THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF JOHN BUNYAN

A Paper Submitted to Dr. Marvin Jones of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course Baptist Heritage: HIST5323 in the Division of Theological and Historical Studies

Matthew Solomon B.A., University of Central Florida, 2005 May 8, 2006

CONTENTS

Sections 1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 2. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH............................................................................... 3. THE PILGRIMS PROGRESS............................................................................. 1 2 5

4. CONCLUSION................................................................................................... 7 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................ 8

INTRODUCTION John Bunyan contributed much to the birth of Baptists. His greatest known work, The Pilgrims Progress, is one of the most widely-known allegories ever written and is known by many who study English literature. His story is one of humble beginnings that give way to immortalization in print. Much of Bunyans life was spent in controversy. He often would be at odds with Quakers and liturgy of the Church of England. Having come from a relatively poor background and spending more than 13 years in prison, Bunyan was no stranger to persecution and oppression. Bunyan was often regarded as a mechanick preacheran uneducated, bi-vocational Puritan preacher who was looked down upon by many academic types. There is no doubt that John Bunyan was the most popular religious writer in the English language. However, his writings and preaching contributed much more to the formation of the Baptists out of the Separatist tradition than to the development of English literature. Bunyans theology sought to explore the nature of God and the atonement that were both essential to understand salvation and life in the world.1 John Bunyan was a Bedfordshire tinker with the vision of Paul, the conviction of Luther, and the commitment to freedom of Milton.2

Richard L. Greaves, John Bunyan (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), 27.
2

Greaves, 11.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Not much is known about John Bunyans earlier years. He was born in 1628, in the village of Elstow, England, near Bedford. The date is unknown; however, he was baptized on November 30 by the minister John Kellie,3 so one can easily infer that he was more than likely born in October or November.4 His family had once been landed yeomen, but he and his father, Thomas, became tinkers as described by Johns mother Margaret.5 His parents were relatively poor life-long residents of Elstow.6 After a scanty bit of educationlearning to read and to writein the nearby town of Bedfordshire, Bunyan joined in the family trade as an apprentice to his father, learning the trade of a brazier.7 His father more than likely plied his trade not just at home, but through the countryside, often bringing John along.8 The next bit of Johns story comes in 1644 when a series of crises came upon him. His mother died in June and his sister died in July. Soon thereafter, Johns father married for a third time. In November, John was enlisted into the Parliamentary Army the army that was in opposition to his fathers army on the Royalist side.9 John Bunyans
3

Richard L. Greaves, Glimpses of Glory, John Bunyan and English Dissent (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2002), 3.
4

Lynn Veach Sadler, John Bunyan (Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1979), 13. Sadler, 13-14. Greaves, 15. Greaves, 15.

A. R. Buckland, John Bunyan, The Man and His Work (London: The Religious Tract Society, 1928), p. 14.
9

Sadler, 13.

life spanned a pretty rough duration of years in England, beginning with the Petition of Right in 1628 and ending with the Glorious Revolution in 1688.10 While enlisted in the Parliamentary Army, one of his friends had taken his post and been shot. This to John was taken as a sign that his life was spared by divine Providence and forever changed his outlook on life.11 During his youth, Bunyan had many religious experiences that shaped his future. As a child, he had a traumatic perception of a God who did scare and affright me with fearful dreams, and did terrifie me with dreadful visions.12 John had a series of spiritual and psychological crises throughout his life that shaped his person. One of these occurred shortly after he was discharged from the Parliamentary Army. Soon after he was discharged, Bunyan married a woman of whom there is no name or record. There is also no record of her place of residence or the date of their marriage, although one can infer that they were married no later than October 1649 as their first child was christened on July 20, 1650.13 When Bunyan married, his character was quite short of the standard of character he would develop. However, Bunyans wife had a direct influence on the change that shaped his character. She often talked about her godly father and introduced Bunyan to two books that greatly affected his spiritual and literary lifeArthur Dents

10

Greaves, 15.

Thomas Babington Macaulay, John Bunyan. Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition, 8 May 2006 < http://www.ccel.org/b/bunyan/bunyan.html>.
12

11

Greaves, 15. Greaves, 30.

13

The Plaine Mans Pathway to Heaven and Bishop Lewis Bayleys The Practice of Piety.14 Another influence early on in Bunyans career came during his time with John Gifford at the Separatist Church of Bradford in 1651-1653.15 Gifford died in 1655 and Bunyan began to preach in public.16 It was during this time that Bunyan began to adopt Puritan views, although Bunyan disliked labels and did not fit the exact mold of a model Puritan.17 Bunyan is now, however, regarded as a Particular Open Communion Baptist, even though he once considered himself an Anabaptist. This change is due to the fact that Bunyan wanted not simply to reform the Anglican Church, but to establish a new, true to form sect of Christianity.18 Bunyan rapidly gained popularity as a preacher and writer in the late 1650s as he participated in doctrinal disputes, even though he was unlicensed and considered uneducated.19 Bunyan had several works published before being put in prison, which included Some Gospel-truths Opened, A Few Sighs From Hell, and The Doctrine of Law and Grace Unfolded.20 In 1660, John Bunyan was arrested and sentenced to prison for preaching without a license. Having not agreed to never preach again, Bunyan served a longer sentence than most. During his imprisonment, Bunyan published many works,
14

Sadler, 14. Sadler, 14. Sadler, 15. Sadler, 16. Sadler, 18. Sadler, 19. Sadler, 19-20.

