Mccclxv - The Pilgrims Progress

Путешествие Пилигрима
The Pilgrim's Progress
http://stihi.ru/avtor/nobfly
http://stihi.ru/2026/02/07/676
http://stihi.ru/2025/09/08/1529
MCCCLXV - 1365 DAYS AA 0t0
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Тропа в лесу, ведущая в овраг 
По ней бредут устало пилигримы 
В овраге, затаился общий враг 
Над ним, летают тихо серафимы 

Лицо врага отмечено стрелой 
В глазах тоска и ноша под ногами 
А пилигримы вскрыв культурный слой 
Тропу топтали гневно сапогами 

Под пенье серафимов у огня 
Подбрасывает враг в костёр, поленья 
Подобный враг преследовал меня 
Ведя меня лесной тропой в растленье 

Об этом знает каждый пилигрим 
Вложивший в яму черепа и кости 
Он будет серафимами, храним 
В культурный слой вонзив остриё трости

....

A path in the forest leading to a ravine
The pilgrims wander wearily along it
A common enemy lurks in the ravine
Above him, seraphim fly quietly

The enemy's face is marked with an arrow
There is longing in my eyes and a burden under my feet
And the pilgrims reveal the cultural layer
The path was trampled angrily by boots

Under the singing of the seraphim by the fire
The enemy throws logs into the campfire
A similar enemy was chasing me
Leading me down a forest path into corruption

Every pilgrim knows about this.
Who put skulls and bones in the pit
He will be cherished by the seraphim.
By thrusting the tip of a cane into the cultural layer

....

Путешествие Пилигрима
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/
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«Путешествие Пилигрима в Небесную Страну» (англ. The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come, букв. «Движение Пилигрима из этого мира в грядущий мир»), написанное английским писателем и проповедником Джоном Беньяном — одно из наиболее значительных произведений английской религиозной литературы[1]. Первая часть была написана автором, когда он находился за свою религиозную деятельность в тюрьме, и опубликована в 1678 году. Вторая часть создана в 1684 году и опубликована в 1688 году. Уже при жизни автора первая часть выдержала 11 изданий общим тиражом более 100 000 экземпляров.
Путешествие Пилигрима
The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come

издание 1678 года
Жанр
аллегория
Автор
Джон Беньян
Язык оригинала
английский
Дата написания
1678—1688
Дата первой публикации
1678—1688

 Текст произведения в Викитеке

 Медиафайлы на Викискладе
Полное оригинальное название произведения: «Путешествие пилигрима из этого мира в тот, который должен прийти» (англ. The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come), однако в русском языке после перевода текста в второй половине XIX века традиционным является именование «Путешествие Пилигрима в Небесную Страну». В качестве автора перевода указывается «Ю. Д. З.» — это Юлия Денисовна Засецкая, дочь Дениса Давыдова, которая под влиянием лорда Редстока перешла в протестантизм[2]. На русском языке книга была впервые издана Обществом поощрения духовно-нравственного чтения, впоследствии многократно переиздавалась.

Сюжет

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В узилище благочестивому узнику было явлено видение о человеке по имени Христианин, который, прозрев благодаря Книге о грядущей гибели своего града Гибель, отправился в путь, не ведая точной дороги.
Оставив насмехающихся домочадцев, Христианин встретил Евангелиста, указавшего ему на Тесные врата. Его попутчики, Упрямый и Сговорчивый, вскоре оставили его, не выдержав испытаний. Совет Мирского Мудреца свернуть в селение Благонравие едва не сбил его с пути, но Евангелист вновь наставил его, и путник достиг Тесных врат, где был впущен Привратником.
За вратами Христианину открылся прямой, но узкий путь, предстоящий всем праведникам. На своём трудном маршруте он обрёл духовное просветление в доме Толкователя, где ему разъяснили смысл ключевых истин. Кульминацией этой части странствия стал холм с Крестом, где бремя его грехов упало с плеч, а сам он был облачён ангелами в новые одежды и получил ключ Обетования со свитком для входа в Небесный Град. В пути ему встречались лжепилигримы, подобные Формалисту и Лицемеру, которые, избрав лёгкие обходные тропы, погибли.
Дальнейшее путешествие было наполнено смертельными опасностями: схватка с ангелом бездны Аполлионом в долине Унижения, переход через мрачную долину Смертной Тени и встреча с Верным, ставшим его верным спутником. В городе Суета, где царила греховная ярмарка, они были осуждены неправедным судом; Верный принял мученическую кончину, а Христианину удалось бежать. Вместе с новым спутником, Уповающим, он едва не погиб в замке великана Отчаяния, но смог освободиться с помощью ключа Обетования.
На последнем отрезке пути, направляемые пастухами Отрадных гор, путники всё же попали в ловушку Соблазнителя, откуда их спас Ангел. Наконец, достигнув реки, символизирующей смерть, Христианин, преодолев ужас и сомнения, перешёл её и был с ликованием принят в Небесный Град.
Во второй части книги Христианин созерцает судьбу своей жены, Христианы, которая, осознав свою ошибку, последовала за мужем. Пройдя тот же трудный путь со своими детьми и спутницей Любовью и преодолев все испытания с помощью проводника, она также удостоилась войти в обитель вечной жизни.

Основные персонажи

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Первая часть

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Евангелист указывает путь Христианину к Тесным Вратам
* Христианин / Christian — главный герой книги
* Евангелист / Evangelist — указывает Христианину путь к Тесным Вратам, затем после встречи с Мирским Мудрецом вновь направляет его на верный путь
* Упрямый / Obstinate — житель Города Разрушения, практически сразу покидает Христианина
* Сговорчивый / Pliable — житель Города Разрушения. Воодушевлённый, некоторое время идёт с Христианином, но из Топи Уныния возвращается назад
* Помощь / Help — помогает выбраться Христианину из Топи Уныния
* Мирской мудрец / Mr Wordly Wiseman — указывает Христианину ложный путь
* Благоволение / Goodwill — Привратник Тесных Врат.
* Вельзевул / Beelzebub — он (демон) и его приспешники стреляют в тех, кто стоит у Врат.
* Истолкователь / The Interpreter — наставляющий паломников, которые останавливаются в его доме («Доме Истолкователя»), как правильно вести христианскую жизнь. Он ассоциируется со Святым Духом.
* Лучезарные существа / Shining Ones — являются у Креста. Де-факто — ангелы.
* Формалист / Formalist и Лицемер / Hypocrisy — пытаются уговорить Христианина вступить на неверный путь.
* Робкий / Timorous и Недоверчивый / Mistrust — пытаются отговорить Христианина от посещения Украшенного Чертога
* Хранитель / Watchful — привратник Украшенного Чертога
* Аполлион / Apollyon — встречается с Христианином в Долине Уничижения и пытается заставить его вернуться
* Верный / Faithful — добрый спутник Христианина. Мученически погибает в городе Суета.
* Краснобай / Talkative — случайный попутчик Христианина. Готов болтать на любую тему.
* Уповающий / Hopeful — житель города Суета, становящийся новым спутником Христианина
* Из-Выгод / Mr. By-Ends — лицемер, пытающийся свести веру к получению мирских богатств
* Великан Отчаяния / Giant Despair — хозяин Замка Сомнения. Терзал пилигримов, пытаясь довести их до самоубийства
* Великанша Недоверчивость / Giantess Diffidence — жена Отчаяния. Давала советы мужу, как больше досадить своим жертвам
Вторая часть

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* Благочестие / Prudence

Места

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Схема путешествия Пилигрима (из издания 1778 года)
* Город разрушения / City of Destruction
* Топь уныния / Slough of Despond
* Гора Синай / Mount Sinai
* Тесные Врата / Wicket Gate
* Дом Истолкователя / House of the Interpreter
* Крест / Cross and Sepulchre
* Горы Затруднения / Hill Difficulty
* Украшенный Чертог / House Beautiful
* Долина Уничижения / Valley of Humiliation
* Долина Смертной Тени / Valley of the Shadow of Death
* Ярмарка Суеты / Vanity Fair
* Серебряная Руда / Hill Lucre
* Соляной столб / The Pillar of Salt,
* Река Божия или Река Воды Жизни / River of God or River of the Water of Life
* Замок Сомнения / Doubting Castle
* Отрадные горы / The Delectable Mountains
* Очарованная страна / The Enchanted Ground
* Страна Сочетания / The Land of Beulah
* Река Смерти / The River of Death
* Небесный Град / The Celestial City

Культурное влияние

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Уильям Блейк. Христианин борется с Аполлионом (ок. 1824-27)
Английская литература

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Названия нескольких произведений на английском языке имеют явные параллели с текстом Беньяна:
* Роман Чарльза Диккенса «Приключения Оливера Твиста» имеет подзаголовок the Parish Boy’s Progress.
* В качестве названия романа Уильяма Теккерея«Ярмарка тщеславия» использовано одно из мест, описанных в аллегории.
* Книга Марка Твена The Innocents Abroad имеет подзаголовок The New Pilgrims' Progress(«Простаки за границей, или Путь новых паломников»).
* Первая литературная работа Клайва Льюисаназывается Возвращение Пилигрима (англ. The Pilgrim's Regress).
* В повести Лоис Макмастер Буджолд «Границы бесконечности» небольшой отрывок The Pilgrims' Progress используется в качестве пророчества.
* В романе Луизы Мэй Олкотт «Маленькие женщины» главные героини играют в Пилигримов и очень подробно упоминают и переосмысливают эту игру. Её сюжет основан на религиозно-дидактической поэме Дж. Буньяна.
Русская литература

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В 1835 году Александр Сергеевич Пушкинсоздал стихотворение «Странник», представляющее собой рифмованное изложение первой главы текста. Это стихотворение традиционно используется перед основным текстом в русских изданиях аллегории.
В 1902 году был опубликован (вначале нелегально) гимн И. С. Проханова «Порочный город суетной…» (см. в Викитеке) из 11 куплетов с припевом, являющийся кратким изложением «Путешествия Пилигрима». Гимн неоднократно переиздавался.
Экранизации

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* 1912 Pilgrim’s Progress — режиссёр Уорнер Оулэнд
* 1979 Pilgrim’s Progress — режиссёр Кен Андерсон
* 2005 Pilgrim’s Progress — режиссёр Скотт Коутон
* 2008 Путешествие Пилигрима — режиссёр Дэнни Карралес
* 2019 Путешествие Пилигрима — режиссёр Роберт Фернандез

Изобразительное искусство

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* Группа американских художников во главе с Эдвардом Харрисоном Мэем создала в 1848 году панораму «Путешествие Пилигрима в Небесную Страну», которую перевозили из одного города в другой и демонстрировали публике.
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Примечания

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1.  «The two parts of The Pilgrim’s Progress in reality constitute a whole, and the whole is, without doubt, the most influential religious book ever written in the English language» (Alexander M. Witherspoon in his introduction, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress, (New York: Pocket Books, Inc., 1957), vi.; cf. also John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress, W.R. Owens, ed., Oxford World’s Classics, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003), xiii; Abby Sage Richardson, Familiar Talks on English Literature: A Manual (Chicago, A.C. McClurg and Co., 1892), 221; «For two hundred years or more no other English book was so generally known and read» (James Baldwin in his foreward, James Baldwin, John Bunyan’s Dream Story, (New York: American Book Company, 1913), 6).
2.  Евангельское возрождение в императорском Петербурге. Дата обращения: 21 июля 2010. Архивировано из оригинала 14 декабря 2010 года.
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Последний раз редактировалась 25 дней назад участником Noahhjj

СВЯЗАННЫЕ СТРАНИЦЫ
* ;Беньян, Джон;английский писатель, баптистский проповедник
* ;Путешествие Пилигрима (фильм);
* ;Мэй, Эдвард Харрисон;

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* Если не указано иное, содержание доступно по лицензии CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Беньян, Джон
https://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=,_&wprov=rarw1
* Статья Обсуждение
* ;Язык;;Следить;;Править

Стабильная версия страницы проверена 16 июля 2025.
В Википедии есть статьи о других людях с фамилией Баньян.
Джон Беньян[5] (англ. John Bunyan; 1628, — 31 августа 1688) — английский писатель, баптистский проповедник.
Джон Беньян

Портрет работы Томаса Сэдлера, 1684
Дата рождения
28 ноября 1628[1]
Место рождения
* Элстоу[вд], Бедфорд, Бедфордшир, Англия[4][2]
Дата смерти
31 августа 1688[2][3][…](59 лет)
Место смерти
* Лондон, Королевство Англия
Место погребения
* Bunhill Fields Burial Ground[вд]
Гражданство (подданство)
*
*  Королевство Англия
Образование
* Бедфордская школа[вд]
Род деятельности
богослов, писатель, проповедник, романист, tinker
Жанр
аллегория
Язык произведений
английский
Автограф


 Произведения в Викитеке

 Медиафайлы на Викискладе

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Почитается церквями Англиканского сообщества, память 29 августа (Церковь Англии), 30 августа (Епископальная церковь США) или 31 августа.

Биография

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Джон Баньян родился в ноябре 1628 года (крещён 30 ноября по юлианскому календарю, дата рождения 28 ноября предположительна)[6]в местечке Хэрроуден (в миле к юго-востоку от Бедфорда), округа Элстоу в семье Томаса Баньяна и Маргарет Бентли; Маргарет была из Элстоу, и, так же как и муж, родилась в 1603 году. Они поженились 27 мая 1627 года, а в 1628 году сестра Маргарет, Роуз Бентли, вышла замуж за Эдварда Баньяна, единокровного брата Томаса. (Томас женился первый раз в 1623, и, так же как и его отец, женился ещё два раза). Они были людьми рабочего класса; Томас работал жестянщиком или медником, то есть чинил чайники и котлы[7]. О своих скромных корнях Баньян писал: «Моё происхождение — из поколения низкого и ничтожного, дом моего отца — самый убогий и презренный среди всех семей страны».[8]

Учился Баньян совсем немного (2-4 года). Учился в доме своего отца, вместе с другими бедными сельскими мальчишками, и тот факт, что образования получил совсем мало, был выгодным для его отца и его будущей торговли. Он последовал отцу, торгуя жестяными изделиями, что в то время считалось занятием низким и исторически ассоциировалось с кочевым образом жизни цыган.
В 1644 году, в возрасте 16 лет, Баньян потерял мать и двух сестёр, а его отец женился в третий раз. Возможно, именно приезд мачехи привёл к его отчуждению и последующему вступлению в ряды парламентской армии. Служил в гарнизоне Ньюпорт Пэгнелл (1644—1647), когда гражданская война подходила к концу первого этапа. От смерти его спас товарищ по оружию, который вызвался в бой вместо него и был убит, неся караульную службу.
Когда гражданскую войну выиграли сторонники парламента, Баньян вернулся к своему старому занятию, то есть торговле, и со временем встретил свою жену. В 1649 году (когда ему было около 21 года), он женился на молодой девушке, Мэри, единственное приданое которой составляли две книги: «Путь в рай простого человека» Артура Дента и «Практика благочестия» Льюиса Бейли, которые повлияли на него, склоняя к набожному образу жизни. Мэри была сиротой, в наследство от отца ей достались лишь эти две книги, и, мягко выражаясь, они вели скромную жизнь. Баньян писал, что они были «настолько бедны, насколько бедными вообще можно быть», и что «у них не было ни чашки, ни ложки».
В своей автобиографической книге «Милость Божья» Баньян описывает, как он вёл распутную жизнь в молодости, как порицали отсутствие морали в нём. Тем не менее, кажется, нет свидетельств тому, что внешне он был хуже, чем его обычные соседи.
Примерами грехов, в которых он сознаётся в «Милости Божьей», являются богохульство, танцы. Растущее осознание своей аморальной и небиблейской жизни привело к тому, что он задумался над нечестивостью и богохульством, в особенности он был обеспокоен «непростительными грехами» и убеждением, что он уже совершал их. Он был отъявленным богохульником, и даже самые искусные похабники говорили, что Баньян был «самым безбожным сквернословом, которого они когда-либо видели». Баньян говорил, что во время игры в чижика на сельской площади он услышал голос, который спросил: «Ты отречёшься от своих грехов и попадешь в рай, или продолжишь грешить и попадёшь в ад?» Он понял, что это был голос Божий, недовольный тем, чем занимался Баньян, так как пуритане считали Воскресенье священным днём и не разрешали никаких игр в этот день. Баньян духовно возродился и боролся как с чувством своей вины и неуверенности в себе, так и со своей верой в библейское обещание осуждения на вечные муки и спасения христиан.
Борясь со своей недавно обретённой верой, Баньян становился всё более и более подавленным, что привело к психическому и физическому расстройству. В этот период своей борьбы Баньян начал свою четырёхлетнюю дискуссию и странствие с несколькими бедными женщинами — членами диссидентской религиозной группы, которые посещали церковь Святого Иоанна. Всё больше и больше Баньян сравнивал себя со Святым Павлом, который называл себя «главой всех грешников», и верил, что он принадлежит к духовной элите, избранной Господом. Баньяна крестили, и он стал членом баптистской церкви Бедфорда в 1653 году. Вступив в церковь Бедфорда, Баньян начал следовать учениям своего пастора, Джона Гиффорда.
Баньян был открыт для всех обладающих библейской верой в Иисуса Христа и борющихся с теми, кто вызывал разногласия по вопросу времени и формы крещения. Первое письменное подтверждение того, что Баньян был баптистом, появляется гораздо позже, предположительно около 1690 года, уже после смерти Баньяна. Остались церковные записи крещения Джона-младенца в 1628 году, а также крещения его новорождённых детей: Мэри в 1650, Элизабет в 1654 и Джозефа в 1672 году. Баньян снова утверждает, что слышал голоса и что у него были видения, так же как и у Святой Терезы и Уильяма Блейка. Ещё в Элстоу Мэри родила слепую дочь, также названную Мэри, и вторую дочь, Элизабет, вскоре после которых родилось ещё двое, Джозеф и Томас. В 1655 году, после переезда в Бедфорд, умерли и его жена, и его наставник Джон Гиффорд. Баньян был убит горем, и его здоровье сильно пошатнулось, хотя в том же 1655 году он стал диаконом церкви Святого Павла в Бедфорде и начал с успехом проповедовать.
Баньян был крайне не согласен с учениями квакеров и в 1657—1658 годах принял участие в письменных дебатах с некоторыми из их лидеров. Сначала Баньян опубликовал «Некие Открытые Святые Истины», где он резко критикует убеждения квакеров. Квакер Эдвард Бурроу ответил ему «Истинной Верой в Учение Мира». Баньян встретил памфлет Бурроу «Доказательством Неких Открытых Святых Истин», на что Бурроу ответил «Правдой (Наисильнейшей из Всего), Свидетельствующей Далее». Позже лидер квакеров Джордж Фоксвступил в словесную перепалку с Баньяном, опубликовав опровержение его эссе «Раскрытая Великая Тайна Великой Блудницы». Бедфордские баптисты были умеренными в своих взглядах, они считались более либеральными в отношении церковного управления, чем пресвитериане, и более консервативными в вопросах церковных догматов, чем такие антиномийские секты, как квакеры. Баньян критиковал квакеров за их уверенность в своём собственном «внутреннем свете», а не в буквальном слове Библии. Пуритане были старательными биографами своей собственной духовной жизни и пытались найти свидетельства религиозного значения как в собственной жизни, так и в литературе.

