The Pilgrim's Progress

A great moral allegory by John Bunyan, written while in Bedford prison for his non-conformist beliefs in about 1667-72, and published in 1678. A second part, written after his release, appeared in 1684.

It is the tale of Christian, who is persuaded by Evangelist to abandon his everyday life and seek the light. He encounters many obstacles, such as the Slough of Despond, Mr Worldly-Wiseman, the Vanity Fair, and the monstrous Apollyon. The second part concerns the travails of his wife Christina on a similar pilgrimage.

It is all delivered in the similitude of a dream.

In the early 16^th century, Henry VIII broke ties with the Roman Catholic Church and formed the Church of England, for which he was head religious authority. During his reign, Henry VIII mandated that all English citizens pay him tithes and belong to and worship only in his church. This continued throughout the reigns of a series of Henry VIII's successors. Many English citizens grew dissatisfied with the corruption and called for a change and a restoration of purity in the church that they once found in the Bible. These people who yearned for the essentials of Christianity were called the Puritans.

In 1678 John Bunyan wrote Part I of The Pilgrim's Progress with this Puritan zeal while imprisoned for refusing to recognize the Church of England as his own. Six years later he wrote Part II. While the story is an evangelical Christian allegory written with strong religious views for theological purposes, it offers remarkable insight into human vices and virtues by personifying them as living and speaking particular individuals. Bunyan does so by stripping away particularities and illustrating one-dimensional characters in a style simple enough for a broad audience in that age. Even if readers cannot relate to the ideas within The Pilgrim's Progress, it has historic value in signifying the condition of religion at that place and time.

The following is a combined effort between Laura Elizabeth and myself. She has gracefully taken on completing the rest of the book from Vanity Fair onward.

THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS
FROM THIS WORLD
TO THAT WHICH IS TO COME;
DELIVERED UNDER THE SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM.

BY JOHN BUNYAN

Author's Apology for his Book

PART I

• THE FIRST STAGE
• Christian's deplorable condition
• Evangelist directs him
• Obstinate and Pliable
• Slough of Despond
• The Promises
• Worldly Wiseman
• Mount Sinai
• Conversation with Evangelist
• THE SECOND STAGE
• The Gate
• Conversation with Good-will
• The Interpreter's House
• He is entertained
• The sights there shown him
• THE THIRD STAGE
• Loses his burden at the Cross
• Simple, Sloth, Presumption, Formalist, and Hypocrisy
• Hill Difficulty
• The Arbor, Mistrust and Timorous, Misses his roll
• The Palace Beautiful
• The Lions
• Discretion, Piety, Prudence, and Charity
• Wonders shown to Christian
• Christian is armed
• THE FOURTH STAGE
• Valley of Humiliation
• Conflict with Apollyon
• Valley of the Shadow of Death
• Giants Pope and Pagan
• THE FIFTH STAGE
• Discourse with Faithful
• Talkative and Faithful
• Talkative's Character
• THE SIXTH STAGE
• Evangelist overtakes Christian and Faithful
• Vanity Fair
• Pilgrims brought to trial
• Faithful's martyrdom
• THE SEVENTH STAGE
• Christian and Hopeful
• By-ends and his companions
• Plain of Ease
• Lucre-hill
• Demas
• The River of Life
• Vain
• Confidence
• Giant Despair
• The Pilgrims beaten
• The Dungeon
• The Key of Promise
• THE EIGHTH STAGE
• The Delectable Mountains
• Entertained by the Shepherds
• A by-way to Hell
• THE NINTH STAGE
• Christian and Hopeful meet Ignorance
• Turn-away
• Little-Faith
• The Flatterer
• The net
• Chastised by a Shining One
• Atheist
• Enchanted Ground
• Hopeful's account of his conversation
• Discourse of Christian and Ignorance
• THE TENTH STAGE
• Talk of Christian and Hopeful
• Temporary
• The backslider
• The land of Beulah
• Christian and Hopeful pass the river
• Welcome to the Celestial City
• Conclusion of Part I

____________________________________

Author's Apology for the Second Book
Pilgrimage of Christiana and her children

PART II

• THE FIRST STAGE
• THE SECOND STAGE
• THE THIRD STAGE
• THE FOURTH STAGE
• THE FIFTH STAGE
• THE SIXTH STAGE
• THE SEVENTH STAGE
• THE EIGHTH STAGE