Onze Taaltuin. Jaargang 6

Een Engelsche vertaling van het ‘Dagboek van Geert Groote’

MET toestemming van den auteur drukt het Comité in dezen Feestbundel het ‘Foreword’ af van een boek van Dr. J. Malaise S.J., hoogleeraar aan de Universiteit van San Fransisco, dat eerstdaags zal verschijnen in de serie ‘Publications of the

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Spiritual Bookassociation of America’ en tot titel draagt The Following of Christ or The Spiritual Diary of Gerard Groote (1340-1384), Founder of the Brethren and Sisters of the Common Life. Translated into English from original Netherlandish texts as edited by James van Ginneken S.J. of the Catholic University of Nijmegen.

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The lovers of the Following of Christ have been so used to associating this precious little book with the name of the revered Thomas a Kempis that they will be disturbed at first sight to see the name of Gerard Groote on the title page of this work, and some may be inclined to reject it without further investigation. They may ask, perhaps with some feeling of animosity: Why another translation of the Following of Christ? Are there not enough already? But this is not just another translation of A Kempis; it is the translation of the Following of Christ as written by Gerard Groote, not as edited by Thomas a Kempis in 1427 and 1441. This distinction between Groote and A Kempis may lead to a suspicion that there will be forthcoming some learned argumentation about authorship. Such is not the purpose of the present edition, for so much has been written on the authorship of the Following of Christ during the past many centuries that no individual could read it all in a life-time. The main object is not to belittle A Kempis nor to extol Groote, but simply to increase the love which all have for the Following of Christ and to give a better understanding of the spiritual truths it contains.

In the translation no attempt is made at literary superiority over the many English versions of the Latin A Kempis edition, but only at giving a faithful translation of the original Netherlandish text in simple and idiomatic English.

Late discoveries have thrown a new light on the Following of Christ which we are loath to withhold from English speaking readers. This new light comes from the insight we get into the spirit of the author whose spiritual genius produced the Following of Christ. In his spiritual development, as we see it in the coming pages, he is almost an exact counterpart and forerunner of Ignatius of Loyola on whom his writings apparently wrought such an influence. Likewise along the educational line he gave much to what became the early education of modern Europe and particularly to what became Jesuit Education. Then, too, he stands out as an early exponent of the movement for the reform of the Church from within. His influence on his Brethren of the Common Life, including Thomas a Kempis, was profound and wide-

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spread among other Orders as well, whilst the effect of his little book upon the Christian world during the past six centuries defies measurement. We should show concern about this great man. The history of his spiritual progress is written down in the Following of Christ to the construction of which we may now turn. The devout reader is invited to consider with an open mind the following introduction and to weigh the arguments therein contained.

For those who wish to go deeper into this subject, I recommend the articles of James van Ginneken, S.J., in Studiën, Feb. 1927, Apr. 1927, Dec. 1929, and his book ‘De Navolging van Christus of het Dagboek van Geert Groote’, which is the result of a life-long study of the Following of Christ bij Doctor van Ginneken, rector emeritus of the Catholic University of Nijmegen.

To him I am indebted for the matter of the introduction which follows and for the privilege of translating the original texts as edited by him.

San Fransisco.

J. MALAISE S.J.