John Bunyan

born : November 1628, Elstow,

Bedfordshire, England

died : August 31, 1688, London(aged 59)

Notable Works :

“Grace Abounding”

“The Holy Warr"

“The Life and Death of Mr. Badman”

“The Pilgrim’s Progress”

Introduction :

John Bunyan, author of the immortal allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress was born in 1628 in Elstow, England to Thomas Bunyan and his second wife, Margaret Bentley Bunyan. Not much is known about the details of Bunyan’s life, his autobiographical memoir, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), is concerned with external events only as they relate to spiritual experience. His family was humble though not impoverished. After learning to read at a grammar school he became a brazier or tinker like his father.

"We came together as poor as poor might be," Bunyan wrote, "not having so much household-stuff as a dish or spoon betwixt us both."

Prison: a mixed blessing

Bunyan's rise as a popular preacher coincided with the Restoration of Charles II. The freedom of worship Separatists had enjoyed for 20 years was quickly ended; those not conforming with the Church of England would be arrested. By January 1661, Bunyan sat imprisoned in the county jail.

The worst punishment, for Bunyan, was being separated from his second wife (his first had died in 1658) and four children. "The parting ... hath oft been to me in this place as the pulling the flesh from my bones," he wrote. He tried to support his family making "many hundred gross of long tagg'd laces" while imprisoned, but he mainly depended on "the charity of good people" for their well-being.

Still, the imprisonment wasn't as bad as some have imagined. He was permitted visitors, spent some nights at home, and even traveled once to London. The jailer allowed him occasionally to preach to "unlawful assemblies" gathered in secret. More importantly, the imprisonment gave him the incentive and opportunity to write. He penned at least nine books between 1660 and 1672 (he wrote three others—two against Quakers and the other an expository work—before his arrest).

Profitable Mediations, Christian Behavior (a manual on good relationships), and The Holy City (an interpretation of Revelation) were followed by Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, considered the greatest Puritan autobiography. But from 1667 to 1672, Bunyan probably spent most of his time on his greatest legacy, The Pilgrim's Progress.

THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS :

The Pilgrim’s Progress, religious allegory. by the English writer John

Bunyan, published in two parts in 1678 and 1684. The work is a symbolic vision of the good man’s pilgrimage through life. At one time second only to the Bible in popularity, The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most famous Christian allegory.still in print. It was first published in the reign of Charles second and was largely written while its puritan author was imprisoned for offenses against the Conventicle Act of 1593 (which prohibited the conducting of religious services outside the bailiwick of the Church of England).

Summary

Part I

Part I (1678) is presented as the author’s dream of the trials and adventures of Christian (an everyman figure) as he travels from his home, the City of Destruction, to the Celestial City. Christian seeks to rid himself of a terrible burden, the weight of his sins, that he feels after reading a book (ostensibly the Bible). Evangelist points him toward a wicket-gate, and he heads off, leaving his family behind. He falls into the Slough of Despond, dragged down by his burden, but is saved by a man named Help. Christian next meets Mr. Worldly Wiseman, who persuades him to disregard Evangelist’s advice and instead go to the village of morality. and seek out Mr. Legality or his son Civility. However, Christian’s burden becomes heavier, and he stops. Evangelist reappears and sets him back on the path to the wicket-gate. The gatekeeper, Good-will, lets him through and directs him to the house of the Interpreter, where he receives instruction on Christian grace. As Christian continues his journey, he comes upon a cross and a sepulchre, and at that point his burden falls from his shoulders. Three Shining Ones appear and give him a sealed scroll that he must present when he reaches the Celestial Gate.

John Bunyan dreaming of The Pilgrim's Progress, 17th-century illustration.

Christian continues on his way, and when he reaches the Hill Difficulty, he chooses the straight and narrow path. Partway up he falls asleep in an arbor, allowing the scroll to fall from his hands. When he wakes, he proceeds to the top of the hill only to find he must return to the arbor to find his lost scroll. He later arrives at the palace Beautiful, where he meets the damsels Discretion, Prudence, Piety, and Charity. They give Christian armour, and he learns that a former neighbour, Faithful, is traveling ahead of him.