Тюремные заключения

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Популярность и известность Баньяна росли, и он становился всё более и более излюбленной целью для клеветы и злословия; его обвиняли в том, что он «колдун, иезуит, разбойник» и что у него есть любовницы и множество жён. В 1658 году, в возрасте 30 лет, его арестовали за проповедь в местечке Итон Сокон и обвинили в проповедовании без лицензии. Несмотря на это, он продолжал проповедовать до ноября 1660 года, когда его посадили в окружную тюрьму на Силвер Стрит в Бедфорде. Баньян женился во второй раз на Элизабет, с которой у него было ещё двое детей, Сара и Джозеф. В том же самом году, с Реставрацией монархии Карлом II, началось преследование Баньяна, так как страна вернулась к англиканству. Молитвенные дома были закрыты, и все граждане должны были посещать англиканские приходские церкви. Наказуемым законом стало «проведение святых богослужений в несоответствии с ритуалами церкви или не по распоряжению Епископа на обращение к пастве». Баньян больше не мог свободно проповедовать; он лишился права, которым пользовался во время Пуританской Республики, и 12 ноября 1660 года его арестовали во время частной проповеди в Нижнем Самселле, к югу от Бедфорда.

Джон Баньян
Его лишили свободы сначала на три месяца, но так как он отказался адаптировать свои проповеди к англиканским нормам или вовсе бросить проповедование, этот срок был увеличен примерно до двенадцати месяцев. У прокурора Баньяна, Мистера Вингейта, не было желания посадить Баньяна в тюрьму, но абсолютное неприятие Баньяном предложений и его убеждённость «Если вы меня сегодня освободите, то уже завтра я буду читать проповеди», не оставили Вингейту выбора. В январе 1661 года его посадили в тюрьму за упорное нежелание посещать обязательные службы в англиканских церквях и за проповедование на незаконных собраниях. В это время у него появилась идея написания романа-аллегории «Путешествие Пилигрима» (хотя многие исследователи считают, что он начал это произведение во время второго и более короткого тюремного заключения 1675 года, о котором говорится ниже). Жена Баньяна Элизабет тщетно пыталась добиться его освобождения, но его твёрдое неприятие законов и решимость проповедовать ждущей его пастве мешали этому. Во время заключения были и периоды относительной свободы, когда нестрогие тюремные надзиратели позволяли Баньяну посещать церковные собрания и вести богослужения.
В 1666 году Баньяна ненадолго освободили, буквально на несколько недель, перед тем как снова арестовали за чтение проповедей и отправили обратно в тюрьму Бедфорда ещё на шесть лет. В этот период он плетёт шнурки и проповедует шести заключённым прихожанам, чтобы поддержать свою семью. Его имущество составляли две книги, «Книга Мучеников» Джона Фокса и Библия, жестяная скрипка, флейта, которую он сделал из ножки стула, и неограниченное количество перьев и бумаги. И музыка, и желание писать были неотъемлемыми составляющими его пуританской веры. Баньяна освободили в январе 1672 года, когда Карл IIиздал Декларацию Веротерпимости. В тот же месяц Баньян стал пастором церкви Святого Павла. 9 мая 1679 года он получил одну из первых лицензий на проповедование в рамках нового закона. Он построил новый молитвенный дом, сформировал из своих выживших прихожан диссидентскую общину и увеличил число своей паствы в Бедфорде до четырёх тысяч христиан. Он основал более тридцати религиозных общин, и его прихожане дали ему ласковый титул «Епископ Баньян».
В марте 1675 года Баньяна опять посадили в тюрьму за проповедование (так как Карл II отменил действие Декларации Веротерпимости), в этот раз его посадили в городскую тюрьму Бедфорда, которая находилась на каменном мосту через реку Уз. Как ни странно, именно квакеры добились освобождения Баньяна. Когда король попросил лист с фамилиями для помилования, они дали и имя Баньяна, как члена их общины. Через шесть месяцев он был свободен, и, так как он был очень популярен, его больше не арестовывали. В это время говорили, что Баньян одевался как бродяга, с палкой в руке, когда он посещал свои различные приходы, чтобы избежать очередного ареста. Когда король Яков IIпредложил Баньяну следить за соблюдением королевских интересов в Бедфорде, он отказался, так как король не захотел отменить пытки и законы, которые использовались для преследования диссидентов. В 1688 году он служил священником у лорд-мэра Лондона, Сэра Джона Шортера.
Баньян умер до того, как Яков II отрёкся от престола, то есть до начала «Славной Революции». Во время поездки из Лондона в Рединг, чтобы разрешить ссору между отцом и сыном, он простудился и слёг с лихорадкой. Он умер в доме своего друга Джона Струдвика, торговца бакалеей и свечами, 31 августа 1688 года. Могила Баньяна находится на кладбище Банхилл Филдс в Лондоне. Предсмертной волей многих пуритан, для которых поклонение могилам и мощам считалось страшным грехом, стало желание, чтобы их похоронили как можно ближе к могиле Баньяна. В 1682 году была создана лежачая статуя, которая украсила могилу Баньяна. Писатель покоится рядом с другими выдающимися диссидентами, в том числе рядом с Джорджем Фоксом, Уильямом Блэйком и Даниэлем Дефо.

Путешествие Пилигрима

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Баньян написал «Путешествие Пилигрима» (также переводится «Путь Паломника») в двух частях, первая из которых была опубликована в Лондоне в 1678 году, и вторая — в 1684 году. Он начал работу над этим произведением во время своего первого тюремного заключения и закончил, возможно, в период второго заключения. Самое первое издание, в котором две части были объединены, вышло в 1728 году. Третья часть, ошибочно приписанная Баньяну, появилась в 1693 году и была переиздана в 1852 году. Полное название — «Путешествие Пилигрима из Этого Мира в Тот, Который Должен Прийти».
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«Путешествие Пилигрима» — вероятно, одна из самых широко известных аллегорий, когда-либо написанных; книга переведена на многие языки. Протестантские миссионеры часто переводили эту книгу как вторую после Библии.

Памятник Джону Баньяну
Две другие успешные работы Баньяна менее известны — это «Жизнь и Смерть Мистера Бэдмэна» (1680), воображаемая биография, и «Духовная война» (1682), аллегория. Третья книга, раскрывающая внутренний мир Баньяна и подготовку к предназначенной ему миссии, — «Милость Божья, сошедшая на главного грешника». Это классический пример духовной автобиографии, то есть Баньян сосредотачивается на своём собственном духовном пути. Поводом для написания этой работы было желание открыто восхвалить христианскую концепцию милости и обнадёжить тех, кто проходит через то же самое, через что прошёл и сам Баньян.
Перечисленные выше работы появлялись в многочисленных изданиях. Существует несколько заслуживающих особого внимания коллекций изданий «Путешествия Пилигрима», например, в Британском Музее и в Нью-Йоркской Публичной Библиотеке, собранные Джеймсом Леноксом.
Баньян стал как известным проповедником, так и плодовитым автором, хотя большинство его работ состоят из распространённых проповедей и поучений. Несмотря на то, что Баньян был баптистским проповедником, по своим религиозным взглядам он был пуританином. Портрет писателя, написанный его другом Робертом Уайтом, который часто репродуцировали, показывает привлекательность истинного характера Баньяна. Он был высоким, с рыжеватыми волосами, довольно большим носом и ртом и сверкающими глазами.
Баньян не был учёным, но знал Священное Писание полностью. Огромное влияние на Баньяна оказали и труды Мартина Лютера.
Одно время «Путешествие Пилигрима» считалось самой читаемой книгой на английском языке, не считая Библии. Шарм этой работы, делающей её настолько привлекательной для читателя, заключается в том, что широкое воображение автора создаёт таких героев, такие события и сцены, которые представляются в воображении читателя как нечто такое, что он сам испытал, знает и помнит. Также работа полна доброты, нежности и необычного юмора, полна захватывающего дух красноречия и чистого, идиоматического английского. Маколей писал: «В Англии во второй половине 17-го века было только два ума, обладающих даром воображения самого высокого уровня. Один из этих умов создал „Потерянный Рай“, а второй — „Путешествие Пилигрима“».
Образы, использованные Баньяном в «Путешествии Пилигрима» — не что иное, как образы, взятые из действительного мира автора. Тесные Врата — версия ворот с калиткой в церкви Элстоу, Трясина Отчаяния — отражение влажного и топкого места недалеко от дома писателя в Харроудене, Отрадные Горы — образ Чилтернских Холмов, окружающих Бедфордшир. Даже за героями, например Евангелистом, прообразом которого был Джон Гиффорд, стояли реальные люди. Это паломничество было не только реальным для Баньяна, так как он прошёл через него, но его описание открывает эту действительность читателю. Редьярд Киплинг как-то сказал о Баньяне, что он — «отец романа, первый Дефо Спасения».
Всего Баньян написал около 60 произведений, среди которых «Духовная Война» занимает второе место после «Путешествия Пилигрима» по популярности.

Произведения

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* «Духовная война»
* «Путешествие пилигрима»
* «Христиана и её дети»
* «Христос — совершенный Спаситель»

Примечания

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1.  Резерфорд М. John Bunyan — 1904.
2.  Sharrock R. John Bunyan // Encyclop;dia Britannica (англ.)
3.  John Bunyan // Internet Speculative Fiction Database (англ.) — 1995.
4. 5.  Ермолович Д. И. Англо-русский словарь персоналий. — М.: Рус. яз., 1993. — 336 с. — С. 70
6.  Биография Джона Баньяна by White, William Hale
7.  Венгерова З. А. Бэниэн, Джон // Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона : в 86 т. (82 т. и 4 доп.). — СПб., 1890—1907.
8.  John Bunyan (1628-1688). Дата обращения: 15 мая 2020. Архивировано 4 августа 2020 года.

Ссылки

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Джон Буньян:
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* [www.lib.ru/HRISTIAN/BUNYAN/wojna.txt «Духовная война» на сайте Lib.ru]
* «Путешествие пилигрима» на сайте JesusChrist.ru
* Жизнь Джона Баньяна на сайте МИР-ВАМ.narod.ru
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Последний раз редактировалась 7 месяцев назад участником Alex NB OT

СВЯЗАННЫЕ СТРАНИЦЫ
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* Если не указано иное, содержание доступно по лицензии CC BY-SA 4.0.

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The Pilgrim's Progress
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pilgrim's_Progress
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For other uses, see Pilgrim's Progress (disambiguation).
The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come is a 1678 Christian allegorywritten by John Bunyan. It is commonly regarded as one of the most significant works of Protestant devotional literature and of wider early modern English literature.[1][2][3][4][5] It has been translated into more than 200 languages and has never been out of print.[6][7] It appeared in Dutch in 1681, in German in 1703 and in Swedish in 1727. The first North American edition was issued in 1681.[8] It has also been cited as the first novel written in English.[9] According to literary editor Robert McCrum, "there's no book in English, apart from the Bible, to equal Bunyan's masterpiece for the range of its readership, or its influence on writers as diverse as William Hogarth, C. S. Lewis, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, George Bernard Shaw, William Thackeray, Charlotte Bront;, Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and Enid Blyton."[10][11] The lyrics of the hymn "To be a Pilgrim" are based on the novel.
The Pilgrim's Progress
 

First edition title page
Author
John Bunyan
Original title
The Pilgrim's Progre;s from This World, to That Which Is to Come
Language
English
Genre
Religious allegory
Publication date
1678 (first volume)
1684 (second volume)
Publication place
England
Dewey Decimal
828.407
LC Class
PR3330.A2 K43
Text
The Pilgrim's Progress at Wikisource
Bunyan began his work while in the Bedfordshirecounty prison for violations of the Conventicle Act 1664, which prohibited the holding of religious services outside the auspices of the established Church of England. Early Bunyan scholars such as John Brown believed The Pilgrim's Progress was begun in Bunyan's second, shorter imprisonment for six months in 1675,[12] but more recent scholars such as Roger Sharrock believe that it was begun during Bunyan's initial, more lengthy imprisonment from 1660 to 1672 right after he had written his spiritual autobiography Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.[13]
The English text comprises 108,260 words and is divided into two parts, each reading as a continuous narrative with no chapter divisions. The first part was completed in 1677 and entered into the Stationers' Register on 22 December 1677. It was licensed and entered in the "Term Catalogue" on 18 February 1678, which is looked upon as the date of first publication.[14] After the first edition of the first part in 1678, an expanded edition, with additions written after Bunyan was freed, appeared in 1679. The Second Part appeared in 1684. There were eleven editions of the first part in John Bunyan's lifetime, published in successive years from 1678 to 1685 and in 1688, and there were two editions of the second part, published in 1684 and 1686.

Plot summary

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First Part

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The entire book is presented as a dream sequencenarrated by an omniscient narrator. The allegory's protagonist, Christian, is an everyman character, and the plot centres on his journey from his hometown, the "City of Destruction" ("this world"), to the "Celestial City" ("that which is to come": Heaven) atop Mount Zion. Christian is weighed down by a great burden—the knowledge of his sin—which he believed came from his reading "the book in his hand" (the Bible). This burden, which would cause him to sink into Hell, is so unbearable that Christian must seek deliverance. He meets Evangelist as he is walking out in the fields, who directs him to the "Wicket Gate" for deliverance. Since Christian cannot see the "Wicket Gate" in the distance, Evangelist directs him to go to a "shining light", which Christian thinks he sees.[15] Christian leaves his home, his wife, and children to save himself: he cannot persuade them to accompany him. Obstinate and Pliable go after Christian to bring him back, but Christian refuses. Obstinate returns disgusted, but Pliable is persuaded to go with Christian, hoping to take advantage of the Paradise that Christian claims lies at the end of his journey. Pliable's journey with Christian is cut short when the two of them fall into the Slough of Despond, a boggy mire-like swamp where pilgrims' doubts, fears, temptations, lusts, shames, guilts, and sins of their present condition of being a sinner are used to sink them into the mud of the swamp. It is there in that bog where Pliable abandons Christian after getting himself out. After struggling to the other side of the slough, Christian is pulled out by Help, who has heard his cries and tells him the swamp is made out of the decadence, scum, and filth of sin, but the ground is good at the narrow Wicket Gate.

Burdened Christian flees from home
On his way to the Wicket Gate, Christian is diverted by the secular ethics of Mr. Worldly Wiseman into seeking deliverance from his burden through the Law, supposedly with the help of a Mr. Legality and his son Civility in the village of Morality, rather than through Christ, allegorically by way of the Wicket Gate. Evangelist meets the wayward Christian as he stops before Mount Sinai on the way to Mr. Legality's home. It hangs over the road and threatens to crush any who would pass it; also the mountain flashes with fire. Evangelist exposes Worldly Wiseman, Legality, and Civility for the frauds they are: they would have the pilgrim leave the true path by trusting in his own good deeds to remove his burden. Evangelist directs Christian to return to the way to the Wicket Gate, and Christian complies.
At the Wicket Gate begins the "straight and narrow" King's Highway, and Christian is directed onto it by the gatekeeper Goodwill who saves him from Beelzebub's archers at Beelzebub's castle near the Wicket Gate and shows him the heavenly way he must go. In the Second Part, Goodwill is shown to be Jesus Himself.[16] To Christian's query about relief from his burden, Goodwill directs him forward to "the place of deliverance".[13][17]
Christian makes his way from there to the House of the Interpreter, where he is shown pictures and tableaux that portray or dramatize aspects of the Christian faith and life. Roger Sharrock denotes them "emblems".[13][18]
From the House of the Interpreter, Christian finally reaches the "place of deliverance" (allegorically, the cross of Calvary and the open sepulchre of Christ), where the "straps" that bound Christian's burden to him break, and it rolls away into the open sepulchre. This event happens relatively early in the narrative: the immediate need of Christian at the beginning of the story is quickly remedied. After Christian is relieved of his burden, he is greeted by three angels, who give him the greeting of peace, new garments, and a scroll as a passport into the Celestial City. Encouraged by all this, Christian happily continues his journey until he comes upon three men named Simple, Sloth, and Presumption. Christian tries to help them, but they disregard his advice. Before coming to the Hill of Difficulty, Christian meets two well-dressed men named Formality and Hypocrisy who prove to be false Christians that perish in the two dangerous bypasses near the hill, named Danger and Destruction. Christian falls asleep at the arbour above the hill and loses his scroll, forcing him to go back and get it. Near the top of the Hill of Difficulty, he meets two weak pilgrims named Mistrust and Timorous who tell him of the great lions of the Palace Beautiful. Christian fearfully avoids the lions through Watchful the porter who tells them that they are chained and put there to test the faith of pilgrims.
Atop the Hill of Difficulty, Christian makes his first stop for the night at the House of the Palace Beautiful, which is a place built by God for the refreshment of pilgrims and godly travellers. Christian spends three days here, and leaves clothed with the Armour of God (Eph. 6:11–18),[19]which stands him in good stead in his battle against the demonic dragon-like Apollyon (the lord and god of the City of Destruction) in the Valley of Humiliation. This battle lasts "over half a day" until Christian manages to wound and stab Apollyon with his two-edged sword (a reference to the Bible, Heb. 4:12).[20] "And with that Apollyon spread his dragon wings and sped away."

