Who was John Bunyan?
A short biography
John Bunyan (1628-1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher who is best known for his novel “The Pilgrims Progress”. It is one of the most important works of Christian English literature.
John Bunyan was born in Elstow, a town situated in the English county of Bedford. His formative years were marked by a modest upbringing; he pursued a career in his father's trade, eventually becoming a tinker. Bunyan underwent a profound spiritual awakening that prompted him to join a Puritan church in Bedford. His conversion was a deeply personal and tumultuous experience, marked by intense spiritual struggles that he later chronicled in his autobiographical work, Grace that Comes to the Greatest of Sinners. During the Restoration period, when Charles II ascended the throne, religious freedom was restricted for Puritans like Bunyan. Bunyan was arrested for preaching without a license, in defiance of the practices of the Church of England. His refusal to cease preaching resulted in a twelve-year incarceration in Bedford Prison. During this period, he composed "The Pilgrimage to Blessed Eternity" and other works.
The Pilgrims Progress: Published in 1678, is an allegory of the Christian life, depicted as a journey from the “City of Destruction” to the “Heavenly Jerusalem”. The protagonist, Christian, encounters various characters and obstacles that symbolize the spiritual challenges of real life. The vivid images, simple narrative style and profound theological insights made the book very popular; it has been translated into more than 200 languages to date. After his release, Bunyan continued to preach and write. He became pastor of the Bedford Church. His later works include “The Life and Death of Mr. Badman” and “The Holy War”, but none achieved the fame of “The Pilgrim's Progress”.
The legacy of John Bunyan is twofold: firstly, he made a significant contribution to the field of Christian literature; secondly, he provides an exemplar of unwavering faith in the face of persecution. His works serve as a source of inspiration for Christians around the globe, emphasizing the personal journey of faith, the struggle against sin, and the hope of salvation. These are concerns that persist in the present era, as they did in centuries past.
Through his popular style, he made more complex theological teachings accessible to ordinary people and influenced both religious thought and English literature. “The pilgrimage to blessed eternity” or ‘The pilgrims progess’ is definitely a book that I can recommend to every Christian. Bunyan writes the following about Luther:
“At some point, God, who knows us completely, gave me a book by Martin Luther - it was his commentary on Galatians. It was so old that it threatened to fall apart at the slightest touch. I was so glad that such an old book had fallen into my hands! As I began to read it, I realized that his experiences were so similar to mine that it was as if the book had been written from my own heart. I marveled at this - this man could not have known what it would be like to live today as he had done so long ago!”
There were just over 150 years between the two. And yet a lot has happened in that time. It's amazing how quickly the world can change. Bunyan died today, on August 31, 1688.