The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is an allegorical novel published in 1678 that depicts the journey of a Christian named Christian from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature and has been translated into more than 200 languages. Here is an overview of this influential novel:
Background and Context
John Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress while imprisoned for 12 years for preaching without a license from the Church of England. During this time, he began the work on his allegorical story of the journey to salvation. The novel was published in two parts, with the first part appearing in 1678 and the second in 1684.
The Pilgrim’s Progress reflects Bunyan’s own spiritual journey and his extensive knowledge of the Bible. The novel emerged out of the religious struggles of 17th century England, which saw much religious and political turmoil between the Church of England, nonconformist Protestants like Bunyan, and Roman Catholics. As a dissenter advocating greater religios freedom, Bunyan was viewed as a threat by the English authorities and persecuted for his preaching.
Bunyan belonged to the Puritan tradition, which emphasized reading scripture, prayer, and piety. His novel encapsulates the Puritan call to shun worldly temptations and steadfastly follow the narrow path to salvation.
Plot Summary
The Pilgrim’s Progress tells the story of a man named Christian who resides in the City of Destruction and begins a journey of faith after receiving an urgent warning to flee from impending disaster. Troubled by spiritual anguish, Christian encounters a helper named Evangelist who directs him to follow the straight and narrow path to the Celestial City.
As he undertakes this strenuous journey, Christian has to pass through treacherous terrain and overcome vices personified as characters like Pliable, Obstinate, Worldly Wiseman, and Giant Despair. He receives aid along the way from figures such as Goodwill, Interpreter, Help, and Hopeful. After many trials and setbacks, Christian finally succeeds in crossing the River of Death and entering the gates of the Celestial City.
In the second part of the novel, Christian’s wife Christiana and their sons embark on the same pilgrimage years later. They face their own adversities and are aided by Greatheart, a guide sent to encourage pilgrims in their journey. The story of Christiana highlights Bunyan’s belief that salvation is open to all who have faith.
Main Characters
Christian – The protagonist of the novel who flees the City of Destruction and strives to reach the Celestial City. He represents the ideal Christian persevering through struggles and temptations.
Evangelist – Appears at key moments to guide Christian in the right direction on his pilgrimage. He symbolizes the guidance offered by preachers and pastors.
Obstinate and Pliable – Two former acquaintances who Christian encounters early in his journey. Obstinate represents stubborn resistance to the gospel message while Pliable symbolizes superficial commitment to faith.
Help – A character who rescues Christian from the Slough of Despond and sets him back on the correct path. Represents the support and guidance Christians can provide each other.
Worldly Wiseman – A deceptive character who tries to lure Christian off his journey with worldly advice. Represents the temptation of materialism and false wisdom.
Faithful – A fellow pilgrim Christian meets who suffered similar hardships. Represents Christians who encourage one another through persecution.
Apollyon – A demonic creature who attacks Christian and tries to destroy his faith. Symbolizes the forces of evil Christians must battle.
Giant Despair – The giant who imprisons Christian and Faithful in Doubting Castle. Represents depression, hopelessness and suicidal despair that threatens Christians.
Hopeful – Christian’s companion after Faithful’s death who helps him complete the journey. Represents Christian hope and brotherly love.
Major Themes
The Pilgrim’s Progress explores several important theological themes:
The sanctification journey – The entire novel is an allegory for the difficult but necessary journey of sanctification and purification of the Christian’s soul on the way to Heaven.
Spiritual warfare – Christian’s physical battles represent the spiritual warfare Christians face against sin and evil forces seeking to destroy their faith.
Perseverance through hardship – Christian has to pass through harsh terrain and life-threatening trials, illustrating the importance of endurance on the road to salvation.
The straight and narrow path – Staying on the narrow road to the Celestial City requires maintaining faith and rejecting the easy, broad road of temptation and sin.
Fellowship of believers – Christian receives aid multiple times from fellow pilgrims, emphasizing the need for community and brotherhood in the church.
Hope and assurance – Christian’s arrival at the Celestial City demonstrates he has finally obtained the hope and assurance of salvation after fighting the good fight.
Literary Style and Influence
The Pilgrim’s Progress is presented in a simple, straightforward manner that reflects Bunyan’s own unpolished writing style. Yet it incorporates many creative allegorical elements and figures of speech that resemble passages from scripture. The novel relies heavily on dialogue to move the narrative forward.