William Blake: Christian Reading in His Book (Plate 2, 1824–1827)
As night falls, Christian enters the fearful Valley of the Shadow of Death. When he is in the middle of the Valley amidst the gloom, terror, and demons, he hears the words of the Twenty-third Psalm, spoken possibly by his friend Faithful:
Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4.)
As he leaves this valley the sun rises on a new day.
Just outside the Valley of the Shadow of Death he meets Faithful, also a former resident of the City of Destruction, who accompanies him to Vanity Fair, a place built by Beelzebub where every thing to a human's taste, delight, and lust is sold daily, where both are arrested and detained because of their disdain for the wares and business of the Fair. Faithful is put on trial and executed by burning at the stake as a martyr. A celestial chariot then takes Faithful to the Celestial City, martyrdom being a shortcut there. Hopeful, a resident of Vanity Fair, takes Faithful's place to be Christian's companion for the rest of the way.
Christian and Hopeful then come to a hill called Lucre where there is a silver mine. A man called Demas urges them to join in the mining going on, but Christian sees through Demas's trickery and they avoid the mine. Afterward, a false pilgrim named By-Ends and his friends, who followed Christian and Hopeful only to take advantage of them, perish at the Hill Lucre, never to be seen or heard from again. On a rough, stony stretch of road, Christian and Hopeful leave the highway to travel on the easier By-Path Meadow, where a rainstorm forces them to spend the night. In the morning they are captured by Giant Despair, who is known for his savage cruelty, and his wife Diffidence; the pilgrims are taken to the Giant's Doubting Castle, where they are imprisoned, beaten and starved. The Giant and the Giantess want them to commit suicide, but they endure the ordeal until Christian realizes that a key he has, called Promise, will open all the doors and gates of Doubting Castle. Using the key and the Giant's vulnerability to sunlight, they escape.
The Delectable Mountains form the next stage of Christian and Hopeful's journey, where the shepherds show them some of the wonders of the place also known as "Immanuel's Land". The pilgrims are shown sights that strengthen their faith and warn them against sinning, like the Hill Error or the Mountain Caution. On Mount Clear, they are able to see the Celestial City through the shepherd's "perspective glass", i.e., a telescope. (This device is given to Mercy in the Second Part at her request.) The shepherds tell the pilgrims to beware of the Flatterer and to avoid the Enchanted Ground. Soon they come to a crossroad and a man dressed in white comes to help them. Thinking he is a "shining one" (angel), the pilgrims follow the man, but soon get stuck in a net and realize their so-called angelic guide was the Flatterer. A true shining one comes and frees them from the net. The Angel punishes them for following the Flatterer and then puts them back on the right path. The pilgrims meet an Atheist, who tells them Heaven and God do not exist, but Christian and Hopeful remember the shepherds and pay no attention to the man. Christian and Hopeful come to a place where a man named Wanton Professor is chained by the ropes of seven demons who take him to a shortcut to the Lake of Fire (Hell). This reminds them of a man named Little Faith, who had been mugged by thieves that stole his spending money and resulted in him having a hard life, although the thieves did not take Little Faith's scroll or his jewels, which he kept safe through his journey.
On the way, Christian and Hopeful meet a lad named Ignorance, who believes that he will be allowed into the Celestial City through his own good deeds rather than as a gift of God's grace. Christian and Hopeful meet up with him twice and try to persuade him to journey to the Celestial City in the right way. Ignorance persists in his own way that he thinks will lead him into Heaven. After getting over the River of Death on the ferry boat of Vain Hope without overcoming the hazards of wading across it, Ignorance appears before the gates of Celestial City without a passport, which he would have acquired had he gone into the King's Highway through the Wicket Gate. The Lord of the Celestial City orders the shining ones (angels) to take Ignorance to one of the byways of Hell and throw him in.
Christian and Hopeful, with deep discourse about the truth of their glorious salvation, manage to make it through the dangerous Enchanted Ground (a place where the air makes them sleepy and if they fall asleep, they never wake up) into the Land of Beulah, where they ready themselves to cross the dreaded River of Death on foot to Mount Zion and the Celestial City. Christian has a rough time of it because of his past sins wearing him down, but Hopeful helps him over, and they are welcomed into the Celestial City.
Second Part

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A Plan of the Road From the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, Adapted to The Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan, 1821.
The Second Part of The Pilgrim's Progress presents the pilgrimage of Christian's wife, Christiana, and their sons, and the maiden, Mercy. They visit the same stopping places that Christian visited, with the addition of Gaius' Inn between the Valley of the Shadow of Death and Vanity Fair, but they take a longer time in order to accommodate marriage and childbirth for the four sons and their wives. The hero of the story is Greatheart, a servant of the Interpreter, who is the pilgrims' guide to the Celestial City. He kills four giants called Giant Grim, Giant Maul, Giant Slay-Good, and Giant Despair and participates in the slaying of a monster called Legion that terrorizes the city of Vanity Fair.
When Christiana's party leaves Gaius's Inn and Mr. Feeble-Mind lingers in order to be left behind, he is encouraged to accompany the party by Greatheart. Christiana, Matthew, Samuel, Joseph, James, Mercy, Greatheart, Old Mr. Honest, Mr. Feeble-Mind, Mr. Ready-To-Halt, Phoebe, Grace, and Martha come to Bypath-Meadow and, after much fight and difficulty, slay the cruel Giant Despair and the wicked Giantess Diffidence, and demolish Doubting Castle for Christian and Hopeful who were oppressed there. They free a pale man named Mr. Despondency and his daughter named Much-Afraid from the castle's dungeons.
When the pilgrims end up in the Land of Beulah, they cross over the River of Death by appointment. As a matter of importance to Christians of Bunyan's persuasion reflected in the narrative of The Pilgrim's Progress, the last words of the pilgrims as they cross over the River of Death are recorded. The four sons of Christian and their families do not cross but remain for the support of the church in that place.

Characters

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First Part

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Christian enters the Wicket Gate, opened by Goodwill. Engraving from a 1778 edition printed in England.

"Beelzebub and them that are with him shoot arrows"
* Christian, who was born with the name Graceless, the protagonist in the First Part, whose journey to the Celestial City is the plot of the story.
* Evangelist, the religious man who puts Christian on the path to the Celestial City. He also shows Christian a scroll on which is written: "Flee from the wrath to come", a possible symbol of the Bible.
* Obstinate, one of the two residents of the City of Destruction, who run after Christian when he first sets out, in order to bring him back. Like his name, he is stubborn and is disgusted with Christian and with Pliable for making a journey that he thinks is nonsense.
* Pliable, the other of the two, who goes with Christian until both of them fall into the Slough of Despond, a boggy mire composed of the decadence and filthiness of sin and a swamp that makes the fears and doubts of a present and past sinner real. Pliable escapes from the slough and returns home. Like his name, he is insecure and goes along with some things for a little while but quickly gives up on them.
* Help, Christian's rescuer from the Slough of Despond.
* Mr. Worldly Wiseman, a resident of a place called Carnal Policy, who persuades Christian to go out of his way to being helped by a friend named Mr. Legality and then move to the City of Morality (which focuses salvation on the Law and good deeds instead of faith and love in Jesus Christ). His real advice is from the world and not from God, meaning his advice is flawed and consists of three objectives: getting Christian off the right path, making the cross of Jesus Christ offensive to him, and binding him to the Law so he would die with his sins. Worldly Wiseman has brought down many innocent pilgrims and there will be many more to come.
* Goodwill, the keeper of the Wicket Gate through which one enters the "straight and narrow way" (also referred to as "the King's Highway") to the Celestial City. In the Second Part, we find that this character is none other than Jesus Christ Himself.
* Beelzebub, literally "Lord of the Flies", is one of Satan's companion archdemons, who has erected a fort near the Wicket Gate from which he and his soldiers can shoot arrows of fire at those about to enter the Wicket Gate so they will never enter it. He is also the lord, god, king, master, and prince of Vanity Fair. Christian calls him "captain" of the Foul Fiend Apollyon, who he later met in the Valley of Humiliation.[13]
* The Interpreter, the one who has his House along the way as a rest stop for travellers to check in to see pictures and dioramas to teach them the right way to live the Christian life. He has been identified in the Second Part as the Holy Spirit.
* Shining Ones, the messengers and servants of "the Lord of the Hill", God. They are obviously the holy angels.
* Formalist, one of two travelers and false pilgrims on the King's Highway, who do not come in by the Wicket Gate, but climb over the wall that encloses it, at least from the hill and sepulchres up to the Hill Difficulty. He and his companion Hypocrisy come from the land of Vainglory. He takes one of the two bypaths that avoid the Hill Difficulty but is lost.
* Hypocrisy, the companion of Formalist and the other false pilgrim. He takes the other of the two bypaths and is also lost.
* Timorous, one of two men who try to persuade Christian to go back for fear of the chained lions near the House Beautiful. He is a relative of Mrs. Timorous of the Second Part. His companion is Mistrust.
* Mistrust, the other of the two men who tried to persuade Christian back because of the lions. He is the companion of Timorous. Later, he and Timorous were executed for trying to convince Christian.
* Watchful, the porter of the House Beautiful. He also appears in the Second Part and receives "a gold angel" coin from Christiana for his kindness and service to her and her companions. "Watchful" is also the name of one of the Delectable Mountains' shepherds.
* Discretion, one of the beautiful maids of the house, who decides to allow Christian to stay there.
* Prudence, another of the House Beautiful maidens. She appears in the Second Part.
* Piety, another of the House Beautiful maidens. She appears in the Second Part.
* Charity, another of the House Beautiful maidens. She appears in the Second Part.
* Apollyon, literally "Destroyer"; the king, lord, god, master, prince, owner, landlord, ruler, governor, and leader of the City of Destruction where Christian was born. He is an image of Satan, who tries to force Christian to return to his domain and service. His battle with Christian takes place in the Valley of Humiliation, just below the House Beautiful. He appears as a huge demonic creature with fish's scales, the mouth of a lion, feet of a bear, second mouth on his belly, and dragon's wings. He takes fiery darts from his body to throw at his opponents. Apollyon is finally defeated when Christian uses the Sword of the Spirit to wound him two times.
* "Pope" and "Pagan", giants living in a cave at the end of the fearsome Valley of the Shadow of Death. They are allegories of Roman Catholicism and paganism as persecutors of Protestant Christians. "Pagan" is dead, indicating the end of pagan persecution with Antiquity, and "Pope" is alive but decrepit, indicating the then-diminished power and influence of the Roman Catholic pope. In the Second Part, Pagan is resurrected by a demon from the bottomless pit of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, representing the new age of pagan persecution, and Pope is revived of his deadly wounds and is no longer stiff and unable to move, representing the beginning of the Christian's troubles with Roman Catholic popes.
* Faithful, Christian's friend from the City of Destruction, who is also going on pilgrimage. Christian meets Faithful just after getting through the Valley of The Shadow of Death. He dies later in Vanity Fair for his strong faith and first reaches the Celestial City.
* Wanton, a temptress who tries to get Faithful to leave his journey to the Celestial City. She may be the popular resident of the City of Destruction, Madam Wanton, who hosted a house party for friends of Mrs. Timorous.
* Adam the First, "the old man" (representing carnality and deceit) who tries to persuade Faithful to leave his journey and come live with his three daughters: the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life.
* Moses, the severe, violent avenger (representing the Law, which knows no mercy) who tries to kill Faithful for his momentary weakness in wanting to go with Adam the First out of the way. Moses is sent away by Jesus Christ.
* Talkative, a pilgrim that Faithful and Christian meet after going through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. He is known to Christian as a fellow resident of the City of Destruction, living on Prating Row. He is the son of Say-Well and Mrs. Talk-About-The-Right Things. He is said to be better-looking from a distance than close up. His enthusiasm for talking about his faith to Faithful deceives him into thinking that he is a sincere man. Christian lets Faithful know about his unsavoury past, and in a conversation that Faithful strikes up with him, he is exposed as shallow and hypocritical in his Christianity.
* Lord Hate-Good, the evil judge who tries Faithful in Vanity Fair. Lord Hate-Good is the opposite of a judge, he hates right and loves wrong because he does wrong himself. His jury is twelve vicious rogue men.
* Envy, the first witness against Faithful who falsely accuses that Faithful shows no respect for their prince, Lord Beelzebub.
* Superstition, the second witness against Faithful who falsely accuses Faithful of saying that their religion is vain.
* Pick-Thank, the third witness against Faithful who falsely accuses Faithful of going against their prince, their people, their laws, their "honourable" friends, and the judge himself.
* Hopeful, the resident of Vanity Fair, who takes Faithful's place as Christian's fellow traveller. The character Hopeful poses an inconsistency in that there is a necessity imposed on the pilgrims that they enter the "King's Highway" by the Wicket Gate. Hopeful, did not; however, of him, we read "... one died to bear testimony to the truth, and another rises out of his ashes to be a companion with Christian in his pilgrimage." Hopeful assumes Faithful's place by God's design. Theologically and allegorically it would follow in that "faith" is trust in God as far as things present are concerned, and "hope", biblically the same as "faith", is trust in God as far as things of the future are concerned. Hopeful would follow Faithful. The other factor is that Vanity Fair is right on the straight and narrow way. Ignorance, in contrast to Hopeful, was unconcerned about the end times of God, unconcerned with true faith in Jesus Christ, and gave false hope about the future. Ignorance was told by Christian and Hopeful that he should have entered the highway through the Wicket Gate.
* Mr. By-Ends, a false pilgrim met by Christian and Hopeful after they leave Vanity Fair. He makes it his aim to avoid any hardship or persecution that Christians may have to undergo. He supposedly perishes in the Hill Lucre (a dangerous silver mine) with three of his friends, Hold-the-World, Money-Love, and Save-All, at the behest of Demas, who invites passersby to come and see the mine. A "by-end" is a pursuit that is achieved indirectly. For By-Ends and his companions it is the pursuit of financial gain, indirectly through religion.
* Demas, a deceiver, who beckons to pilgrims at the Hill Lucre to come and join in the supposed silver mining going on in it. He is first mentioned in the Book of Second Timothy by the disciple Paul when he said, "Demas has deserted us because he loved the world". Demas tries two ways to trick Christian and Hopeful: first, he claims that the mine is safe and they will be rich, and then he claims that he is a pilgrim and will join them on their journey. Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit, is able to rebuke Demas and expose his lies.
* Giant Despair, the savage owner of Doubting Castle, where pilgrims are imprisoned and tortured. He is slain by Greatheart in the Second Part.
* Giantess Diffidence, Despair's wife, known to be cruel, savage, violent, and evil like her husband. She is slain by Old Honest in the Second Part.
* Knowledge, one of the shepherds of the Delectable Mountains.
* Experience, another of the Delectable Mountains shepherds.
* Watchful, another of the Delectable Mountains shepherds.
* Sincere, another of the Delectable Mountains shepherds.
* Ignorance, "the brisk young lad" (representing foolishness and conceit) who joins the "King's Highway" by way of the "crooked lane" that comes from his native country, called "Conceit". He follows Christian and Hopeful and on two occasions talks with them. He believes that he will be received into the Celestial City because of his doing good works in accordance with God's will. For him, Jesus Christ is only an example, not a Saviour. Christian and Hopeful try to set him right, but they fail. He gets a ferryman, Vain-Hope, to ferry him across the River of Death rather than cross it on foot as one is supposed to do. When he gets to the gates of the Celestial City, he is asked for a "certificate" needed for entry, which he does not have. The King upon hearing this, then, orders that he be bound and cast into Hell.
* The Flatterer, a deceiver dressed as an angel who leads Christian and Hopeful out of their way, when they fail to look at the road map given them by the Shepherds of the Delectable Mountains.
* Atheist, a mocker of Christian and Hopeful, who goes the opposite way on the "King's Highway" because he boasts that he knows that God and the Celestial City do not exist.
Second Part

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* Mr. Sagacity, a guest narrator who meets Bunyan himself in his new dream and recounts the events of the Second Part up to the arrival at the Wicket Gate.
* Christiana, wife of Christian, who leads her four sons and neighbour Mercy on pilgrimage.
* Matthew, Christian and Christiana's eldest son, who marries Mercy.
* Samuel, the second son, who marries Grace, Mr. Mnason's daughter.
* Joseph, the third son, who marries Martha, Mr. Mnason's daughter.
* James, fourth and youngest son, who marries Phoebe, Gaius's daughter.
* Mercy, Christiana's neighbour, who goes with her on pilgrimage and marries Matthew.
* Mrs. Timorous, a relative of the Timorous of the First Part, who comes with Mercy to see Christiana before she sets out on pilgrimage.
* Mrs. Bat's-Eyes, a resident of The City of Destruction and friend of Mrs. Timorous. Since she has a bat's eyes, she would be blind or nearly blind, so her characterization of Christiana as blind in her desire to go on pilgrimage is hypocritical.
* Mrs. Inconsiderate, a resident of The City of Destruction and friend of Mrs. Timorous. She characterizes Christiana's departure "a good riddance" as an inconsiderate person would.
* Mrs. Light-Mind, a resident of The City of Destruction and friend of Mrs. Timorous. She changes the subject from Christiana to gossip about being at a bawdy party at Madam Wanton's home.
* Mrs. Know-Nothing, a resident of The City of Destruction and friend of Mrs. Timorous. She wonders if Christiana will actually go on pilgrimage.
* Ill-favoured Ones, two evil characters Christiana sees in her dream, whom she and Mercy actually encounter when they leave the Wicket Gate. The two Ill Ones are driven off by Great-Heart himself.
* Innocent, a young serving maid of the Interpreter, who answers the door of the house when Christiana and her companions arrive; and who conducts them to the garden bath, which signifies Christian baptism.
* Mr. Greatheart, the guide and bodyguard sent by the Interpreter with Christiana and her companions from his house to their journey's end. He proves to be one of the main protagonists in the Second Part.
* Giant Grim, a Giant who "backs the [chained] lions" near the House Beautiful, slain by Great-Heart. He is also known as "Bloody-Man" because he has killed many pilgrims or sent them on mazes of detours, where they were lost forever.
* Humble-Mind, one of the maidens of the House Beautiful, who makes her appearance in the Second Part. She questions Matthew, James, Samuel, and Joseph about their godly faith and their hearts to the Lord God.
* Mr. Brisk, a suitor of Mercy's, who gives up courting her when he finds out that she makes clothing only to give away to the poor. He is shown to be a foppish, worldly-minded person who is double-minded about his beliefs.
* Mr. Skill, the godly physician called to the House Beautiful to cure Matthew of his illness, which is caused by eating the forbidden apples and fruits of Beelzebub which his mother told him not to, but he did it anyway.
* Giant Maul, a Giant whom Greatheart kills as the pilgrims leave the Valley of the Shadow of Death. He holds a grudge against Greatheart for doing his duty of saving pilgrims from damnation and bringing them from darkness to light, from evil to good, and from Satan, the Devil to Jesus Christ, the Saviour.
* Old Honest, a pilgrim from the frozen town of Stupidity who joins them, a welcome companion to Greatheart. Old Honest tells the stories of Mr. Fearing and a prideful villain named Mr. Self-Will.
* Mr. Fearing, a fearful pilgrim from the City of Destruction whom Greatheart had "conducted" to the Celestial City in an earlier pilgrimage. Noted for his timidness of Godly Fears such as temptations and doubts. He is Mr. Feeble-Mind's uncle.
* Gaius, an innkeeper with whom the pilgrims stay for some years after they leave the Valley of the Shadow of Death. He gives his daughter Phoebe to James in marriage. The lodging fee for his inn is paid by the Good Samaritan. Gaius tells them of the wicked Giant Slay-Good.
* Giant Slay-Good, a Giant who enlists the help of evildoers on the King's Highway to abduct, murder, and consume pilgrims before they get to Vanity Fair. He is killed by Greatheart.
* Mr. Feeble-Mind, rescued from Slay-Good by Mr. Greatheart, who joins Christiana's company of pilgrims. He is the nephew of Mr. Fearing.
* Phoebe, Gaius's daughter, who marries James.
* Mr. Ready-to-Halt, a pilgrim who meets Christiana's train of pilgrims at Gaius's door, and becomes the companion of Mr. Feeble-Mind, to whom he gives one of his crutches.
* Mr. Mnason, a resident of the town of Vanity, who puts up the pilgrims for a time, and gives his daughters Grace and Martha in marriage to Samuel and Joseph respectively.
* Grace, Mnason's daughter, who marries Samuel.
* Martha, Mnason's daughter, who marries Joseph.
* Christian and Christiana's Grandchildren, the children of Matthew, Samuel, Joseph, James and their respective wives(Mercy, Grace, Martha, and Phoebe). Born in Vanity Fair, they are left in the care of other pilgrims in a place where the children of pilgrims are raised for a time, due to being at a very tender age. They rejoin their parents by the time the pilgrims reach the Enchanted Ground. The exact number of children per couple, as well as their names and sexes is never disclosed.
* Mr. Despondency, a rescued prisoner from Doubting Castle owned by the miserable Giant Despair.
* Much-Afraid, his daughter.
* Mr. Valiant-For-Truth, a pilgrim they find all bloody, with his sword in his hand, after leaving the Delectable Mountains. He fought and defeated three robbers called Faint-Heart, Mistrust, and Guilt.
* Mr. Stand-Fast, a pilgrim found while praying for deliverance from Madame Bubble.
* Madame Bubble, a witch whose enchantments made the Enchanted Ground enchanted with an air that makes foolish pilgrims sleepy and never wake up again. She is the adulterous woman mentioned in the Biblical Book of Proverbs. Mr. Self-Will went over a bridge to meet her and never came back again.