Christian next traverses the Valley of Humiliation, where he does battle with the monster Apollyon. He then passes through the terrifying Valley of the Shadow of Death. Shortly afterward he catches up with Faithful. The two enter the town of Vanity, home of the ancient Vanity Fair, which is set up to ensnare pilgrims en route to the Celestial City. Their strange clothing and lack of interest in the fair’s merchandise causes a commotion, and they are arrested. Arraigned before Lord Hate-good, Faithful is condemned to death and executed, and he is immediately taken into the Celestial City. Christian is returned to prison, but he later escapes.

Christian leaves Vanity, accompanied by Hopeful, who was inspired by Faithful. Christian and Hopeful cross the plain of Ease and resist the temptation of a silver mine. The path later becomes more difficult, and, at Christian’s encouragement, the two travelers take an easier route, through By-path Meadow. However, when they become lost and are caught in a storm, Christian realizes that he has led them astray. Trying to turn back, they stumble onto the grounds of Doubting Castle, where they are caught, imprisoned, and beaten by the Giant Despair. At last, Christian remembers that he has a key called Promise, which he and Hopeful use to unlock the doors and escape. They reach the Delectable Mountains, just outside the Celestial City, but make the mistake of following Flatterer and must be rescued by a Shining One. Before they can enter the Celestial City, they must cross a river as a test of faith, and then, after presenting their scrolls, Christian and Hopeful are admitted into the city.

Part II

In Part II (1684) Christian’s wife, Christiana, and their sons as well as their neighbour Mercy attempt to join him in the Celestial City. The psychological intensity is relaxed in this section, and the capacity for humour and realistic observation becomes more evident. Christian’s family and Mercy—aided (physically and spiritually) by their guide Great-heart, who slays assorted giants and monsters along the way—have a somewhat easier time, because Christian has smoothed the way, and even such companions as Mrs. Much-afraid and Mr. Ready-to-halt manage to complete the journey. Whereas most of the people encountered by Christian exemplify wrong thinking that will lead to damnation, Christiana meets people who, with help, become worthy of salvation. When they reach the Celestial City, Christiana’s sons and the wives they married along the way stay behind in order to help future pilgrims.

The angel Secret giving Christiana a letter inviting her and her children to join her husband, Christian, in the Celestial City.

Legacy

The book is a puritan conversion narrative, of which there are predecessors in Bunyan’s own work (Grace Abounding, 1666), John foxe's The Book of Martyrs (1563), as well as other emblem books and chapbooks from the Renaissance. The Pilgrim’s Progress, written in homely yet dignified biblical prose, has some of the qualities of a folktale, and in its humour and realistic portrayals of minor characters, it anticipates the 18th-century novel. The book was immediately popular and went through several editions within a few years of initial publication. It was translated into some 200 languages and remained a favourite for the following two centuries. Notable adaptations included a 1951 opera composed by Ralph Vaughan williams.

Theme of the Pilgrim Progress :

The major theme in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress is the cost of salvation. As Christian’s journey proves, the road to Heaven is not easy, the cost is great, and the true Christian must be willing to pay the cost no matter what.

The Pilgrims journey meant to represent life

Further in the journey of life, people encounter temptations in the form of wealth, worldly attractions, beauty, lust, and so on. In The Pilgrim’s Progress, these temptations are symbolized by the Vanity Fair. In life and in Bunyan’s allegory, they prevent people from pursuing the goal of spiritual freedom.

Pilgrim’s Progress as an allegory :

The Pilgrim’s Progress, religious allegory by the English writer John Bun yan, published in two parts in 1678 and 1684. The work is a symbolic vision of the good man’s pilgrimage through life. At one time second only to the Bible in popularity, The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most famous Christian allegory still in print.

What makes a person a pilgrim?

A pilgrim (from the Latin peregrinus) is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system.

The Death of John Bunyan

The death of John Bunyan occurred on 31st August 1688, just three hundred years ago.

Dhruvita Dhameliya

Assignment

Sunday, 10 October 2021

John Bunyan

Summary

Part I

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