Research Paper On John Bunyan

John Bunyan is known for writing books about religion and God’s saving grace, but in his earlier life, he was not always a great man of God. In his autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, he says many things about his time of ungodliness such as, “I had but few equals for cursing, swearing, lying, and blaspheming the holy name of God… They became a sort of second nature to me… This offended the Lord so much that even in my childhood he scared me with fearful dreams and visions” (Bunyan 8). John describes himself as being “filled with all unrighteousness.”(Bunyan 8). He grew up as a member of the Anglican Church, but around 1650, he started a gradual conversion to Puritanism, which lasted until around 1655. Bunyan talks about

Roger Sharrock describes his writings by saying, “His handling of language, colloquial or Biblical, is that of an accomplished artist” (Sharrock). Bunyan wrote only to celebrate his religion and to convert others. He was schooled to hate the fancy styles of writing. He used traditional style in his sermons, treatises, and spiritual expositions (Sharrock). His first work that got published was written in 1657, and was called, “Some Gospel Truths Opened.” He wrote and published three books all before he was placed in prison. These books include: Vindication of the Gospel Truths, written in 1657, A Few Insights from Hell, written in 1658, and A Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded, Written in 1659. While he was in prison he wrote many more books that are more commonly known today. He wrote A Discourse Touching Prayer in 1663, One Thing is Needful in 1664, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners in 1666, Christian Behavior in 1674, The Straight Gate in 1676, and in February of 1678 he wrote his most popular book The Pilgrim’s Progress

In many religious groups, Pilgrim’s Progress’ importance is second only to the Bible. Bunyan wrote this book in two parts, the first during his imprisonment in 1676, and the second in 1684 after he was released from prison (“John Bunyan”). The first part was published by Nathanial Ponder in 1678 (Sharrock, Roger). These two parts of Pilgrim’s Progress were combined into one volume in 1728. Pilgrim’s Progress is the most successful allegory ever written (“John Bunyan”). It is an allegory of Bunyan’s own conversion; even the voices and demons of the valley of the shadow of death are direct representations of his neurotic fears during his own conversion (Sharrock). It is about a man named Christian. It gives an account of his journey to the Celestial City and the struggles and tribulations he encounters on his way there. All of the struggles he faces are direct representations of struggles that any Christian could face on their way to heave. It has been said of Pilgrim’s Progress that “Nothing illustrates better the profound symbolic truth to this noted work than its continuing ability, even in translation, to evoke responses in readers belonging to widely separated cultural traditions”