Wanting to popularize Spiritism and make spreading it easier and quicker, but without prejudicing the basic works of the Spiritist Doctrine, Allan Kardec wrote a number of booklets and distributed them throughout France at prices that were affordable for anyone who might be interested. Some of them had several printings and were highly successful. They continued to be republished even after the Codifier’s discarnation. This is one of those booklets. It is hoped that Spiritist readers will find that this unpretentious work enriches their knowledge of the Spiritist Doctrine.

The Gospel according to Spiritism is one of the five books that make up the Spiritist Codification, a set of teachings transmitted by high order spirits, and organized and commented upon by Allan Kardec. This work contains the essence of the moral teaching of Jesus, and therefore is a refuge where the followers of all religions – and even those who have no religion – may join hands, because it offers a sure itinerary for our inner reform, the objective indicated by Christ as indispensable for achieving our future happiness and inner peace: that achievement which only the full observance of the divine laws can provide to the spirit on its gradual evolutionary path toward God.

After you have read The Spirits’ Book, you will no longer have any reason to fear death. The Spirits’ Book will provide you with the answers to nearly all the questions you may have with regards to the origin, nature and destiny of each and every soul on earth – and those of other worlds as well. It also addresses the issues of God, creation, moral laws and the nature of spirits and their relationships with humans. The book contains answers that were dictated to mediums by highly evolved spirits who love God. The Spirits’ Book is the initial landmark publication of a Doctrine that has made a profound impact on the thought and view of life of a considerable portion of humankind since the first French edition was published in 1857.

"The Spirits' Book" is the foundational work of Spiritism, a school of thought first established in France in the mid-nineteenth century by the French educator Allan Kardec. Currently, Spiritism includes over fifteen million adherents, the eleventh largest spiritual following worldwide, ahead of more historically traditional religions such as Judaism (twelfth) and Jainism (fourteenth).This new translation is based on painstaking research of the French text, so as to provide the most faithful rendering in English of Kardec's seminal work. By analyzing the nuances in meaning and usage of vocabulary (in both French and English), as well as different stylistic choices that must be made in English, this new translation strikes a balance between literal accuracy and readability. "The Spirits' Book" represents a philosophical guide for real people, encompassing the analysis of all the fundamental questions underpinning human existence.

THE PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITISMABOUT THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL, THE NATURE OF SPIRITS AND THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH HUMANKIND, MORAL LAW, PRESENT LIFE, FUTURE LIFE AND THE FATE OF HUMANITY

A work that is still up-to-date, What is Spiritism? is useful for adherents of the Spiritist Doctrine as well as for those who want to understand the nature of Spiritism and its fundamental points. Kardec’s logic and common sense are obvious in this book as he confounds Spiritism’s detractors while answering the questions of those who believe in and aspire to a superior life. The book is divided into three chapters. The first is composed of dialogues between Kardec and a critic, a skeptic and a priest, providing answers to those who do not understand the basic principles of Spiritism. It also presents appropriate refutations to its opponents. The second chapter presents practical and experimental aspects of the science and is a kind of summary of The Mediums’ Book. The third chapter is a short synthesis of The Spirits’ Book, with solutions to psychological, moral and philosophical problems according to the Spiritist Doctrine. In addition, the book is prefaced with an abridged version of Henri Sausse’s biography of Allan Kardec.