The Vita Christi, i.e. Life of Christ is the principal work of Ludolph of Saxony, completed in 1374.[1]
The book is not just a biography of Jesus, but a history, a commentary borrowed from the Church Fathers, a series of dogmatic and moral dissertations, of spiritual instructions, meditations, and prayers. It was so popular in its time that it has been called a summa evangelica.[1] The popularity of the book is attested to by the number of copies preserved in various libraries, beginning with the first two editions of Strasburg and Cologne, in 1474, to the last editions of Paris (folio, 1865, and 8vo, 1878).[1]
The Vita Christi had significant influence on the development of techniques for Christian meditation. It introduced the concept of immersing and projecting oneself into a Biblical scene about the life of Jesus which became popular among the Devotio Moderna community.[2] The Vita Christi was translated into Spanish in 1502 by Ambrosio Montesino and was printed in Alcala.[3] The methods of meditation in the Vita Christi thus entered Spain and were known in the early part of the 16th century.[4]
Ignatius of Loyola used these techniques in his Spiritual exercises, e.g. self-projection into a Biblical scene to start a conversation with Christ in Calvary.[2] Vita Christi is mentioned in most biographies of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who read it while recovering from a wound after the siege of Pamplona.[5].