Places in The Pilgrim's Progress

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A map of the places Pilgrim travels through on his progress; a fold-out map from an edition printed in England in 1778
* City of Destruction, Christian's home, representative of the world (cf. Isaiah 19:18)
* Slough of Despond, the miry swamp on the way to the Wicket Gate; one of the hazards of the journey to the Celestial City. In the First Part, Christian, falling into it, sank further under the weight of his sins (his burden) and his sense of their guilt.
* Mount Sinai, a frightening mountain near the Village of Morality that threatens all who would go there.
* Wicket Gate, the entry point of the straight and narrow way to the Celestial City. Pilgrims are required to enter by way of the Wicket Gate. Beelzebub's castle was built not very far from the Gate.
* House of the Interpreter, a type of spiritual museum to guide the pilgrims to the Celestial City, emblematic of Calvary and the tomb of Christ.
* Hill Difficulty, both the hill and the road up is called "Difficulty"; it is flanked by two treacherous byways "Danger" and "Destruction". There are three choices: Christian takes "Difficulty" (the right way), and Formalist and Hypocrisy take the two other ways, which prove to be fatal dead ends.
* House Beautiful, a palace that serves as a rest stop for pilgrims to the Celestial City. It apparently sits atop the Hill Difficulty. From the House Beautiful one can see forward to the Delectable Mountains. It represents the Christian congregation, and Bunyan takes its name from a gate of the Second Temple(Acts 3:2, 10).
* Valley of Humiliation, the Valley on the other side of the Hill Difficulty, going down into which is said to be extremely slippery by the House Beautiful's damsel Prudence. It is where Christian, protected by God's Armor, meets Apollyon and they had that dreadful, long fight where Christian was victorious over his enemy by impaling Apollyon on his Sword of the Spirit (Word of God) which caused the Foul Fiend to fly away. Apollyon met Christian in the place known as "Forgetful Green". This Valley had been a delight to the "Lord of the Hill", Jesus Christ, in his "state of humiliation".
* Valley of the Shadow of Death, a treacherous, devilish Valley filled with demons, dragons, fiends, satyrs, goblins, hobgoblins, monsters, creatures from the bottomless pit, beasts from the mouth of Hell, darkness, terror, and horror with a quicksandbog on one side and a deep chasm/ditch on the other side of the King's Highway going through it (cf. Psalm 23).
* Gaius' Inn, a rest stop in the Second Part of the Pilgrim's Progress.
* Vanity Fair, a city through which the King's Highway passes and the yearlong Fair that is held there.
* Plain Ease, a pleasant area traversed by the pilgrims.
* Hill Lucre, location of a reputed silver mine that proves to be the place where By-Ends and his companions are lost. "Lucre" is a term denoting wealth.
* The Pillar of Salt, which was Lot's wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. The pilgrim's note that its location near the Hill Lucre is a fitting warning to those who are tempted by Demas to go into the Lucre silver mine.
* River of God or River of the Water of Life, a place of solace for the pilgrims. It flows through a meadow, green all year long and filled with lush fruit trees. In the Second Part the Good Shepherd is found there to whom Christiana's grandchildren are entrusted.
* By-Path Meadow, the place leading to the grounds of Doubting Castle.
* Doubting Castle, the home of Giant Despair and his Giantess wife, Diffidence; only one key could open its doors and gates, the key Promise.
* The Delectable Mountains, known as "Immanuel's Land". Lush country from whose heights one can see many delights and curiosities. It is inhabited by sheep and their shepherds, and from Mount Clear one can see the Celestial City.
* The Enchanted Ground, an area through which the King's Highway passes that has air that makes pilgrims want to stop to sleep. If one goes to sleep in this place, one never wakes up. The shepherds of the Delectable Mountains warn pilgrims about this.
* The Land of Beulah, a lush garden area just this side of the River of Death.
* The River of Death, the dreadful river that surrounds Mount Zion, deeper or shallower depending on the faith of the one traversing it.
* The Celestial City, the "Desired Country" of pilgrims, heaven, the dwelling place of the "Lord of the Hill", God. It is situated on Mount Zion.

Geographical and topographical features behind the fictional places

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Scholars have pointed out that Bunyan may have been influenced in the creation of places in The Pilgrim's Progress by his own surrounding environment. Albert Foster[21] describes the natural features of Bedfordshire that apparently turn up in The Pilgrim's Progress. Vera Brittain in her thoroughly researched biography of Bunyan,[22]identifies seven locations that appear in the allegory. Other connections are suggested in books not directly associated with either John Bunyan or The Pilgrim's Progress.[citation needed]
At least twenty-one natural or man-made geographical or topographical features from The Pilgrim's Progress have been identified—places and structures John Bunyan regularly would have seen as a child and, later, in his travels on foot or horseback. The entire journey from The City of Destruction to the Celestial City may have been based on Bunyan's own usual journey from Bedford, on the main road that runs less than a mile behind his cottage in Elstow, through Ampthill, Dunstableand St Albans, to London.
In the same sequence as these subjects appear in The Pilgrim's Progress, the geographical realities are as follows:
1. The plain (across which Christian fled) is BedfordPlain, which is 15 miles (about 24 km) wide, with the town of Bedford in the middle and the River Great Ouse meandering through the northern half;
2. The "Slough of Despond" (a major obstacle for Christian and Pliable: "a very miry slough") is the large deposits of gray clay, which supplied London Brick's works in Stewartby, which was closed in 2008. On either side of the Bedford to Ampthill road these deposits match Bunyan's description exactly. Presumably, the road was built on the "twenty thousand cart loads" of fill mentioned in The Pilgrim's Progress;[23] However, the area beside Elstow brook, where John grew up, may also have been an early inspiration – on the north side of this brook, either side of the path to Elstow was (and still is) boggy and John would have known to avoid straying off the main path.
3. "Mount Sinai", the high hill on the way to the village of Morality, whose side "that was next the wayside, did hang so much over",[24] is the red sandy cliffs just north of Ridgmont (i.e. "Rouge Mont");
4. The "Wicket Gate" could be the wooden gate at the entrance to the Elstow parish church[25] or the wicket gate (small door) in the northern wooden entrance door at the west end of Elstow Abbey Church.
5. The castle, from which arrows were shot at those who would enter the Wicket Gate, could be the stand-alone belltower, beside Elstow Abbey church.
6. The "House of the Interpreter" is the rectory of St John's church in the south side of Bedford, where Bunyan was mentored by the pastor John Gifford;
7. The wall "Salvation" that fenced in the King's Highway coming after the House of the Interpreter[26] is the red brick wall, over four miles long, beside the Ridgmont to Woburn road, marking the boundary of the Duke of Bedford's estate;
8. The "place somewhat ascending ... [with] a cross ... and a sepulchre"[26] is the village cross and well that stands by the church at opposite ends of the sloping main street of Stevington, a small village five miles west of Bedford. Bunyan would often preach in a wood by the River Ouse just outside the village.
9. The "Hill Difficulty" is Ampthill Hill, on the main Bedford road, the steepest hill in the county. A sandy range of hills stretches across Bedfordshire from Woburn through Ampthill to Potton. These hills are characterized by dark, dense and dismal woods reminiscent of the byways "Danger" and "Destruction", the alternatives to the way "Difficulty" that goes up the hill;[27]
10. The pleasant arbour on the way up the Hill Difficulty is a small "lay-by", part way up AmpthillHill, on the east side. A photo, taken in 1908, shows a cyclist resting there;[28]
11. The "very narrow passage" to the "Palace Beautiful"[29] is an entrance cut into the high bank by the roadside to the east at the top of Ampthill Hill;
12. The "Palace Beautiful" is Houghton (formerly Ampthill) House, built in 1621 but a ruin since 1800. The house faced north; and, because of the dramatic view over the Bedford plain, it was a popular picnic site during the first half of the twentieth century when many families could not travel far afield;[28] The entrance on the south side looks out over the town of Ampthill and towards the Chilterns, the model of "The Delectable Mountains". There was another source of inspiration; as a young boy, Bunyan would have seen, and been impressed by, Elstow Place — a grand mansion behind Elstow Church, built for Sir Thomas Hillersden from the cloister buildings of Elstow Abbey.
13. The "Valley of the Shadow of Death" is Millbrook gorge to the west of Ampthill;
14. "Vanity Fair" is probably also drawn from a number of sources. Some argue that local fairs in Elstow, Bedford and Ampthill were too small to fit Bunyan's description[30] but Elstow's May fairs are known to have been large and rowdy and would certainly have made a big impression on the young Bunyan. Stourbridge Fair, held in Cambridge during late August and early September fits John Bunyan's account of the fair's antiquity and its vast variety of goods sold[31] and sermons were preached each Sunday during Stourbridge Fair in an area called the "Dodderey". John Bunyan preached often in Toft, just four miles west of Cambridge, and there is a place known as "Bunyan's Barn" in Toft,[32]so it is surmised that Bunyan visited the notable Stourbridge Fair;
15. The "pillar of salt", Lot's wife,[33] is a weather-beaten statue that looks much like a person-sized salt pillar. It is on small island in the River Ouse just north of Turvey bridge, eight miles west of Bedford near Stevington;
16. The "River of the Water of Life", with trees along each bank[34] is the River Ouse east of Bedford, where John Bunyan as a boy would fish with his sister Margaret. It might also be the valley of the river Flit, flowing through Flitton and Flitwick south of Ampthill;
17. "Doubting Castle" is Ampthill Castle, built in the early 15th century and often visited by King Henry VIII as a hunting lodge. Henry, corpulent and dour, may have been considered by Bunyan to be a model for Giant Despair. Ampthill Castle was used for the "house arrest" of Queen Catherine of Aragon and her retinue in 1535–36 before she was taken to Kimbolton. The castle was dismantled soon after 1660, so Bunyan could have seen its towers in the 1650s and known of the empty castle plateau in the 1670s.[35] Giant Despair was killed and Doubting Castle was demolished in the second part of The Pilgrim's Progress.[36]
18. The "Delectable Mountains" are the Chiltern Hillsthat can be seen from the second floor of Houghton House. "Chalk hills, stretching fifty miles from the Thames to Dunstable Downs, have beautiful blue flowers and butterflies, with glorious beech trees."[37] Reminiscent of the possibility of seeing the Celestial City from Mount Clear,[38] on a clear day one can see London's buildings from Dunstable Downs near Whipsnade Zoo;
19. The "Land of Beulah" is Middlesex county north and west of London, which then (over 150 years before modern suburban sprawl started) had pretty villages, market gardens, and estates containing beautiful parks and gardens): "woods of Islington to the green hills of Hampstead & Highgate";[39]
20. The "very deep river"[40] is the Thames, one thousand feet (300 m) wide at high tide; however, here Bunyan varied from geographical reality and put the city south of the river, and without a bridge.
21. The "Celestial City" is the City of London, the physical centre of John Bunyan's world—most of his neighbours never travelled that far. In the 1670s, after the Great Fire of 1666, London sported a new gleaming city centre with forty Wren churches.[41] In the last decade of Bunyan's life (1678–88), some of his best Christian friends lived in London, including a Lord Mayor.

Cultural influence

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The frontispiece and title-page from an edition printed in England in 1778

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Context in Christendom

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The Pilgrim's Progress was much more popular than its predecessors. Bunyan's plain style breathes life into the abstractions of the anthropomorphizedtemptations and abstractions that Christian encounters and with whom he converses on his course to Heaven.[according to whom?] Samuel Johnson said that "this is the great merit of the book, that the most cultivated man cannot find anything to praise more highly, and the child knows nothing more amusing". Three years after its publication (1681), it was reprinted in colonial America, and was widely read in the Puritancolonies. The book was often divided into smaller parts or individual episodes that could be made into individual sermons, postcards, or wall charts. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Religious Tract Society produced the book into Sunday School prize editions and cheap abridgements. There were also Bunyan inspired jigsaw puzzles, and some followers crafted their landscapes in Bunyan theme parks.[8]
Because of its English Protestant theology, The Pilgrim's Progress shares the then-popular English antipathy toward the Catholic Church. It was published over the years of the Popish Plot (1678–1681) and ten years before the Glorious Revolutionof 1688, and it shows the influence of John Foxe's Acts and Monuments. Bunyan presents a decrepit and harmless giant to confront Christian at the end of the Valley of the Shadow of Death that is explicitly named "Pope":
Now I saw in my Dream, that at the end of this Valley lay blood, bones, ashes, and mangled bodies of men, even of Pilgrims that had gone this way formerly: And while I was musing what should be the reason, I espied a little before me a Cave, where two Giants, Popeand Pagan, dwelt in old times, by whose Power and Tyranny the Men whose bones, blood ashes, &c. lay there, were cruelly put to death. But by this place Christianwent without much danger, whereat I somewhat wondered; but I have learnt since, that Pagan has been dead many a day; and as for the other, though he be yet alive, he is by reason of age, and also of the many shrewd brushes that he met with in his younger dayes, grown so crazy and stiff in his joynts, that he can now do little more than sit in his Caves mouth, grinning at Pilgrims as they go by, and biting his nails, because he cannot come at them.[42]
When Christian and Faithful travel through Vanity Fair, Bunyan adds the editorial comment:
But as in other fairs, some one Commodity is as the chief of all the fair, so the Ware of Rome and her Merchandize is greatly promoted in this fair: Only our English Nation, with some others, have taken a dislike thereat.[43]
In the Second Part, while Christiana and her group of pilgrims led by Greatheart stay for some time in Vanity, the city is terrorized by a seven-headed beast[44] which is driven away by Greatheart and other stalwarts.[45] In his endnotes, W. R. Owens notes about the woman that governs the beast: "This woman was believed by Protestants to represent Antichrist, the Church of Rome. In a posthumously published treatise, Of Antichrist, and his Ruine (1692), Bunyan gave an extended account of the rise and (shortly expected) fall of Antichrist."[46]
Foreign-language versions

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African version of Pilgrim's Progressfrom 1902
"The Pilgrim's Progress has been translated into 200 languages", including Dutch in 1681, German in 1703, and Swedish in 1727, as well as over eighty African languages.[which?][47] In 1681, the first North American edition was issued. In addition, there were nine translations in Southeast Asia, twenty four translations in South Asia, and another eleven in Australasia and the Pacific.[48] Beginning in the 1850s, illustrated versions of The Pilgrim's Progressin Chinese were printed in Hong Kong, Shanghaiand Fuzhou and widely distributed by Protestant missionaries. Hong Xiuquan, the leader of the Christianity-inspired Taiping Rebellion, declared that the book was his favorite reading.[49]
Paradeshi Mokshayathra by Rev. K. Koshy/Rev. Joseph Peet (1844), and Sanchariyude Prayanam(1846) by Rev. C. Muller/Rev. P. Chandran are allegorical translations in Malayalam and are one of the earliest prose works in the language.[50]
In Turkish, translations of the book appeared in Greek script in 1879, and in Armenian script in 1881.
Henry Alfred Krishnapillai's magnum opus, Ratchanya Yaathrigam (1894; The Journey of Salvation) is a Tamil language adaptation of the work. It is considered one of the finest Tamil literary works of the 19th century. Muthi Vazhi Ammaanai(1896) is another Tamil version by Suveegaranar.[51][better source needed]
The literal textual meaning of The Pilgrim's Progresswas also adapted by young converts and missionaries to make sense in different cultural contexts.[48] "For example, Kele Protestants in the Congo omitted the sections that explained original sin" since "this idea was incompatible with their cultural assumptions."[48] The Pilgrim's Progresswas also adapted to be relevant for non-Europeans, by tailoring the story to make sense of their own experiences. Heaven was often a place designed to resemble what they had gone through in life. For example, in the American Southern Black culture, Bunyan was changed to be a black protagonist who "was redeemed not only from sin but also slavery."[48] Similarly, a version was written where the injustices which took place in South Africa were reformulated.[52]
There are collections of old foreign language versions of The Pilgrim's Progress at both the Moot Hall Museum in Elstow, and at the John Bunyan Museum in Mill Street in Bedford.
The "Third Part"

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Tender-Conscience, hero of Part Three, awakens from sleep in the palace of Carnal-Security
The Third Part of the Pilgrim's Progress was written by an anonymous author; beginning in 1693, it was published with Bunyan's authentic two parts. It continued to be republished with Bunyan's work until 1852.[53] This third part presented the pilgrimage of Tender-Conscience and his companions.
Dramatic and musical settings

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The book was the basis of a condensed radio adaptation, originally presented in 1942 and starring John Gielgud, which included, as background music, several excerpts from Ralph Vaughan Williams' orchestral works.[54]
The book was the basis of The Pilgrim's Progress(opera) by Vaughan Williams, premiered in 1951.
The radio version was newly recorded by Hyperion Records in 1990.[54] The performance was conducted by Matthew Best and it again starred Gielgud, and also featured Richard Pasco and Ursula Howells.[citation needed]
In 1912, English composer Ernest Austin set the whole story as a huge narrative tone poem for solo organ, with optional 6-part choir and narrator, lasting approximately 2
+
1;2 hours.[55]
Under the name The Similitude of a Dream, the progressive rock band of Neal Morse released a concept album based on The Pilgrim's Progress in November 2016. A sequel, entitled The Great Adventure, focusing on Christian's son Joseph, was released in January 2019. Both albums received critical acclaim.
Art and poetry

