The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan tells the story of Christian, a deeply religious man whose self-imposed pilgrimage takes him through a variety of locations in his quest to reach Celestial City. However, to better understand Bunyan's perspective on Christianity as given in his novel, we must examine the life experiences of the author. Born in 1628, Bunyan lived in a time period that was undoubtedly heavily influenced by the Reformation movement incited by Martin Luther only a century earlier. The lives of Luther and Bunyan parallel in that both disagreed with fundamental doctrines applied by the Church in their lifetime. Additionally, both were labeled as dissenters and subsequently persecuted for adhering to their own principles (Bunyan, Introduction pg. XVII). Perhaps the most striking similarity was their common belief in the theological teaching of justification by faith, and the role, or lack thereof, of works in acquiring salvation (Perry, Peden, Von Laue, pgs. 18-19). The concept of justification by faith and the zero sum value of works as taught by Luther is the central theme of the novel The Pilgrim's Progress and the basic position concerning Christianity that Bunyan conveys to the reader. Three examples of this position contained within the novel include Christian's opinion of morality and legality as a result of his encounter with Mr. Worldly-Wiseman, Christian's definition of hypocrisy and the subsequent demise of By-ends, and finally the refusal of admittance to the Celestial City for Ignorance, despite his works.
First, near the beginning of his journey, Christian meets with Mr. Worldly-Wiseman. Christian confesses his burden to him, and in rebuke Mr. Worldly-Wiseman condemns the counsel of Evangelis...
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In conclusion, we see that the novel The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan conveys the message that justification and salvation can be granted through faith alone, and works are inconsequential. This is his basic position on Christianity. This concept is reiterated numerous times throughout the novel, as in the examples of Mr. Worldly-Wiseman, By-ends, and Ignorance. What practical application does this have for us today? Bunyan's belief in accordance with Luther may well have helped pave the way for the doctrines of many mainstream Christian religions today. In order to understand our present we must know our past.
References
Bunyan, John. (1678) The Pilgrim's Progress. Oxford World's Classics. New edition 2003.
Perry, M., Peden, J., and Von Laue, T. (2003) Sources of the Western Tradition. From the Renaissance to the Present. Fifth Edition.
In Martin Luther’s Freedom of a Christian Man, Luther describes what he believes should be the relationship between faith and good works in the life of Christian people. His beliefs became integral to the Protestant and Lutheran ideologies. The basis of Luther’s pamphlet was “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” (31) This central thought provides readers dialogue on what is truly a selfless, act and if these acts do in fact have an effect on one’s
Dunkle, Roger. "The Classical Origins of Western Culture" Brooklyn College, The City University of New York. 1986 . Web. 29 July 2015.
A deeply pious man, John considers the Bible a sublime source of moral code, guiding him through the challenges of his life. He proclaims to his kid son, for whom he has written this spiritual memoir, that the “Body of Christ, broken for you. Blood of Christ, shed for you” (81). While John manages to stay strong in the faith and nurture a healthy relationship with his son, his relationship with his own father did not follow the same blueprint. John’s father, also named John Ames, was a preacher and had a powerful effect on John’s upbringing. When John was a child, Father was a man of faith. He executed his role of spiritual advisor and father to John for most of his upbringing, but a shift in perspective disrupted that short-lived harmony. Father was always a man who longed for equanimity and peace. This longing was displayed in his dealings with his other son, Edward: the Prodigal son of their family unit, a man who fell away from faith while at school in Germany. John always felt that he “was the good son, so to speak, the one who never left his father's house” (238). Father always watched over John, examining for any sign of heterodoxy. He argued with John as if John were Edward, as if he were trying to get Edward back into the community. Eventually, John’s father's faith begins to falter. He reads the scholarly books
Clifford R. Backman, The Cultures of the West: A History. Volume 1: To 1750. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Francis of Assisi is one of the most influential personalities in the entire world. In the book ‘Francis of Assisi: Performing the Gospel Life,’ Cunningham recounts the life of this humble monk who lived in the medieval times, and shaped the Christian life, which spread in Western culture throughout the rest of history. I believe Cunningham accurately accounts for the life of Francis of Assisi, and in doing so; he provides a trajectory of the Christian faith from its early and historical proponents through its fusion with western culture, and its subsequent spread throughout the world.
3. Jackson J. Spielvogel. Western Civilization Third Edition, A Brief History volume 1: to 1715. 2005 Belmont CA. Wadsworth Publishing
Fiero, Gloria K. "The Medieval Synthesis in the Arts." The Humanistic Tradition Prehistory to the Early Modern World. 6th ed. Vol. 1. N.p.: McGraw-Hill College, 2005. 155-157, 309-16. Print.
The authors Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey's essay is credible because they both have knowledge and experience regarding the topic and researched various parts of the topic using reliable sources. Along with this essay, Charles Colson has written thirty books which have received much praise among the Christian community. He has also received many awards including the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1993, the Presidential Citizen's Medal
Christianity has its challenges. It places demands on us that set us apart from the rest of our world. The bible calls us a peculiar people, who navigate the challenge of living IN the world, without being OF the world. When we say ‘no’ to temptations that are enjoyed by the masses, we are labeled as self-righteous snobs, religious weirdoes, or worse. But we persevere, and we press toward that invisible line the Apostle Paul drew in the sands of time…for the high calling in Christ Jesus.
Martin Luther is considered one of the most instrumental individuals in Christian history for his role in the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation that severed the powerful religious, political, and social grip the Catholic Church had upon European society (1). Luther did not set out to be a revolutionary, but simply questioned the church 's marketing of indulgences that offered the buyer or their deceased loved one absolution from the penalty of sin (2). Luther’s famous “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” or “95 Theses” argued against the sale of indulgences, but Luther also ultimately disagreed with many of the fundamental religious philosophies of the medieval Catholic Church. The religious ideas of Martin Luther differed from late medieval Catholicism on key elements of theology: spiritual authority, justification of sin, free will, and the sacraments.
Katharine J. Lualdi, Sources of The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures (Bedford/St. Martins: Boston, MA, 2012) 194. (Named as Primary Sources for the Middle Ages on our angel for History 102.)
In Pilgrim’s Progress, Paul Bunyan wrote two great allegorical examples of a Christian: Christian and Faithful. Traversing through difficulties and triumphs, they progressed to find the Celestial City, which represents heaven. Both characters showed the right way to react to different situations in life. These characters are two great allegorical examples because they accurately portray the Christian in real life.
Lawall, Sarah and Maynard Mack, Eds. _The Norton Anthology of world masterpieces: The Western Traditions_. New York. 1999.
Lane, T. (2006). A concise history of christian thought (Completely ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
The author of The Pilgrim's Progress is well described by Coleridge's remark: "His piety was baffled by his genius; and Bunyan the dreamer overcame the Bunyan of the conventicle." This remark points out the difficulty that Bunyan faces when he attempts to write a religious piece of work in the style of allegory. The Pilgrim's Progress is "pious" because it is a piece written in dedication to God. It contains important religious teachings -- what a good Christian should do and what he should not do. What Coleridge means by Bunyan's "genius" is basically the story itself. The story is so well written that people become so interested in the story and forget the whole spiritual truth behind and this worry Bunyan. Coleridge also indicates in his remarks, the tension between "piety" and "dreaming". "Dreaming", as we know is unreal, and it can hardly be connected with "piety". But Bunyan, through his "genius", not only managed to bring these two things together, but in way that would be satisfiable to all.