The Pilgrim's Progress - Introduction

Good morning. Last Monday, I mentioned that I would like to start an online 'book study.' Well, I have decided to do so using the book, The Pilgrim's Progress. This is one book that I have been wanting to read for a long time. I remember going through it in a Sunday School class as a child, but I have never read it as an adult. It has been called "the most influential religious book ever written in the English language." I think it will serve as a great book for our purposes here.

If you want to participate, the first thing you must do is secure a copy of the book. This should not be difficult. There are numerous editions available. There are also free online versions available HERE if you want to read it on your computer screen. One logistical difficulty with this book is that there are no chapter divisions. So, I am planning to follow the divisions listed HERE which divides the book into stages. I encourage you to do the same. Try to schedule it into your weekly schedule. Each Monday morning I'll post a short summary of what I've read and then post some discussion questions which will solicit your responses. My hope is to foster some profitable discussion here on our blog.

Today I want to give just a short introduction to the book. John Bunyan was born in 1628 in the parish of Elstow, England. He began writing his masterpiece, The Pilgrim's Progress, while he was in jail in 1675. It was written in two parts. The first being published in 1678 and the second in 1684. HERE is a great article with more biographical information regarding Bunyan and The Pilgrim's Progress.

It is important to understand that Bunyan's book is an allegory. "Allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy. Thus an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning." In other words, The Pilgrim's Progress is a book with a meaning that extends far beyond the literal meaning. It is filled with symbols and pictures. As such, a cursory reading of this book will not do it justice. We will have to read with an engaged mind.

So, I trust you will participate in this endeavor. If not, oh well, at least I will be able to cross another book off of my 'books to read' list.