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A number of illustrations created by Henry Melville appear in the Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Books under the editorship of Letitia Elizabeth Landon. Each is accompanied by a poem, either by Bernard Barton or by Miss Landon herself. These plates are as follows:
* 1835
    *
    *  The River of the Water of Life. (L. E. L.)[56]
    * Christian and Hopeful Escaping from the Doubting Castle (Bernard Barton)[57]
    * Christian Got up at the Gate (Bernard Barton)[58]
    * The Shepherd Boy in the Valley of Humiliation as
    *
    *  The Shepherd Boy. (L. E. L.)[59]
* 1836
    * The Pilgrims (Bernard Barton)[60]
    * The Land of Beulah (Bernard Barton)[61]
    * Destruction of the Doubting Castle (Bernard Barton)[62]
    *
    *  The Palace Called Beautiful. (L. E. L.)[63]
* 1837
    *
    *  The Delectable Mountains. (L. E. L.)[64]
The Pilgrim's Progress was a favourite subject among painters in 1840s America, including major figures of the Hudson River School and others associated with the National Academy of Design. Daniel Huntington, Jasper Cropsey, Frederic Edwin Church, Jesse Talbot, Edward Harrison May, and others completed canvases based on the work. Thomas Cole's The Voyage of Life was inspired by The Pilgrim's Progress.[65]
In 1850, Huntington, Cropsey, and Church contributed designs to a moving panorama based on The Pilgrim's Progress, conceptualized by May and fellow artist Joseph Kyle, which debuted in New York and travelled all over the country.[66] A second version of the panorama, organized by Kyle and artist Jacob Dallas, premiered in 1851.[67] The second version exists today in the collections of the Saco Museum.
References in literature

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In Wole Soyinka's novel Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth (2021), the third chapter is entitled 'Pilgrim's Progress'. In describes the travels of the character Dennis Tibidje. He encounters John Bunyan's book Pilgrim's Progresswhile detained as an illegal immigrant in New Jersey.
Charles Dickens' book Oliver Twist (1838) is subtitled 'The Parish Boy's Progress'. The titular character of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1839) and his companion Smike start to read it but are interrupted.
The title of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847–1848 novel Vanity Fair alludes to the location in Bunyan's work.
Mark Twain gave his 1869 travelogue, The Innocents Abroad, the alternative title The New Pilgrims' Progress. In Twain's later work Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the titular character mentions The Pilgrim's Progress as he describes the works of literature in the Grangerfords' library. Twain uses this to satirize the Protestant Southern aristocracy.
E. E. Cummings makes numerous references to it in his prose work, The Enormous Room.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, "The Celestial Railroad", recreates Christian's journey in Hawthorne's time. Progressive thinkers have replaced the footpath by a railroad, and pilgrims may now travel under steam power. The journey is considerably faster, but somewhat more questionable. Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letteralso makes reference to it, by way of the author John Bunyan with a metaphor comparing a main character's eyes with the fire depicted in the entrance to Hell in The Pilgrim's Progress.
John Buchan was an admirer of Bunyan's, and Pilgrim's Progress features significantly in his third Richard Hannay novel, Mr. Standfast, which also takes its title from one of Bunyan's characters.
Alan Moore, in his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, enlists The Pilgrim's Progressprotagonist, Christian, as a member of the earliest version of this group, Prospero's Men, having become wayward on his journey during his visit in Vanity Fair, stepping down an alleyway and found himself in London in the 1670s, and unable to return to his homeland. This group disbanded in 1690 after Prospero vanished into the Blazing World; however, some parts of the text seem to imply that Christian resigned from Prospero's League before its disbanding and that Christian travelled to the Blazing World before Prospero himself. The apparent implication is that; within the context of the League stories; the Celestial City Christian seeks and the Blazing World may in fact be one and the same.[citation needed]
In Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, the protagonist Jo and her sisters read it at the outset of the novel, and try to follow the good example of Bunyan's Christian. Throughout the novel, the main characters refer many times to Pilgrim's Progressand liken the events in their own lives to the experiences of the pilgrims. A number of chapter titles directly reference characters and places from Pilgrim's Progress.
The cartoonist Winsor McCay drew an allegorical comic strip, entitled A Pilgrim's Progress, in the New York Evening Telegram. The strip ran from 26 June 1905 to 18 December 1910. In it, the protagonist Mr. Bunion is constantly frustrated in his attempts to improve his life by ridding himself of his burdensome valise, "Dull Care".[68]
C. S. Lewis wrote a book inspired by The Pilgrim's Progress, called The Pilgrim's Regress, in which a character named John follows a vision to escape from The Landlord, a less friendly version of The Owner in The Pilgrim's Regress. It is an allegory of C. S. Lewis' own journey from a religious childhood to a pagan adulthood in which he rediscovers his Christian God.
Henry Williamson's The Patriot's Progressreferences the title of The Pilgrim's Progress and the symbolic nature of John Bunyan's work. The protagonist of the semi-autobiographical novel is John Bullock, the quintessential English soldier during World War I.
The character of Billy Pilgrim in Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse-5: The Children's Crusade is a clear homage to a similar journey to enlightenment experienced by Christian, although Billy's journey leads him to an existentialacceptance of life and of a fatalist human condition. Vonnegut's parallel to The Pilgrim's Progress is deliberate and evident in Billy's surname.
Charlotte Bront; refers to Pilgrim's Progress in most of her novels, including Jane Eyre,[69] Shirley,[70]and Villette.[71] Her alterations to the quest-narrative have led to much critical interest, particular with the ending of Jane Eyre.[72]
In Winnie Parry's Sioned (1906), the Welsh translation Taith Y Pererin is the titular Sioned's favorite book. The edition is that of 1880, Wrexam: R. Hughes & Son.
Walt Willis and Bob Shaw's classic science fiction fan novelette, The Enchanted Duplicator, is explicitly modeled on The Pilgrim's Progress and has been repeatedly reprinted over the decades since its first appearance in 1954: in professional publications, in fanzines, and as a monograph.
Enid Blyton wrote The Land of Far Beyond (1942) as a children's version of The Pilgrim's Progress.
John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrathmentions The Pilgrim's Progress as one of an (anonymous) character's favorite books. Steinbeck's novel was itself an allegorical spiritual journey by Tom Joad through America during the Great Depression, and often made Christian allusions to sacrifice and redemption in a world of social injustice.
The book was commonly referenced in African American slave narratives, such as "Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom" by Ellen and William Craft, to emphasize the moral and religious implications of slavery.[73]
Hannah Hurnard's novel Hinds' Feet on High Places(1955) uses a similar allegorical structure to The Pilgrim's Progress and takes Bunyan's character Much-Afraid as its protagonist.
In Lois McMaster Bujold's The Borders of Infinity(1989), Miles Vorkosigan uses half a page torn from The Pilgrim's Progress as a coded message to his fleet to rescue him and 9,000 others from a POW camp.
Sir Walter Scott uses Bunyan's tale in chapter 32 of his novel The Heart of Midlothian (1818) to illustrate the relationship between Madge Wildfire and Jeanie Deans. Madge explains: "But it is all over now.—But we'll knock at the gate and then the keeper will admit Christiana, but Mercy will be left out—and then I'll stand at the door trembling and crying, and then Christiana—that's you, Jeanie,—will intercede for me. And then Mercy,—that's me, ye ken,—will faint[.]"
In Marguerite Young's novel, Miss MacIntosh, My Darling, the titular character always carries a copy of Pilgrim's Progress with her. The structure of the novel is inspired by Pilgrim's Progress too, being composed largely of the narrator's seemingly omniscient reminiscences about other characters' inner lives and dreams.
In George Eliot's novel Middlemarch, a lengthy quotation from the conclusion of the trial of Faithful in Vanity Fair serves as the epigraph to Chapter 85.

Dramatizations, music, and film

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* In 1850, a moving panorama of Pilgrim's Progress, known as the Bunyan Tableuax or the Grand Moving Panorama of Pilgrim's Progress was painted by Joseph Kyle and Edward Harrison May and displayed in New York; an early copy of this panorama survives and is at the Saco Museum in Maine.
* The novel was made into a film, Pilgrim's Progress, in 1912.
* In 1950, an hour-long animated version was made by Baptista Films. This version was edited down to 35 minutes and re-released with new music in 1978. As of 2007 the original version is difficult to find, but the 1978 version has been released on both VHS and DVD.[74]
* In 1951, the first performance of the opera The Pilgrim's Progress, composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams, was presented at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
* In 1974, Genesis released the concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, which Peter Gabriel described as "a kind of punk" twist to The Pilgrim's Progress.[75]
* In 1978, another film version was made by Ken Anderson, in which Liam Neeson, in his film debut, played the role of the Evangelist[76] and also appeared as the crucified Christ.[77] Maurice O'Callaghan played Appolyon and Worldly Wiseman,[78] and Peter Thomas played The Pilgrim/Christian.[79][78] A sequel, Christiana, followed later.[80]
* In 1978, a musical based loosely on Bunyan's characters, and the story was written by Nick Taylor and Alex Learmont. The musical [originally titled Pilgrim] was produced for the Natal Performing Arts Council under the title "Christian!" or Follow the Man with the Big Bass Drum in the Holy Glory Band, and ran to capacity houses for the 1979/80 summer season in Durban's Old Alhambra Theatre. The show moved to Johannesburg in March 1980 and ran for a further three months at His Majesty's Theatre. After a substantial re-write Christian! was again mounted at the new Playhouse in Durban for the 1984 Christmas season. The musical has been performed many times since by schools and amateur theatrical groups in South Africa. After 30 years the show is again attracting attention both locally and abroad and the score and libretto are being updated and made more flexible for large and small productions.[81]
* In 1985 Yorkshire Television produced a 129-minute nine-part serial presentation of The Pilgrim's Progress with animated stills by Alan Parry and narrated by Paul Copley entitled Dangerous Journey.
* In 1988, Glenn Danzig and Danzig (band) released their controversial music video from their song "Mother" which included the quote "Then I saw there was a way to Hell from the gates of Heaven" in the beginning of the music video from The Pilgrim's Progress.
* In 1989, Orion's Gate, a producer of Biblical / Spiritual audio dramas produced The Pilgrim's Progress as a six-hour audio dramatization.[82] This production was followed several years later by Christiana: Pilgrim's Progress, Part II, another 8 hour audio dramatization.
* In 1989, The Ocean Blue released The Ocean Bluewhich includes the song "Vanity Fair" which includes lyrics that reference The Pilgrim's Progress.
* In 1993, the popular Christian radio drama, Adventures in Odyssey (produced by Focus on the Family), featured a two-part story, titled "Pilgrim's Progress: Revisited". This two-parter was written and directed by Phil Lollar.
* The 1993 video game Doom features a map called "Slough of Despair" (E3M2: episode 3, map 2).
* In the 1990s Kurt and Keith Landaas, composed, directed and performed a compelling stage two-act modern rock opera adaptation of Pilgrims Progress. It involved five principal characters and a cast choral of about 20 members. It was performed in the Lambs theatre in NYC in 1994 and other tri-state venues. A studio recording was also produced and distributed.
* In 1994, The Pilgrim's Progress and the imprisonment of John Bunyan were the subject of the musical Celestial City[83] by David MacAdam, with John Curtis, and an album was released in 1997.
* In 2003 the game Heaven Bound was released by Emerald Studios. The 3D adventure-style game, based on the novel, was only released for the PC.[84]
* Five Nights at Freddy's developer Scott Cawthondirected and narrated a 2005 computer animationversion of the book, and also produced a video game adaptation.
* In 2008, a film version by Danny Carrales, Pilgrim's Progress: Journey to Heaven, was produced. It received one nomination for best feature length independent film and one nomination for best music score at the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.
* British music band Kula Shaker released an album called Pilgrim's Progress on 28 June 2010.
* In 2003, Michael W. Smith wrote a song, called "Signs", which he says on his A 20 Year Celebrationlive DVD to be inspired by The Pilgrim's Progress.
* Season 7, episode 16 of Family Guy (17 May 2009) is a parody of The Pilgrim's Progress called "Peter's Progress".
* In 2010, FishFlix.com released A Pilgrim's Progress – The Story of John Bunyan, a DVD documentary about Bunyan's life narrated by Derick Bingham, filmed on location in England.[85]
* In 2010, writer / director Andrew Wiest directed The Adventures of Chris Fable (aka The Wylds) bringing John Bunyan's novel The Pilgrim's Progress to life on the screen with this family friendly fantasy adventure about a young runaway on a quest to find his long lost father. The movie was released on video and streaming in 2012.
* In 2013, Puritan Productions[86] company announced the premiere of its dramatization with ballet & chorus accompaniment in Fort Worth, Texasat the W.E. Scott Theatre[87] on 18–19 October 2013. Subsequent productions by the same company in Garland, Texas at the Granville Arts Center on 24–26 October 2014, and in Austin, Texas, accompanied by ballet & chorus, at Park Hills Baptist Church on 4–5 November 2016.
* In 2014, a Kickstarter-supported novel called The Narrow Road was published. It is based on The Pilgrim's Progress, and was written by Erik Yeager and illustrated by Dave dela Gardelle.
* The 2015 Terrence Malick film Knight of Cups was inspired by The Pilgrim's Progress.
* In March 2015, director Darren Wilson announced a Kickstarter campaign to produce a full-length feature film based on The Pilgrims Progress called Heaven Quest: A Pilgrim's Progress Movie.[88]
* The Neal Morse Band released their 2nd album titled The Similitude of a Dream on 11 November 2016, a 2 CD concept album based on the book The Pilgrim's Progress. On 25 January 2019, a follow-up 2 CD album, The Great Adventure, was released to continue re-telling the story from the perspective of Christian's son.
* In 2019, a computer-animated film adaptation titled The Pilgrim's Progress was released and featured the voice of John Rhys-Davies.[89]
* The allegory was adapted into a dramatic, serialized podcast, High and Silver Presents: The Pilgrim's Progress, in 2022.
* The album Odyssey to the West by progressive metal deathcore band Slice the Cake is loosely inspired by The Pilgrim's Progress, and includes a track named after the novel.

Editions

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* Bunyan, John The Pilgrim's Progress. Edited by Roger Sharrock and J. B. Wharey. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975) ISBN 0198118023. The standard critical edition, originally published in 1928 and revised in 1960 by Sharrock.[90]
* Bunyan, John The Pilgrim's Progress. Edited with an introduction and notes by Roger Sharrrock. (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1987) ISBN 0140430040. The text is based on the 1975 Clarendon edition (see above), but with modernised spelling and punctuation "to meet the needs of the general reader".[90]
* Bunyan, John The Pilgrim's Progress. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003) ISBN 978-0-19-280361-0.
Abridged editions

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* The Children's Pilgrim's Progress. The story taken from the work by John Bunyan. New York: Sheldon and Company, 1866.
* Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim's Progress– abridged by Oliver Hunkin and illustrated by Alan Parry, 1985.
Retellings

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* Pilgrim's Progress retold and shortened for modern readers by Mary Godolphin (1884). Drawings by Robert Lawson. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co., 1939. [a newly illustrated edition of the retelling by Mary Godolphin]
* The Pilgrim's Progress in Words of One Syllable by Mary Godolphin. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1869.
* The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read. Edited by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut. Philadelphia: The John C. Winston Co., 1909.
* John Bunyan's Dream Story: the Pilgrim's Progress retold for children and adapted to school reading by James Baldwin. New York: American Book Co., 1913.
* The Land of Far-Beyond by Enid Blyton. Methuen, 1942.
* Eliot Wirt, Sherwood (1969). Passport to Life City: A Modern Pilgrim's Progress. New York: Harper & Row Publishers. ISBN 9780854212200. The story is set in a 20th-century America, concerned about the threat of World War Three, where the hero turns to Christ as there is a crisis involving China and the places he goes to are more futuristic.
* Pilgrim's Progress in Today's English – as retold by James H. Thomas. Moody Publishers. 1971. ISBN 080246520X. LCCN 64-25255.
* Pilgrim's Progress, from This World to That Which Is to Come. Rev., 2nd ed., in modern English – Christian Literature Crusade, Fort Washington, Penn., 1981. [ISBN missing]
* Little Pilgrim's Progress – Helen L. Taylor simplifies the vocabulary and concepts for younger readers, while keeping the storyline intact. Published by Moody Press, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois, 1992, 1993.
* John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress as retold by Gary D. Schmidt & illustrated by Barry Moser published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Copyright 1994.
* The Evergreen Wood: An Adaptation of the "Pilgrim's Progress" for Children written by Linda Perry, illustrated by Alan Perry. Published by Hunt & Thorpe, 1997.
* The New Amplified Pilgrim's Progress Archived 5 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine (both book and dramatized audio) – as retold by James Pappas. Published by Orion's Gate (1999). A slightly expanded and highly dramatized version of John Bunyan's original. Large samples of the text are available[82]
* "The Aussie Pilgrim's Progress" by Kel Richards. Ballarat: Strand Publishing, 2005.
* "Quest for Celestia: A Reimagining of The Pilgrim's Progress" by Steven James, 2006
* The Pilgrim's Progress – A 21st Century Re-telling of the John Bunyan Classic – Dry Ice Publishing, 2008 directed by Danny Carrales[91]
Graphic novels

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* Pilgrim's Progress – a graphic novel by Marvel Comics. Thomas Nelson, 1993. Includes a sequel story, "Christiana's Progress".
* Stephen T. Moore (2011). "The Pilgrim's Progress" A very graphic novel. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 150. ISBN 978-1-4610-3271-7.
* Sato, Masako (2012). ;;;;;;;. ISBN 978-4904656075. A manga version of Pilgrim's Progress.
* Pilgrim's Progress the Graphic Novel, written and illustrated by Ralph Sanders, 2018, Whistle Key Books, ISBN 978-0-692-96574-0
* "RUN: The Pilgrim's Progress (;;;;;;;;;;;)". Alpha Yu, illustration. Shonen Bag Studio. 2018. A webmanga retelling the basic framework of the book with contemporary character designs heavily influenced by popular anime, as well as retooling the story to wrap it around manga tropes and conventions. (The creator has gone on record stating that the character of the Interpreter was designed to resemble a pre-pubescant version of Rei Ayanami.[92] He has also gone on record saying that the character of Faithful is "best waifu"[93]multiple times.) Drastic changes were made to the underlying puritan philosophy of the original text.[94]