As one of history’s most famous allegories, The Pilgrim’s Progress uses an everyman character in Christian to represent the typical 17th century Puritan seeking redemption. The locations he passes through symbolize different phases in the journey of faith. The obstacles personify vices to be avoided and virtues to embrace.
The novel had a significant impact on English literature and language, to the extent that common phrases such as “the slough of despond” and “the shining light” originated from Bunyan’s allegory. Elements of The Pilgrim’s Progress have influenced various authors, including George Orwell’s Animal Farm and C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia series.
Beyond the realm of literature, the vivid and accessible allegory has shaped how many Christians understand and frame the idea of life as a journey of faith. The novel still retains its power today as an excellent introduction to Christian doctrine and remains one of the most widely-read books ever published.
Major Symbols
The Pilgrim’s Progress uses symbolic characters and places to represent important concepts:
– Celestial City – Represents heaven, the final destination of Christians
– Slough of Despond – The miry swamp of doubt and discouragement believers may fall into
– Hill Difficulty – Symbolizes struggles and challenges Christians face
– Palace Beautiful – A stop along the journey representing the peace of the church
– Valley of Humiliation – Reminds believers to be humble and repent of pride
– Valley of the Shadow of Death – Represents the trials of passing through death into eternal life
– Vanity Fair – Stands for worldly temptation and sinful pleasures Christians must avoid
– River of Death – Signifies the passage from this life into the peace of Heaven
– Delectable Mountains – Represents the spiritual joy and blessings God bestows on His people
Scriptural Basis
Though not a direct biblical retelling, The Pilgrim’s Progress contains over 200 scripture references and allusions to Bible passages that would have been familiar to 17th century Protestants. Some key passages that relate to Christian’s journey include:
– Matthew 7:13-14 – Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
– 1 Peter 5:8 – Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
– John 16:33 – In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
– Romans 12:2 – Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
– Hebrews 12:1-3 – Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus… Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Bunyan’s imaginative allegory vividly translates these and many other Bible passages into a creative fictional landscape populated by memorable characters and events.
Historical and Cultural Significance
As one of history’s most important works of Christian literature, The Pilgrim’s Progress has had far-reaching historical and cultural influence:
– Helped popularize the Puritan religious allegory genre in the 17th-18th centuries
– Became one of the most-read books in the English language for over 200 years after its publication
– Translated into more than 200 languages, making it one of the most translated books in the world
– Introduced religious allegory into English literature as seen in later works like C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia
– Shaped how generations of Christians understood and experienced spiritual life as a difficult journey
– Inspired many hymns, sermons, artworks, poems, and films – most significantly “Amazing Grace” by John Newton
– Reflected the political and religious tensions of its era regarding religious freedom and conscience
– Helped establish non-conformist dissenter Bunyan as one of the most influential English religious authors
Its rich imagery and universal spiritual themes have allowed The Pilgrim’s Progress to remain relevant for over three centuries of changing cultural contexts and reading audiences.
Comparison to Other Religious Allegories
As one of the pioneers of Christian allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress is often considered a precursor to later famous religious allegories in English literature:
Dante’s Divine Comedy – Also recounts a difficult spiritual pilgrimage through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven, though it focuses on Catholic theology.
Piers Plowman by William Langland – A 14th century allegorical poem that similarly explores faith using dream-like imagery and characters.
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser – Spenser took inspiration from Bunyan in structuring his 16th century epic poem as a Christian knight’s allegorical quest.
C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia – A seminal 20th century Christian allegory partly inspired by Bunyan’s novel and exploring Christian themes through fantasy fiction.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – Borrows Christian allegorical elements like a symbolic journey, temptations, mystical landscapes and heavenly goals.
The Pilgrim’s Progress established artistic devices and conventions that influenced the development of allegorical writing seeking to create imaginative religious narratives.
Recap
In summary, The Pilgrim’s Progress is John Bunyan’s renowned 1678 Christian allegory recounting the difficult journey of a pilgrim named Christian in reaching the Celestial City. Through an inventive fictional narrative, it captures the essence of the Puritan religious outlook that profoundly shaped Bunyan’s 17th century England. With its biblical wisdom, creativity, and spiritual insight, The Pilgrim’s Progress has become one of the most important and beloved works of Christian literature.