15

16

17

18

19

20

preached, and counseled many. He may have also written much of Part I of The Pilgrims Progress while serving his first imprisonment.21

THE PILGRIMS PROGRESS The Pilgrims Progress is one of the most widely-known allegories in the history of English literature. Known as the work that made Bunyan famous, it paints a picture of the pilgrimage that all Christians must make in order to accept that title. An example of this allegory can be seen when Bunyan uses characters to satirize different groups, as seen in this illustration: 22

21

Sadler 20-24.

Pride, Arrogancy, Self-Conceit, and Wordly-Glory, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress With Over One Hundred Illustrations Designed by Frederick Barnard and Others Engraved by Dalziel Borthers, (The John C. Winston Company: Philadelphia, Chicago, and Toronto, 1894) Accessed 8 May 2006 <http://www.anesi.com/pilgrim.htm>

22

In Part I of The Pilgrims Progress, Bunyan allegorizes the experience of conversion that is found in his earlier work Grace Abounding.23 The main character in the allegory is Christian, who has searched his book and now finds that he plays a part in Original Sin.24 Christian then flees his family and seeks eternal life, thus showing the emergence of faith and the first act of turning ones back on the things of the world.25 Christian must learn to exchange good works for faith in Christ as he goes along on his journey.26 The most significant thing to happen on Christians pilgrimage happens at the Cross, where Christians burden is lost.27 This paints a portrait of what Christs substitution of himself as payment for sin; however, the conversion experience requires constant vigilance.28 Bunyan then switches his message and says that even vigilance is not enough to get the Christian to heavenChristian must rely on faith to make it to heaven.29 Part II of The Pilgrims Progress continues the story presented in Part I; nevertheless, the shift changes ever so slightly. Bunyan here presents Christians family on the road to salvation.30 The overall emphasis in Part II is on the mutual benefits of

23

Sadler, 51. Sadler, 51. Sadler, 51. Sadler, 51. Sadler, 52. Sadler, 52. Sadler, 53. Sadler, 92.

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

shared religious experience.31 The more communal aspect of the conversion process are stated in Part IIcalling, justification through faith, sanctification, and glorification. Little emphasis is placed on the conviction of sin.32

CONCLUSION John Bunyan died on August 31, 1688 after contracting a fever on a trip from Reading to London.33 Before he died, though, he produced many works, preached countless sermons, and counseled many individuals. Bunyan will not only leave his mark on the world of literature, but will also always have a role in the development of the Baptist faith. A Separatist from the beginning, although not categorizing himself, Bunyan was always ready throw off the yoke of tradition to follow what he felt was right in the eyes of God instead of man. His success can be placed on the fact that he was able to rouse the imagination of his readers and to identify with the poor and oppresseda state which Bunyan was none-to-familiar.34 Growing up in a relatively poor home, receiving minimal education, and having been imprisoned, Bunyan was someone with which the common man could identify.

31

Sadler, 98. Sadler, 98.

32

Tamsin Spargo, The Writing of John Bunyan, (Aldershot, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 1997), 6.
34

33

Greaves, 634.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books Buckland, A. R. John Bunyan, The Man and His Work. London: The Religious Tract Society, 1928. Collmer, Robert G., ed. Bunyan in Our Time. Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1989. Greaves, Richard L. Glimpses of Glory, John Bunyan and English Dissent. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2002. _______. John Bunyan. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969. Hawkins, Anne Hunsaker. Archetypes of Conversion, The Autobiographies of Augustine, Bunyan, and Merton. London: Associated University Presses, 1985. McBeth, H. Leon. The Baptist Heritage, Four Centuries of Baptist Witness. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1987. Norvig, Gerda S. Dark Figures in the Desired Country, Blakes Illustrations to The Pilgrims Progress. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1993. Sadler, Lynn Veach. John Bunyan. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1979. Spargo, Tamsin. The Writing of John Bunyan. Aldershot, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 1997. Tindall, William York. John Bunyan Mechanick Preacher. New York: Russell & Russell, Inc., 1964.

Electronic Documents Macaulay, Thomas Babington. John Bunyan. Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition. 8 May 2006. < http://www.ccel.org/b/bunyan/bunyan.html>.

Pride, Arrogancy, Self-Conceit, and Wordly-Glory. Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, With Over One Hundred Illustrations Designed by Frederick Barnard and Others, Engraved by Dalziel Borthers. The John C. Winston Company: Philadelphia, Chicago, and Toronto, 1894. Accessed 8 May 2006. <http://www.anesi.com/pilgrim.htm>.