References

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1.  "The two parts of The Pilgrim's Progress in reality constitute a whole, and the whole is, without doubt, the most influential religious book ever written in the English language" – Alexander M. Witherspoon in his introduction, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress (New York: Pocket Books, 1957), vi.
2.  Bunyan, John, The Pilgrim's Progress, W. R. Owens, ed., Oxford World's Classics (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003), xiii.
3.  Richardson, Abby Sage, Familiar Talks on English Literature: A Manual (Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co., 1892), 221.
4.  "For two hundred years or more no other English book was so generally known and read" (James Baldwin, Foreword, John Bunyan's Dream Story (New York: American Book Co., 1913), 6.
5.  Sullivan, W.F. (2011). Prison Religion: Faith-Based Reform and the Constitution. Princeton University Press. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-691-15253-0. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
6.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), xiii: "...the book has never been out of print. It has been published in innumerable editions, and has been translated into over two hundred languages."
7.  Cross, F. L., ed., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983), 1092 sub loco.
8.  Lyons, M. (2011). Books: A Living History. Getty Publications.
9.  Chapman, J. (1892). The Westminster Review, Volume 138. p. 610.
10.  McCrum, Robert (23 September 2013). "The 100 best novels: No 1 – The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (1678)". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
11.  Forrest and Greaves 1982: xii
12.  Brown, John, John Bunyan: His Life, Times and Work (1885, revised edition 1928).
13.  Bunyan, John, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. with an introduction by Roger Sharrock (Harmondsworth: Penguins Books, 1965), pp. 10, 59, 94, 326–27, 375.
14.  "The copy for the first edition of the First Part of The Pilgrim's Progress was entered in the Stationers' Register on 22 December 1677 ... The book was licensed and entered in the Term Catalogue for the following Hilary Term, 18 February 1678; this date would customarily indicate the time of publication, or only slightly precede it" [John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, James Blanton Wharey and Roger Sharrock, eds, Second Edition (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1960), xxi].
15.  2 Peter 1:19: "a lamp shining in a dark place"
16.  Go to section 1.2.3.1 Mr. Sagacity leaves the author
17.  A marginal note indicates, "There is no deliverance from the guilt and burden of sin, but by the death and blood of Christ" cf. Sharrock, p. 59.
18.  "Many of the pictures in the House of the Interpreter seem to be derived from emblem books or to be created in the manner and spirit of the emblem. ... Usually, each emblem occupied a page and consisted of an allegorical picture at the top with underneath it a device or motto, a short Latin verse, and a poem explaining the allegory. Bunyan himself wrote an emblem book, A Book for Boys and Girls (1688) ...", cf. Sharrock, p. 375.
19.  "the whole armour (panoply) of God"
20.  "the whole armor (panoply) of God"
21.  Albert J. Foster, Bunyan's Country: Studies in the Topography of Pilgrim's Progress (London: H. Virtue, 1911).
22.  Brittain, Vera. "In the Steps of John Bunyan". London: Rich & Cowan, 1949. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
23.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 17.
24.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 20.
25.  See article on John Bunyan
26.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 37.
27.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 41–42.
28.  Underwood, A., Ampthill in Old Picture Postcards (Zaltbommel, Netherlands: European Library, 1989).
29.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 45.
30.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 85–86.
31.  E. South and O. Cook, Prospect of Cambridge(London: Batsford, 1985).
32.  Brittain, In the Steps of John Bunyan (London: Rich & Cowan, 1949).
33.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 105.
34.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 107.
35.  Foster, A. J., Ampthill Towers (London: Thomas Nelson, 1910).
36.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 262–64.
37.  Hadfield, J., The Shell Guide to England(London: Michael Joseph, 1970).
38.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 119.
39.  E. Rutherfurd, London: The Novel (New York: Crown Publishers, 1997).
40.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 147.
41.  H. V. Morton, In Search of London (London: Methuen & Co., 1952).
42.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 66, 299.
43.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), pp. 86, 301.
44.  Revelation 17:1–18.
45.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), pp. 258–259.
46.  Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, ed. Owens (2003), 318: See Misc. Works, xiii. 421–504.
47.  Martyn., Lyons (2011). Books : a living history. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum. ISBN 978-1606060834. OCLC 707023033.
48.  Books A Living History. Thames & Hudson. 2013. pp. 118–120. ISBN 9780500291153.
49.  Jonathan D. Spence, God's Chinese Son, 1996. pp. 280–282
50.  Guptan Nair, S. (2001). Gadyam Pinnitta Vazhikal. Kottayam: D. C. Books. pp. 41–42. ISBN 9788126403332. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
51.  ;;;;;; ;;; ;;;;;;;.
52.  Hofmeyr, I. (2002). Dreams, Documents and 'Fetishes': African Christian Interpretations of The Pilgrim's Progress. Journal of Religion in Africa, 32(4), pp. 440–455.
53.  "A third part falsely attributed to Bunyan appeared in 1693, and was reprinted as late as 1852", (New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, vol. 2 under "John Bunyan" Archived 2 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine)
54.  "Vaughan Williams: The Pilgrims Progress [John Gielgud; BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus , Sir Adrian Boult] [ALBION: ALBCD023/024] by John Gielgud". Amazon. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
55.  "The Pilgrim's Progress - A Narrative Tone Poem for the Organ - Part Two - Ernest Austin - Op41 No 2 - Sheet Music". Amazon. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
56.  Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1834). "picture and poetical illustration". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1835. Fisher, Son & Co. p. 19.
57.  Barton, Bernard (1834). "poetical illustration and picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1835. Fisher, Son & Co. p. 26.
58.  Barton, Bernard (1834). "poetical illustration and picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1835. Fisher, Son & Co. p. 34.
59.  Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1834). "poetical illustration and picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1835. Fisher, Son & Co. p. 54.
60.  Barton, Bernard (1835). "picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1836. Fisher, Son & Co. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.Barton, Bernard (1835). "poetical illustration". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1836. Fisher, Son & Co. pp. 16–17.
61.  Barton, Bernard (1835). "poetical illustration". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1836. Fisher, Son & Co. pp. 30–31.Barton, Bernard (1835). "picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1836. Fisher, Son & Co.
62.  Barton, Bernard (1835). "picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1836. Fisher, Son & Co.Barton, Bernard (1835). "poetical illustration". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1836. Fisher, Son & Co. p. 45.
63.  Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1835). "poetical illustration". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1836. Fisher, Son & Co. p. 54.Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1835). "picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1836. Fisher, Son & Co.
64.  Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1836). "picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837. Fisher, Son & Co.Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1836). "poetical illustration". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837. Fisher, Son & Co. p. 13. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
65.  Cole was reading The Pilgrim's Progress as he worked on this series. Paul D. Schweizer, "The Voyage of Life: A Chronology" in Thomas Cole's Voyage of Life (Utica, New York: Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, 1985).
66.  Jessica Skwire Routhier, Kevin J. Avery, and Thomas Hardiman Jr., The Painters' Panorama: Narrative, Art, and Faith in the Moving Panorama of Pilgrim's Progress (Hanover: University Press of New England, 2015).
67.  Routhier et al, The Painters' Panorama.
68.  Canemaker, John (1987), Winsor McCay: His Life and Art, Cross River Press, New York
69.  Bront;, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Ed. Richard J. Dunn. WW Norton: 2001. p. 385.
70.  Bront;, Charlotte. Shirley. Oxford University Press: 2008. pp. 48, 236.
71.  Bront;, Charlotte. Villette. Ed. Tim Dolin. Oxford University Press: 2008, pp. 6, 44.
72.  Beaty, Jerome. "St. John's Way and the Wayward Reader". Bront;, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Ed. Richard J. Dunn. WW Norton: 2001. 491–503 [501]
73.  Gould, Philip (2007). Audrey Fisch (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to the African American Slave Narrative. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 20–21. ISBN 978-0-521-85019-3.
74.  "A Brief History of Christian Film: 1918–2002". Avgeeks.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 28 October2012.
75.  "How Genesis Transitioned With 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'". Ultimate Classic Rock. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 22 July2025.
76.  "Conversations of Faith with Liam Neeson". Movieguide.org. 21 January 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
77.  "Pilgrims Progress (1979) Review". Dove.org. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
78.  "The Mystical Movie Guide". Astralresearch.org. Archived from the originalon 25 April 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
79.  "Pilgrim's Progress". IMDb. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 21 July2018.
80.  "Christiana". IMDb. Archived from the original on 8 February 2017. Retrieved 21 July2018.
81.  Nick Taylor [singer/songwriter] & Alex Learmont [film maker and lyricist]
82.  "Orion's Gate". Orionsgate.org. 6 November 2007. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
83.  "Celestial City". New Life Fine Arts. 7 October 2012. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
84.  "Heaven Bound | Video Game Information, Trailers, Screenshots". CEGAnMo.com. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
85.  "Pilgrim's Progress: A Journey to Heaven". FishFlix.com Faith and Family Movies. Archivedfrom the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
86.  "Puritan Productions". www.puritanproductions.org. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March2023.
87.  "Fort Worth Community Arts Center". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
88.  "HeavenQuest: A Pilgrim's Progress Movie". Kickstarter. 23 March 2015.
89.  Howard, Courtney (17 April 2019). "Film Review: 'The Pilgrim's Progress'". Variety. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
90.  Bunyan, John (1987). Sharrock, Roger (ed.). The Pilgrim's Progress (3 ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 29. ISBN 0-14-043004-0.
91.  "Pilgrim's Progress (2008)". Imdb.bom. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
92.  "Interpreter Chan 11". www.webtoons.com. RUN: The Pilgrim's Progress (;;;;;;;;;;;). Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
93.  "Faithful's progress 19". www.webtoons.com. RUN: The Pilgrim's Progress (;;;;;;;;;;;). Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
94.  "RUN: The Pilgrim's Progress (;;;;;;;;;;;)". www.webtoons.com. Alpha Yu, illustration. 2018. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.

External links

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English Wikisource has original text related to this article:
The Pilgrim's Progress

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pilgrim's Progress.
* The Pilgrim's Progress at Standard Ebooks
*
*  The Pilgrim's Progress public domain audiobook at LibriVox
* The Pilgrim's Progress (Project Gutenberg etext)
* ; High & Silver Presents: The Pilgrim's ProgressDramatized podcast of the Pilgrim's Progress.
* The Pilgrim's Progress: parts I & II. (Ebook, PDF layout and fonts inspired by 18th century publications
* Voyage du p;lerin PDF Ebook – French translation of The Pilgrim's Progress
* The Pilgrim's Progress – graphic novel
* "Pilgrim's Progress the Graphic Novel" ISBN 978-0-692-96574-0
* The Pilgrim's Progress Game The Pilgrim's Progress game on Steam
* John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progre;s (1678) text-based game on itch.io





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John Bunyan

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This article is about the 17th-century English writer and preacher. For other uses, see John Bunyan (disambiguation).
John Bunyan (/;b;nj;n/; 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and nonconformist preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory The Pilgrim's Progress, which also became an influential literary model. In addition to The Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan wrote nearly sixty titles, many of them expanded sermons.
John Bunyan

1684 portrait of Bunyan by Thomas Sadler
Born
1628; baptised 30 November 1628
Elstow, Bedfordshire
Died
31 August 1688 (aged 59)
London, England
Occupation
Writer and preacher
Genre
Christian allegory, sermons, Socratic dialogue, poetry
Notable works
The Pilgrim's Progress, The Life and Death of Mr. Badman, The Holy War
Signature

Bunyan came from the village of Elstow, near Bedford. He had some schooling and, at the age of sixteen, joined the Parliamentary Army at Newport Pagnell during the first stage of the English Civil War. After three years in the army, he returned to Elstow and took up the trade of tinker, which he had learned from his father. He became interested in religion after his marriage, attending first the parish church and then joining the Bedford Meeting, a nonconformist group in St John's church in Bedford, and later became a preacher. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, when the freedom of nonconformists was curtailed, Bunyan was arrested and spent the next twelve years in prison because he refused to give up preaching. During this time, he wrote a spiritual autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, and began work on his most famous book, The Pilgrim's Progress.
Bunyan's later years, following release from a further six-month imprisonment, were spent in relative comfort and he continued to be a popular author and preacher, and was the pastor of the Bedford Meeting. He died aged 59 after falling ill on a journey to London and is buried in Bunhill Fields. The Pilgrim's Progress became one of the most published books in the English language; 1,300 editions having been printed by 1938, 250 years after the author's death.
Bunyan is remembered in the Church of Englandwith a Lesser Festival on 30 August.[1] Some other churches of the Anglican Communion, such as the Anglican Church of Australia, honour him on the day of his death (31 August).

Biography

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Early life

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Bunyan's High Street cottage in Elstow
John Bunyan was born in 1628 to Thomas and Margaret Bunyan at Bunyan's End in the parish of Elstow, Bedfordshire. Bunyan's End is about halfway between the hamlet of Harrowden, (one mile south-east of Bedford) and Elstow High Street. Bunyan's exact date of birth is not known, but he was baptised on 30 November 1628, the baptismal entry in the parish register reading "John the sonne of Thomas Bunnion Jun., the 30 November".[2] The name Bunyan was spelt in many ways (there are 34 variants in Bedfordshire Record Office) and probably had its origins in the Norman-French name Buignon.[3] There had been Bunyans in Bedfordshire since at least 1199.[4]
Bunyan's father was a brazier or tinker who travelled around the area mending pots and pans, and his grandfather Thomas served as a member of the Elstow Manor court and was a chapman (or small trader).[4] Thomas Bunyan had, until his later years, owned land and properties in Elstow, so Bunyan's origins were not quite as humble as one might assume from his autobiographical work Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners where he wrote that his father's house was "of that rank that is meanest and most despised in the country".[5]
As a child, Bunyan learned his father's trade of tinker and was given some schooling[6] but it is not known which school he attended. It may have been at Houghton Conquest or Bedford Grammar. In Grace Abounding, Bunyan recorded few details of his upbringing, but he did note how he picked up the habit of swearing (from his father), suffered from nightmares, and read the popular stories of the day in cheap chap-books. In the summer of 1644 Bunyan lost both his mother and his sister Margaret.[7] That autumn, shortly before or after his sixteenth birthday, Bunyan enlisted in the Parliamentary army when an edict demanded 225 recruits from the town of Bedford. There are few details available about his military service, which took place during the first stage of the English Civil War. A muster roll for the garrison of Newport Pagnell shows him as private "John Bunnian".[8] In Grace Abounding, he recounted an incident from this time, as evidence of the grace of God:
When I was a Souldier, I, with others, were drawn out to go to such a place to besiege it; But when I was just ready to go, one of the company desired to go in my room, to which, when I had consented, he took my place; and coming to the siege, as he stood Sentinel, he was shot into the head with a Musket bullet and died.[9]
Bunyan's army service provided him with a knowledge of military language which he then used in his book The Holy War, and also exposed him to the ideas of the various religious sects and radical groups he came across in Newport Pagnell.[10] The garrison town also gave him opportunities to indulge in the sort of behaviour he would later confess to in Grace Abounding: "So that until I came to the state of Marriage, I was the very ringleader of all the Youth that kept me company, in all manner of vice and ungodliness".[11] Bunyan spent nearly three years in the army, leaving in 1647 to return to Elstow and his trade as a tinker. His father had remarried and had more children and Bunyan moved from Bunyan's End to a cottage in Elstow High Street.
Marriage and conversion

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Within two years of leaving the army, Bunyan married. The name of his wife and the exact date of his marriage are not known, but Bunyan did recall that his wife, a pious young woman, brought with her into the marriage two books that she had inherited from her father: Arthur Dent's Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven and Lewis Bayly's Practice of Piety. He also recalled that, apart from these two books, the newly-weds possessed little: "not having so much household-stuff as a Dish or a Spoon betwixt us both".[12] The couple's first daughter, Mary, was born in 1650, and it soon became apparent that she was blind. They would have three more children, Elizabeth, Thomas and John.
By his own account, Bunyan had as a youth enjoyed bell-ringing, dancing and playing games including on Sunday, which was forbidden by the Puritans, who held a particularly high view of Sunday, called the Lord's Day. One Sunday, the Rev'd Christopher Hall, vicar of Elstow, preached a sermon against Sabbath breaking and Bunyan took this sermon to heart. That afternoon, as he was playing tip-cat (a game in which a small piece of wood is hit with a stick) on Elstow village green, he heard a voice from the heavens in his soul "Wilt thou leave thy sins, and go to Heaven? Or have thy sins, and go to Hell?" and thought he could feel Jesus Christ looking down from Heaven rebuking him.[13] The next few years were a time of intense spiritual conflict for Bunyan as he struggled with his doubts and fears over religion and guilt over what he saw as his state of sin.[14] He described how he developed a fear of bell-ringing: "I would go to the steeple-house and look on, though I durst not ring . . . but quickly after I began to think how if one of the bells should fall?" He was later unable even to approach the steeple door of the church "for fear the steeple should fall upon my head."[15]
During this time Bunyan, whilst on his travels as a tinker, happened to be in Bedford when he passed a group of women on a doorstep, talking about spiritual matters. The women were some of the founding members of the Bedford Free Church (or Bedford Meeting) and Bunyan, who had been attending the parish church of Elstow, was so impressed by their talk that he joined their church.[16] At that time the nonconformist group was meeting in St John's church in Bedford under the leadership of former Royalist army officer John Gifford.[17] At the instigation of other members of the congregation Bunyan began to preach, both in the church and to groups of people in the surrounding countryside.[18] In 1656, having by this time moved his family to St Cuthbert's Street in Bedford, he published his first book, Gospel Truths Opened, which was inspired by a dispute with Ranters and Quakers.[19]
In 1658 Bunyan's wife died, leaving him with four young children, one of them being blind. A year later he married an eighteen-year-old woman named Elizabeth.[20]
Imprisonment

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Bunyan in prison, as imagined in 1881
The religious tolerance which had allowed Bunyan the freedom to preach became curtailed with the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. The members of the Bedford Meeting were no longer able to meet in St John's church, which they had been sharing with the Anglican congregation.[21] That November, Bunyan was preaching at Lower Samsell, a farm near the village of Harlington, thirteen miles from Bedford, when he was warned that a warrant was out for his arrest. Deciding not to make an escape, he was arrested and brought before the local magistrate Sir Francis Wingate, at Harlington House. Bunyan was arrested under the Religion Act 1592, which made it an offence to attend a religious gathering other than at the parish church with more than five people outside their family. The offence was punishable by 3 months' imprisonment followed by banishment or execution if the person then failed to promise not to re-offend. The Act had been little used, and Bunyan's arrest was probably due in part to concerns that non-conformist religious meetings were being held as a cover for people plotting against the king (although this was not the case with Bunyan's meetings). The Act of Uniformity, which made it compulsory for preachers to be ordained by an Anglican bishop and for the revised Book of Common Prayer to be used in church services, was still two years away, and the Act of Conventicles, which made it illegal to hold religious meetings of five or more people outside the Church of England, was not passed until 1664.[22]
The trial of Bunyan took place in January 1661 at the quarter sessions in Bedford, before a group of magistrates under John Kelynge, who would later help to draw up the Act of Uniformity.[23] Bunyan, who had been held in prison since his arrest, was indicted of having "devilishly and perniciousy abstained from coming to church to hear divine service" and having held "several unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the great disturbance and distraction of the good subjects of this kingdom".[24] He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with transportation to follow if at the end of this time he did not agree to attend the parish church and desist from preaching.[25]
As Bunyan refused to agree to give up preaching, his period of imprisonment eventually extended to 12 years and brought great hardship to his family. Elizabeth, who made strenuous attempts to obtain his release, had been pregnant when her husband was arrested and she subsequently gave birth prematurely to a still-born child.[26] Left to bring up four step-children, one of whom was blind, she had to rely on the charity of Bunyan's fellow members of the Bedford Meeting and other supporters and on what little her husband could earn in gaol by making shoelaces. But Bunyan remained resolute: "O I saw in this condition I was a man who was pulling down his house upon the head of his Wife and Children; yet thought I, I must do it, I must do it".[27]
Bunyan spent his 12 years' imprisonment in Bedford County Gaol, which stood on the corner of the High Street and Silver Street. There were, however, occasions when he was allowed out of prison, depending on the gaolers and the mood of the authorities at the time, and he was able to attend the Bedford Meeting and even to preach. His daughter Sarah was born during his imprisonment (the other child of his second marriage, Joseph, was born after his release in 1672).[28]
In prison, Bunyan had a copy of the Bible and of John Foxe's Book of Martyrs, as well as writing materials. He also had at times the company of other preachers who had been imprisoned. It was in Bedford Gaol that he wrote Grace Abounding and started work on The Pilgrim's Progress, as well as penning several tracts that may have brought him a little money.[29] In 1671, while still in prison, he was chosen as pastor of the Bedford Meeting.[30] By that time there was a mood of increasing religious toleration in the country and in March 1672 the king issued a declaration of indulgence which suspended penal laws against nonconformists. Thousands of nonconformists were released from prison, amongst them Bunyan and five of his fellow inmates of Bedford Gaol; Bunyan was freed in May 1672 and immediately obtained a licence to preach under the declaration of indulgence.[31]
Later life

