The Pilgrim’s Progress was written by John Bunyan in 1678. Bunyan was born in Bedforshire, England in 1628. Seventeenth century England was in the midst of a civil war during the early part of his life. The war broke out over the limits of power between King Charles and Parliament. Bunyan served as a parliamentarian soldier during the war, which aligned him with the Non-Conformists such as the Congregationalists, Baptists, and Puritans who were also at odds with the king. After the war, Bunyan soon married, but Bunyan was struggling with doubt in God. Bunyan began to read some of his wife’s spiritual books, which began an awakening in his heart. Bunyan joined a Congregationalist church, and was later baptized and ordained as a minister in 1653.
Though the war was over, and King Charles was dead, the Non-Conformists (Congregationalists, Baptists, Puritans) had enjoyed some freedom of worship under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell and the short-lived republic. Once Cromwell died, the royalists regained power. In 1660, Charles the Second became king, and the non-conformists began to see their freedom slip away. Those who had previously participated on the parliamentarian side of the civil war were considered the king’s political enemies. Unfortunately, this meant a clamp down on churches that were not Anglican, in other words the authorized church in England. In order for you to be a preacher, then you had to be officially licensed by the Anglican church. As you can see, this would cause a problem for the non-conformists.
During this time John Bunyan’s first wife died, leaving him with four children. Bunyan moved to Bedford, remarried, and continued to preach in Congregationalist churches. The government would harass those who wouldn’t conform to the laws, meaning they could throw someone into prison for continuing to preach without a proper license. This is exactly what happened to John Bunyan. Bunyan refused to conform or to compromise his belief. While his family, and friends urged him to conform, he refused and from 1660-1676 he was imprisoned.
Bunyan began to write during those years in prison. It was while he was in prison that he dreamed of a pilgrim on a journey. This dream inspired Bunyan to write the story of the Pilgrim’s Progress. Once he was released from prison the book was finished and published. It would go on to become the second most printed book, only behind the Bible.
The Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory of the Christian’s experience from conversion to glorification. The main character of the Pilgrim’s Progress is named Christian. We follow Christian’s journey from experiencing the burden of sin, to the removal of that burden, and his onward journey to the Celestial City.
The Banner of Truth edition says this of Pilgrim’s Progress,
“Above all, Pilgrim’s Progress is a life story. It depicts the life which Bunyan himself lived, and at the same time, the life with which all Christian’s can substantially identify themselves.”
Christian meets people along the way like:
- Evangelist
- Pliable
- Obstinate
- Sloth
- Goodwill
- Mr. Worldly-Wiseman
- Talkative
- Charity
- Watchful
- Atheist
- Flatterer
Christian goes to places like:
- City of Destruction
- Wicket Gate
- Slough of Despond
- Village of Morality
- Difficulty Hill
- Vanity Fair
- Valley of the Shadow of Death
- Doubting Castle
- Celestial City
The Pilgrim’s Progress is chock-full of Scripture, and allusions to Scripture. Bunyan and other Puritan writers immersed their works in Scripture. You can barely read a sentence without sensing Scripture.
A Journey with the Pilgrim’s Progress
I read The Pilgrim’s Progress over the summer (2019), and found it to be just as relevant today as it was in the 17th century. My intention is to write several devotions based upon certain characters, places, and events that take place in The Pilgrim’s Progress. If you haven’t read The Pilgrim’s Progress, I highly recommend that you do. There are several editions, and translations available. If you prefer to listen to it, there are several options available online.
Together, we will embark upon a Journey with the Pilgrim’s Progress.