of Christ (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the opposite of what the adept underwent: he assimilated the Christ-image to his own self, not by effort but by an involuntary experience that came on him like stigmata.

The Imitation of Christ (n.) carried ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠to completion would make man his own redeemer — or Christ would replace the believer's personality; so it can never be complete.

The Imitation of Christ (n.) turned ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠into outward worship leaves man untouched inside: one can copy Christ down to the stigmata without coming anywhere near the ideal.

The Imitation of Christ (n.) would ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠mean, in a deeper sense, the duty to realize one's own deepest conviction with the courage and self-sacrifice Jesus showed, each in his own way.