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Following his release from prison in 1672 Bunyan probably did not return to his former occupation of a tinker. Instead, he devoted his time to writing and preaching.[32] He continued as pastor of the Bedford Meeting and traveled over Bedfordshire and adjoining counties on horseback to preach, becoming known affectionately as "Bishop Bunyan". His preaching also took him to London, where Lord Mayor Sir John Shorter became a friend and presented him with a silver-mounted walking stick.[32]  The Pilgrim's Progress was published in 1678 by Nathaniel Ponder and immediately became popular, though probably making more money for its publisher than for its author.[32]
Two events marred Bunyan's life during the later 1670s. Firstly, he became embroiled in a scandal concerning a young woman called Agnes Beaumont. When going to preach in Gamlingay in 1674 he allowed Beaumont, a member of the Bedford Meeting, to ride pillion on his horse, much to the anger of her father, who then died suddenly. His daughter was initially suspected of poisoning him, though the coroner found he had died of natural causes.[33] Secondly, in April 1675, the Bishop of Lincoln obtained a writ de excommunicato capiendo against Bunyan for having failed to attend the parish church and take communion. This led to his arrest in December 1676 and a further six months in prison.[34] [35]

Bunyan's effigy on his grave in Bunhill Fields
In 1688, on his way to London to the house of his friend, grocer John Strudwick of Snow Hill, Bunyan made a detour to Reading, Berkshire, to try and resolve a quarrel between a father and son. Travelling on from there to London, he was caught in a storm and fell ill with a fever. He died in Strudwick's house on the morning of 31 August 1688 and was buried in a tomb belonging to Strudwick in Bunhill Fields – the nonconformist burial ground in City Road London.[36]
Bunyan's estate at his death was worth ;42 19s 0d (about ;5,200 in 2021). His widow Elizabeth died in 1691.[37]

Works

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Pilgrim's Progress, first edition 1678.
Between 1656, when he published his first work, Some Gospel Truths Opened (a tract against the Ranters and Quakers—who at the time were somewhat indistinguishable), and his death in 1688, Bunyan published 42 titles. A further two works, including his Last Sermon, were published the following year by George Larkin. In 1692 Southwarkcomb-maker Charles Doe, who was a friend of Bunyan's in his later years, brought out, with the collaboration of Bunyan's widow, a collection of the author's works, including 12 previously unpublished titles, mostly sermons. Six years later Doe published The Heavenly Footman and finally in 1765 Relation of My Imprisonment was published, giving a total of 58 published titles.[38]
Bunyan's allegory The Pilgrim's Progress, was completed during his second period of imprisonment but was not published until 1678. It was an immediate success, made Bunyan's name as an author and remains the book for which Bunyan is best remembered.[38] The images Bunyan used in The Pilgrim's Progress are reflections of images from his own world: the strait gate being a version of the wicket gate at Elstow Abbey church; the Slough of Despond is a reflection of Squitch Fen, a wet and mossy area near his cottage in Harrowden; the Delectable Mountains are an image of the Chiltern Hills surrounding Bedfordshire. Even his characters, like the Evangelist as influenced by John Gifford, are reflections of real people.
Further allegorical works were to follow: The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War(1682), and Pilgrim's Progress Part II (1684). Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, a spiritual autobiography, was published in 1666, when he was still in prison.

Memorials

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There is a small obelisk and an interpretation board marking his birthplace at Bunyan's End – in a field beside 'Bumpy Lane', which runs northwards from Old Harrowden Road.

Bunhill Fields funerary monument

The effigy of author and non-conformist preacher John Bunyan on his tomb in London
In 1862 a recumbent statue was created to adorn Bunyan's grave; it was restored in 1922.[39]
In 1874, a bronze statue of John Bunyan, sculpted by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, was erected in Bedford. This stands at the south-western corner of St Peter's Green, facing Bedford's High Street. The site was chosen by Boehm for its significance as a crossroads. Bunyan is depicted expounding the Bible, to an invisible congregation, with a broken fetter representing his imprisonment by his left foot. There are three scenes from "The Pilgrim's Progress" on the stone plinth: Christian at the wicket gate; his fight with Apollyon; and losing his burden at the foot of the cross of Jesus. The statue was unveiled by Lady Augusta Stanley, wife of the Dean of Westminster, on Wednesday 10 June 1874.[40] In 1876 the Duke of Bedford gave bronze doors by Frederick Thrupp depicting scenes from The Pilgrim's Progress to the John Bunyan Meeting (the former Bedford Meeting which had been renamed in Bunyan's honour, and now houses the John Bunyan Museum).[41]
There is another statue of him in Kingsway, London, and there are memorial windows in Westminster Abbey, Southwark Cathedral and various churches, including Elstow Abbey (the parish church of Elstow) and the Bunyan Meeting Free Church in Bedford.[42]
Bunyan is remembered in the Church of England with a Lesser Festival on 30 August. Some other churches of the Anglican Communion, such as the Anglican Church of Australia, honour him on the day of his death (31 August).

Legacy

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Bunyan is best remembered for The Pilgrim's Progress, a book which gained immediate popularity. By 1692, four years after the author's death, publisher Charles Doe estimated that 100,000 copies had been printed in England, as well as editions "in France, Holland, New England and Welch".[43] By 1938, 250 years after Bunyan's death, more than 1,300 editions of the book had been printed.[44]
During the 18th century Bunyan's unpolished style fell out of favour, but his popularity returned with Romanticism. Many critics deem a turning point in Bunyan scholarship to be when poet Robert Southey wrote a lengthy appreciative biography in 1830 to accompany an edition of The Pilgrim's Progress.[45] Bunyan's reputation was further enhanced by the evangelical revival and he became a favourite author of the Victorians.[46] The tercentenary of Bunyan's birth, celebrated in 1928, elicited praise from his former adversary, the Church of England.[47] Although popular interest in Bunyan waned during the second half of the twentieth century, academic interest in the writer increased and Oxford University Press brought out a new edition of his works, beginning in 1976.[48]Authors who have been influenced by Bunyan include C. S. Lewis, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, George Bernard Shaw, William Thackeray, Charlotte Bront;, Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and Enid Blyton.[49][47]
Bunyan's work, in particular The Pilgrim's Progress, has reached a wider audience through stage, film, TV, and radio productions. An opera based on The Pilgrim's Progress by Ralph Vaughan Williams, which Williams referred to as a 'Morality', was first performed at the Royal Opera House in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain and revived in 2012 by the English National Opera.[50]
John Bunyan had six children, five of whom are known to have married, of whom four had children. The Moot Hall Museum in Elstow has a record of Bunyan's descendants, down to the nineteenth century, although this record is incomplete.
The 81-mile John Bunyan Trail notes places in Bedfordshire associated with Bunyan.[51]

Selected bibliography

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The best collection of Bunyan's writing is The Works of John Bunyan, edited by George Offor and published in London in three volumes between 1853 and 1855, containing 61 unique works. (A revised edition was published in 1862.) The misnamed Complete Works of John Bunyan, edited by John Gulliver and published in one volume by Bradley, Garretson & Co. in 1871, omits 28 works and lacks the biblical references and editorial footnotes present in Offor's collection.
Among Bunyan's many works were the following:
* A Few Sighs from Hell, or the Groans of a Damned Soul, 1658
* A Discourse Upon the Pharisee and the Publican, 1685
* A Holy Life
* Christ a Complete Saviour (The Intercession of Christ And Who Are Privileged in It), 1692
* Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, 1678
* Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, 1666
* Light for Them that Sit in Darkness
* Praying with the Spirit and with Understanding too, 1663
* Of Antichrist and His Ruin, 1692
* Reprobation Asserted, 1674
* Saved by Grace, 1675
* Seasonal Counsel or Suffering Saints in the Furnace – Advice to Persecuted Christians in Their Trials & Tribulations, 1684
* Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
* Some Gospel Truths Opened, 1656
* The Acceptable Sacrifice
* The Desire of the Righteous Granted
* The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded, 1659
* The Doom and Downfall of the Fruitless Professor (Or The Barren Fig Tree), 1682
* The End of the World, The Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgment, 1665
* The Fear of God – What it is, and what it is not, 1679
* The Greatness of the Soul and Unspeakableness of its Loss Thereof, 1683
* The Heavenly Footman, 1698
* The Holy City or the New Jerusalem, 1665
* The Holy War – The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Man-soul (The Holy War Made by Shaddai upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the World), 1682
* The Life and Death of Mr Badman, 1680
* The Pilgrim's Progress, 1678
* The Strait Gate, Great Difficulty of Going to Heaven, 1676
* Good News for the Vilest of Men, or, A Help for Despairing Souls, 1688
* The Water of Life or The Richness and Glory of the Gospel, 1688
* The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate, 1688
* The Saint's Knowledge of Christ's Love, or The Unsearchable Riches of Christ, 1692
The Works of John Bunyan, edited by George Offor:
* The Works of John Bunyan: With an Introduction to Each Treatise, Notes, and a Sketch of His Life. Vol. 1. Blackie and sons. 1853.
* The Works of John Bunyan: Experimental, doctrinal, and practical. Vol. 2. Blackie and Son. 1861. Rev. Ed.
* The Works of John Bunyan: Allegorical, figurative, and symbolical. Vol. 3. Blackie and son. 1853.
Biographies of John Bunyan:
* Ivimey, Joseph (1809). The Life of Mr. John Bunyan, Minister of the Gospel at Bedford. Printed by R. Edwards.
* Wickens, Stephen B. (1853). The Life of John Bunyan: Author of The Pilgrim's Progress. Carlton & Phillips.
* Brown, John (1885). John Bunyan: His Life, Times, and Work. Isbister & Company.
* Deal, William (2001). John Bunyan: The Tinker of Bedford. Christian Liberty Press. ISBN 978-1-930367-59-3.
* Laurence, Anne; W.R. Owens; Sim, Stuart (1990). John Bunyan & His England, 1628–1688. A&C Black. ISBN 978-1-85285-027-2.
* Lynch, Beth (2004). John Bunyan and the Language of Conviction. DS Brewer. ISBN 978-1-84384-017-6.
Illustrations:
* "John Bunyan". The Illustrated Magazine of Art. 1(5): 285–87. 1853. JSTOR 20537980.
* Smith, David E.; Griffin, Gillett G. (1964). "Illustrations of American Editions of 'The Pilgrim's Progress' to 1870". The Princeton University Library Chronicle. 26 (1): 16–26. doi:10.2307/26402925. JSTOR 26402925.

See also

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Christianity portal
Biography portal
* • English Dissenters
* "To Be a Pilgrim" – a poem from The Pilgrim's Progress which became a popular hymn. ("He that is down needs fear no fall" is another.)
* John Gifford (died 1655) – a spiritual advisor and predecessor of John Bunyan, and was also portrayed as "Evangelist" in Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

Citations

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1.  "The Calendar". The Church of England. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
2.  Brittain 1950: 30
3.  Brittain 1950: 41
4.  Brittain 1950: 42
5.  Furlong 1975: 48
6.  Furlong 1975: 49
7.  Furlong 1975: 50
8.  Reynolds, Jack (2013). Cromwell's Garrison Town of Newport Pagnell. Milton Keynes: Mercury.
9.  Furlong 1975: 51–52
10.  Furlong 1975: 52
11.  Brittain 1950: 89
12.  Furlong 1975: 53
13.  Furlong 1975: 55
14.  Morden 2013: 51
15.  "Bell ringing takes its fearsome toll". The Times. 4 July 2005. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
16.  Brittain 1950: 119
17.  Brittain 1950: 144
18.  Morden 2013: 71–72
19.  Brittain 1950: 163
20.  Furlong 1975: 68
21.  Morden 2013: 83
22.  Brittain 1950: 191
23.  Brittain 1950: 228
24.  Brittain 1950: 202
25.  Brittain 1950: 205
26.  Furlong 1975: 75
27.  Furlong 1975: 79
28.  Furlong 1975: 85
29.  Furlong 1975: 86
30.  Furlong 1975: 87
31.  Brittain 1950: 275–76
32.  Furlong 1975: 89
33.  Brittain 1950: 286–92
34.  "Bunyan chronology". The International John Bunyan Society. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
35.  Furlong 1975: 88
36.  Brittain 1950: 389–90, 394
37.  Furlong 1975: 392
38.  Keeble 2010
39.  Brittain 1950: 399
40.  Brittain 1950: 409–10
41.  Brittain 1950: 410
42.  Brittain 1950: 410–11
43.  Forrest and Greaves 1982: ix
44.  Forrest and Greaves 1982: vii
45.  Shears 2018
46.  Forrest and Greaves 1982: xi
47.  Forrest and Greaves 1982: xii
48.  Forrest and Greaves 1982: xiii
49.  McCrum, Robert (23 September 2013). "The 100 best novels: No 1 – The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (1678)". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
50.  The Pilgrim's Progress: Vaughan Williams's masterpiece returns at ENO The Guardian, 5 November 2012
51.  "The John Bunyan Trail in Bedfordshire"(PDF). Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants. Bedfordshire Ramblers. 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2025.

References

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* Brittain, Vera (1950). In the Steps of John Bunyan: An Excursion into Puritan England. London: Rich and Cowan.
* Forrest, J. F. and Greaves, R. L. (1982). John Bunyan: A Reference Guide. Boston: GK Hall & Co.
* Furlong, Monica (1975). Puritan's Progress: A Study of John Bunyan. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
* Keeble, Neil (2010), "John Bunyan's Literary Life". In Anne Dunan-Page (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Bunyan, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 13–25.
* Morden, Peter (2013). John Bunyan: The People's Pilgrim. Farnham: CWR.
* Shears, Johnathon (2018). "Bunyan and the Romantics". In Michael Davies and W. R. Owens, eds. The Oxford Handbook to John Bunyan. Oxford University Press, 2018.

External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
John Bunyan (category)

Wikiquote has quotations related to John Bunyan.

English Wikisource has original works by or about:
John Bunyan
* All about the places in and around Bedford linked to John Bunyan
* Bunyan 400 Project
* John Bunyan Museum Bedford
* Moot Hall Elstow, a Museum specialising in 17th century life and John Bunyan
* The International John Bunyan Society
* Works by John Bunyan in eBook form at Standard Ebooks
* Works by John Bunyan at Project Gutenberg
* Works by or about John Bunyan at the Internet Archive
* Works by John Bunyan at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
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* ;John Bunyan Museum;Biographical museum in England
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Ежедневные католические размышления
Моя католическая жизнь!

Рвение к Миссии
7 февраля 2026 года, суббота четвертой недели, в обычном чтении "Тайм" за сегодня

Андрей Николаевич Миронов (А.Н. Миронов), CC BY-SA 4.0, на Викискладе

Апостолы собрались вместе с Иисусом и рассказали обо всем, что они делали и чему учили. Он сказал им: “Пойдите одни в пустынное место и отдохните немного”. Марка 6:30-31
Когда человек впервые делает что-то глубокое и значимое, это незабываемый момент. Когда ребенок впервые делает первые шаги, родители радуются. Когда мы заканчиваем среднюю школу или колледж, нас переполняет естественное чувство гордости. Свадьбы, рождение ребенка, рукоположение и многие другие важные события знаменуют начало чего-то нового и приносящего удовлетворение.
Примерно в середине общественного служения Иисуса некоторые из его ближайших учеников пережили один из таких важных моментов. Иисус повелел Двенадцати апостолам идти по двое и проповедовать покаяние во многих городах и селениях (ср. от Марка 6:7-13). Он дал им власть над нечистыми духами, позволив изгонять бесов и исцелять больных. Хотя они были непосредственными свидетелями служения Иисуса и Его великих деяний, эта миссия стала первым случаем, когда они действовали независимо от Его имени, используя Его божественную власть. Должно быть, это был впечатляющий опыт, укрепивший их веру и понимание их роли в Его миссии.
В сегодняшнем Евангелии рассказывается об их возвращении со служения. Мы можем себе представить, что каждый из них хотел рассказать обо всем, что он делал, и о том, как сила Божья действовала в них и через них. По этой причине Иисус предложил им “Уединиться в пустынном месте и немного отдохнуть”. Это приглашение, вероятно, было воспринято с энтузиазмом, учитывая эмоциональную и духовную энергию, которую они излучали, и их желание вместе осмыслить свой опыт. Хотя приглашение было искренним, формирование Иисусом Двенадцати было неполным. То, что произошло дальше, помогло Двенадцати Апостолам лучше понять глубинный смысл служения, которое они только что взяли на себя.
Хотя Двенадцать Апостолов были рады снова оказаться с Иисусом и другими, то же самое было и с толпой. Несмотря на изнеможение апостолов, люди окружали их, так что им было трудно даже есть. Когда Иисус отвез их на лодке в другой город, люди поспешили туда пешком и терпеливо ждали Иисуса и Двенадцать Апостолов.
Когда Двенадцать увидели толпу, они, по понятным причинам, были несколько взволнованы. Они надеялись на некоторое время передышки, но люди изголодались по духовной пище, которую могли дать только Иисус и Его ученики. Вместо волнения: “Когда Иисус сошел на берег и увидел огромную толпу, сердце его преисполнилось жалости к ним, ибо они были как овцы без пастыря; и он начал учить их многому” (Марка 6:34).
Хотя Двенадцать Апостолов пережили преображающий опыт проповедования, исцеления и изгнания бесов, сострадание Иисуса к толпе стало для них следующим важным уроком. Их миссия заключалась не в том, чтобы они служили ради себя или восхищались божественной властью, с которой они это делали. В ней говорилось о Божьем народе, который был “как овцы без пастыря”. Иисус хотел, чтобы Двенадцать апостолов осознали важность возложенной на них миссии и усердие, необходимое для ее выполнения.
Хотя мы не входим в число Двенадцати, на каждого из нас возложена миссия. Мы должны принять это с таким же рвением, какое проявлял Иисус в Своем служении. Хотя чувствовать усталость и искать отдыха - это естественно, сверхъестественное рвение призывает нас не останавливаться, жертвенно служить и подражать бескорыстному состраданию Иисуса. Наша миссия всегда должна отражать сердце Христа, взращивая в нас то же сострадание и любовь, которые Он являл для всех.
Подумайте сегодня о том волнении, которое, должно быть, испытывали Двенадцать Апостолов, когда видели, как толпа жаждет духовной пищи. Подумайте о своей собственной миссии любовного служения — будь то своим друзьям, семье, обществу или церкви. Бывают ли моменты, когда вы чувствуете, что ваше время становится непосильным, испытываете терпение и милосердие? В такие времена старайтесь развивать в себе сострадание, которое Иисус являл для Двенадцати Апостолов, позволяя Его примеру вдохновлять вас на то, чтобы вы отвечали любовью, терпением и бескорыстной заботой о других.
Мой ревностный Господь, Ты был неутомим в Своей проповеди и непоколебим в Своей благотворительности. Голод и жажда толпы наполнили Твое божественное Сердце милосердием и побудили Тебя стать пастырем Своего народа. Преобрази мое сердце так, чтобы оно отражало Твое, наполнив меня сверхъестественным рвением, чтобы я никогда не уставал служить тем, кто вверен моей заботе. Иисус, я верю в Тебя.
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Catholic Daily Reflections
My Catholic Life!

Zeal for the Mission
February 7, 2026;Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time;Readings for Today

Андрей Николаевич Миронов (A.N. Mironov), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mark 6:30–31
When a person does something profound and meaningful for the first time, it’s a memorable moment. When a child walks for the first time, parents are elated. When we graduate from high school or college, a natural sense of pride wells up. Weddings, the birth of a baby, an ordination, and many other important events mark the beginning of something new and fulfilling.
Around the midpoint of Jesus’ public ministry, some of Jesus’ closest disciples experienced one of those consequential moments. Jesus commissioned the Twelve to go forth, two by two, to preach repentance in many towns and villages (cf. Mark 6:7–13). He gave them authority over unclean spirits, enabling them to cast out demons and heal the sick. While they had been firsthand witnesses to Jesus’ ministry and His mighty deeds, this mission marked the first time they acted independently in His name, exercising His divine authority. It must have been an awe-inspiring experience, deepening their faith and understanding of their role in His mission.
Today’s Gospel recounts their return from their ministry. We can imagine that each of them wanted to tell stories about all that they did and how the power of God worked in and through them. For that reason, Jesus invited them to “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” That invitation was likely enthusiastically received, given the emotional and spiritual energy they had exuded and their desire to process their experiences together. Though the invitation was sincere, Jesus’ formation of the Twelve was not complete. What happened next helped the Twelve to better understand the deeper meaning of the ministry they had just undertaken.
Though the Twelve were excited to be with Jesus and the others once again, so was the crowd. Despite the Apostles’ exhaustion, the people pressed in upon them, making it difficult for them even to eat. When Jesus took them by boat to another town, the people hurried to the place by foot and waited patiently for Jesus and the Twelve.
When the Twelve saw the crowd, they understandably might have been somewhat agitated. They had hoped for some time of rest, yet the people were starving for the spiritual nourishment that only Jesus and His disciples could give. Instead of agitation, “When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34).
Though the Twelve had a transforming experience preaching, healing, and casting out demons, Jesus’ compassion for the crowds became their next crucial lesson. Their mission was not for their own sake or to marvel at the divine authority with which they ministered. It was about God’s people, who were “like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus wanted the Twelve to grasp the urgency of the mission they were entrusted with and the zeal required to fulfill it.
Though we are not among the Twelve, each of us is entrusted with a mission. We must embrace it with the same zeal that Jesus showed in His ministry. While it is natural to feel tired and seek rest, supernatural zeal calls us to press on, to serve sacrificially, and to imitate Jesus’ selfless compassion. Our mission must always reflect the heart of Christ, fostering in us the same compassion and love He modeled for all.
Reflect today on the excitement the Twelve must have felt as they witnessed the crowd’s hunger and thirst for spiritual nourishment. Consider your own mission of loving service—whether to your friends, family, community, or church. Are there moments when the demands on your time feel overwhelming, testing your patience and charity? In those times, strive to cultivate the compassion Jesus modeled for the Twelve, allowing His example to inspire you to respond with love, patience, and selfless care for others.
My zealous Lord, You were tireless in Your preaching and unwavering in Your charity. The hunger and thirst of the crowd moved Your divine Heart with mercy and compelled You to shepherd Your people. Transform my heart to mirror Yours, filling me with supernatural zeal, so that I may never tire of serving those entrusted to my care. Jesus, I trust in You.
Scripture Meditations for Ordinary Time

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Ежедневные католические размышления
Моя католическая жизнь!

Нечистая совесть
6 февраля 2026 года
Мемориал святого Павла Мики и его сподвижников, мучеников
Чтения на сегодня, чтения на пятницу Четвертой недели по обычному времени

Обезглавливание святого Иоанна Крестителя Караваджо

Царь Ирод услышал об Иисусе, ибо слава его стала широко распространена, и люди говорили: “Иоанн Креститель воскрес из мертвых, вот почему в нем действуют могущественные силы”. Другие говорили: “Он Илия”, третьи: “Он пророк, подобный любой из пророков.” Но когда Ирод узнал об этом, он сказал: “Это Иоанн, которого я обезглавил. Он воскрес”. Марка 6:14-16
Когда человек серьезно грешит и отказывается каяться, пагубные последствия этого греха со временем усиливаются, порождая духовную слепоту и беспокойство. Напротив, покаяние не только приносит прощение, но и позволяет Богу превратить раны от греха в орудия благодати, используя даже наши неудачи для Своей славы.
Ирод - яркий пример того, как упрямство увеличивает ущерб, причиняемый грехом. Действие первого абзаца сегодняшнего Евангелия происходит спустя некоторое время после того, как Ирод казнил Иоанна. В остальной части Евангелия рассказывается о том, как Иродиада, его незаконнорожденная жена, и ее дочь заставили Ирода обезглавить Иоанна. Хотя многое можно было бы сказать о казни Иоанна и о том, какие добрые плоды принесло его окончательное свидетельство об Истине, также полезно поразмыслить о плачевном состоянии Ирода, чтобы извлечь уроки из его неудачи и избежать подобной реакции на грех.
Как только Иоанн крестил Иисуса в реке Иордан, служение Иоанна начало уменьшаться, как он сам признавал: “Он должен возрастать, а я должен уменьшаться” (Иоанна 3:30). Миссия Иоанна заключалась в подготовке к приходу Мессии, призыве людей к покаянию и указании на Того, Кто принесет спасение. Как только Иисус начал Свое общественное служение, работа Иоанна была завершена, и Бог допустил его арест Иродом, чтобы его мученическая смерть стала величайшим свидетельством о Христе.
Служение Иисуса заметно отличалось от служения Иоанна. В то время как Иоанн проповедовал покаяние и бесстрашно обличал Ирода за его греховные отношения, общественное служение Иисуса было отмечено не только авторитетным учением, но и чудесными знамениями, включая исцеления и даже воскрешение мертвых. Слава о нем быстро распространилась, достигнув даже Ирода.
Когда Ирод услышал об Иисусе, он пришел к логическому выводу, что Иисус - это Иоанн Креститель, воскресший из мертвых. Эта реакция свидетельствует о внутреннем смятении Ирода. Его ошибочное мнение было вызвано не верой, а муками нечистой совести. Ирод убил святого человека. Чувство вины, которое он так и не смог осознать, ослепило его и исказило его восприятие Иисуса, не дав ему распознать Мессию.
Трагическая история Ирода раскрывает всеобщую опасность нераскаянного греха и преподносит нам урок о разрушительной силе чувства вины и целительной благодати покаяния. Нераскаянный грех не только ведет к дальнейшему греху, но и вызывает иррациональное мышление, страх и паранойю. Чувство вины мешало ему ясно и рационально мыслить — не только об Иисусе, но, вероятно, и о многих других аспектах своей жизни.
Точно так же, когда мы совершаем серьезный грех, у нас есть два пути: раскаяние или упрямство. Покаяние открывает дверь к Божьей милости, исцелению и преображению. По Его милости этот путь не только освобождает нас, но и формирует в нас добродетель и открывает нам духовный дар мудрости. С другой стороны, упрямство приводит нас к духовному беспокойству, углубляя раны греха. Этот путь ведет к саморазрушительной иррациональности, замешательству и слепоте.
Поразмышляйте сегодня о важности искреннего и полного покаяния в прошлых грехах. Честная оценка своих грехов и искреннее покаяние - это путь к немедленной свободе и вечной славе, хотя и трудный. Мы должны понимать силу покаяния и верить в нее. Когда мы впадаем в грех, мы должны иметь мужество встретиться с ним лицом к лицу, признать его и просить Божьей милости. Учитесь у Ирода, отвергая его пример, и позвольте Божьему милосердию наполнить вашу жизнь, устраняя последствия нечистой совести и ведя вас к миру и свободе.
Всемилостивый Господь, я предстаю перед Тобой как грешник, нуждающийся в Твоем бесконечном милосердии. Освободи меня от духовной слепоты и упрямства, которые мешают мне полностью открыть Тебе свое сердце. Даруй мне мужество без страха признать свою вину, чтобы я мог получить прощение, которое можешь дать только Ты. По Твоей милости, преврати мои прошлые грехи в возможности для Твоей славы и обрати мою вину в добродетель с помощью даров Твоего Святого Духа. Иисус, я верю в Тебя.
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Catholic Daily Reflections
My Catholic Life!

A Guilty Conscience
February 6, 2026
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
Readings for Today;Readings for Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

The beheading of St. John the Baptist by Caravaggio

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; That is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.” Mark 6:14–16
When a person sins seriously and refuses to repent, the damaging effects of that sin deepen over time, creating spiritual blindness and unrest. In contrast, repentance not only brings forgiveness, it allows God to transform the wounds of sin into instruments of grace, using even our failures for His glory.
Herod is a prime example of how obstinacy magnifies the damage caused by sin. The first paragraph of today’s Gospel takes place some time after Herod executed John. The rest of the Gospel recounts how Herod was manipulated into beheading John by Herodias, his illegitimate wife, and her daughter. While much could be said about John’s execution and the good fruit borne by his ultimate testimony to the Truth, it is also helpful to reflect on Herod’s pitiful state to learn from his failure in order to avoid a similar response to sin.
As soon as Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, John’s ministry began to decrease, as he himself acknowledged: “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). John’s mission was one of preparation for the Messiah, calling people to repentance and pointing to the One who would bring salvation. Once Jesus began His public ministry, John’s work was complete, and God permitted his arrest by Herod so that his martyrdom could become his greatest witness to Christ.
Jesus’ ministry was markedly different from John’s. While John preached repentance and fearlessly rebuked Herod for his sinful relationship, Jesus’ public ministry was marked not only by authoritative teaching but also by miraculous signs, including healings and even raising the dead. His fame spread quickly, reaching even Herod.
When Herod heard about Jesus, he irrationally concluded that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. This reaction reveals Herod’s inner turmoil. His erroneous belief was not borne of faith but of the torment of a guilty conscience. Herod had killed a holy man. His unresolved guilt blinded him to this truth and distorted his perception of Jesus, preventing him from recognizing the Messiah.
Herod’s tragic story reveals the universal danger of unrepentant sin, offering us a lesson about the destructive power of guilt and the healing grace of repentance. Unrepentant sin not only leads to further sin but also causes irrational thinking, fear, and paranoia. His guilt interfered with his ability to think clearly and rationally—not only about Jesus but likely about many other aspects of his life.
Similarly, when we fall into serious sin, we are faced with two paths: repentance or obstinacy. Repentance opens the door to God’s mercy, healing, and transformation. Through His grace, this path not only sets us free but also forms virtue within us and opens us to the spiritual gift of wisdom. Obstinacy, on the other hand, leaves us in spiritual unrest, deepening the wounds of sin. That path leads to self-destructive irrationality, confusion, and blindness.
Reflect today on the importance of sincere and total repentance for past sins. Though difficult, an honest assessment of our sins and sincere repentance is the path to immediate freedom and eternal glory. We must understand and believe in the power of repentance. When we fall into sin, we must have the courage to face it, own it, and seek God’s mercy. Learn from Herod by rejecting his example, and allow God’s mercy to flood your life, eliminating the effects of a guilty conscience and leading you to peace and freedom.
Most merciful Lord, I come before You as a sinner in need of Your infinite mercy. Free me from the spiritual blindness and obstinacy that prevent me from fully opening my heart to You. Grant me the courage to confess my guilt without fear, so that I may receive the forgiveness only You can give. By Your grace, transform my past sins into opportunities for Your glory, and turn my guilt into virtue through the gifts of Your Holy Spirit. Jesus, I trust in You.
Read more on Saints Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs—Memorial

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06 февраля 2026 г. https://www.jftna.org/jft/
Я не могу - мы можем
Страница 38
"Мы убедили себя, что справимся в одиночку, и продолжали жить, исходя из этого. Результаты были катастрофическими, и, в конце концов, каждому из нас пришлось признать, что самодостаточность - это ложь".
Основной текст, стр. 62
"Я не могу, но мы можем". Эта простая, но глубокая истина применима, прежде всего, к нашей первой потребности как членов АН: вместе мы можем оставаться чистыми, но когда мы изолируемся, мы попадаем в плохую компанию. Чтобы выздороветь, нам нужна поддержка других зависимых.

Самодостаточность препятствует не только нашей способности оставаться чистыми. С наркотиками или без них, своеволие неизбежно приводит к катастрофе. Мы зависим от других людей во всем, от товаров и услуг до любви и дружеских отношений, однако своеволие приводит нас к постоянному конфликту с этими самыми людьми. Чтобы жить полноценной жизнью, нам нужна гармония с окружающими.

Мы зависим не только от других зависимых и окружающих нас людей. Сила - это не свойство человека, но нам нужна сила, чтобы жить. Мы находим ее в Силе, превосходящей нас самих, которая дает нам руководство и силу, которых нам самим не хватает. Когда мы притворяемся самодостаточными, мы изолируем себя от единственного источника энергии, способного эффективно направлять нас по жизни, - от нашей Высшей Силы.

Самодостаточность не работает. Нам нужны другие зависимые, нам нужны другие люди, и, чтобы жить полноценной жизнью, нам нужна Сила, превосходящая нашу собственную.
Только на сегодня: я буду искать поддержки у других выздоравливающих зависимых, гармонии с другими людьми в моем сообществе и заботы моей Высшей Силы. Я не могу, но мы можем.
Авторское право (c) 2007-2023, NA World Services, Inc. все права защищены

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February 06, 2026 https://www.jftna.org/jft/
I can't--we can
Page 38
"We had convinced ourselves that we could make it alone and proceeded to live life on that basis. The results were disastrous and, in the end, each of us had to admit that self-sufficiency was a lie."
Basic Text, p. 62
"I can't, but we can." This simple but profound truth applies initially to our first need as NA members: Together, we can stay clean, but when we isolate ourselves, we're in bad company. To recover, we need the support of other addicts.

Self-sufficiency impedes more than just our ability to stay clean. With or without drugs, living on self-will inevitably leads to disaster. We depend on other people for everything from goods and services to love and companionship, yet self-will puts us in constant conflict with those very people. To live a fulfilling life, we need harmony with others.

Other addicts and others in our communities are not the only ones we depend on. Power is not a human attribute, yet we need power to live. We find it in a Power greater than ourselves which provides the guidance and strength we lack on our own. When we pretend to be self-sufficient, we isolate ourselves from the one source of power sufficient to effectively guide us through life: our Higher Power.

Self-sufficiency doesn't work. We need other addicts; we need other people; and, to live fully, we need a Power greater than our own.
Just for Today: I will seek the support of other recovering addicts, harmony with others in my community, and the care of my Higher Power. I can't, but we can.
Copyright (c) 2007-2023,  NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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НАПОЛНЕННОЕ БЛАГОДАРНОСТЬЮ СЕРДЦЕ

Я изо всех сил стараюсь твердо придерживаться истины, что наполненное благодарностью сердце не может быть слишком тщеславным. Когда благодарность переполняет сердце, сердцебиение непременно приводит к исходящей любви, самой прекрасной эмоции, которую мы когда-либо могли испытывать.

КАК ЭТО ВИДИТ БИЛЛ, стр. 37

Я считаю, что нам, членам Общества анонимных алкоголиков, повезло в том, что нам постоянно напоминают о необходимости быть благодарными и о том, как важна благодарность для нашей трезвости. Я искренне благодарен Богу за трезвость, которую Он дал мне через программу АА, и рад, что могу вернуть то, что было дано мне добровольно. Я благодарен не только за трезвость, но и за качество жизни, которое принесла мне трезвость. Бог был достаточно милостив, чтобы дать мне трезвые дни и жизнь, благословленную миром и довольством, а также способность дарить и получать любовь и возможность служить другим — в нашем общении, моей семье и моем сообществе. За все это у меня “полное благодарности сердце”.

Из книги "Ежедневные размышления"
© Авторское право 1990 года, Всемирная служба анонимных алкоголиков, Inc.

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A FULL AND THANKFUL HEART

I try hard to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one’s heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can ever know.

AS BILL SEES IT, p. 37

I believe that we in Alcoholics Anonymous are fortunate in that we are constantly reminded of the need to be grateful and of how important gratitude is to our sobriety. I am truly grateful for the sobriety God has given me through the A.A. program and am glad I can give back what was given to me freely. I am grateful not only for sobriety, but for the quality of life my sobriety has brought. God has been gracious enough to give me sober days and a life blessed with peace and contentment, as well as the ability to give and receive love, and the opportunity to serve others—in our Fellowship, my family and my community. For all of this, I have “a full and thankful heart.”

From the book Daily Reflections
© Copyright 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

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ОБЪЕДИНЯЮЩИЙ МОМЕНТ

Таким образом, второй шаг является объединяющим моментом для всех нас. Независимо от того, являемся ли мы агностиками, атеистами или бывшими верующими, мы можем объединиться на этом этапе.
ДВЕНАДЦАТЬ ШАГОВ И ДВЕНАДЦАТЬ ТРАДИЦИЙ, стр. 33

Я чувствую, что АА - это программа, вдохновленная Богом, и что Бог присутствует на каждом собрании АА. Я вижу, верю и пришел к пониманию того, что АА работает, потому что сегодня я оставался трезвым. Я посвящаю свою жизнь АА и Богу, посещая собрания АА. Если Бог в моем сердце и в сердце каждого человека, то я - маленькая часть целого и я не уникален. Если Бог в моем сердце и Он говорит со мной через других людей, то я должен быть каналом общения Бога с другими людьми. Я должен стремиться исполнять Его волю, следуя духовным принципам, и моей наградой будет здравомыслие и эмоциональная трезвость.

Из книги "Ежедневные размышления".
Авторское право © 1990, Всемирная служба анонимных алкоголиков, Inc. Все права защищены.

...

A RALLYING POINT

Therefore, Step Two is the rallying point for all of us. Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this Step.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 33

I feel that A.A. is a God-inspired program and that God is at every A.A. meeting. I see, believe, and have come to know that A.A. works, because I have stayed sober today. I am turning my life over to A.A. and to God by going to an A.A. meeting. If God is in my heart and everyone else's, then I am a small part of a whole and I am not unique. If God is in my heart and He speaks to me through other people, then I must be a channel of God to other people. I should seek to do His will by living spiritual principles and my reward will be sanity and emotional sobriety.

From the book Daily Reflections.
Copyright © 1990 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

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