John Bunyan
John Bunyan (1628–1688) was an English Puritan preacher and writer best known for The Pilgrim’s Progress, an allegory of the Christian journey.
Puritanism: A movement in English Protestantism that sought to purify the Church of England and reform personal and communal life. Its emphasis on scripture, conversion, and godly conduct shaped Bunyan’s preaching and allegories.
The Pilgrim’s Progress: A 1678 allegory by John Bunyan following Christian’s journey from the City of Destruction toward the Celestial City. It is Bunyan’s most influential work and the clearest example of his religious allegory.
English Civil War: A series of armed conflicts in England from 1642 to 1651 between Royalists and Parliamentarians. Bunyan served in the parliamentary army during the political upheaval of his youth.
Allegory: A mode of writing in which characters, events, or settings carry a sustained second meaning. Bunyan made abstract Christian doctrines vivid through characters and places with symbolic significance.
Nonconformism: English Protestant dissent from the established Church of England, especially over worship and church government. Bunyan preached outside the established church and faced punishment for refusing to conform.
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: John Bunyan’s 1666 spiritual autobiography recounting his conversion, doubts, and religious calling. It presents the spiritual crisis that underlies his later preaching and imaginative writing.
Restoration (England): The restoration of the English monarchy under Charles II in 1660 after the Interregnum. The restored regime tightened restrictions on dissenting worship and led to Bunyan’s imprisonment.
Christian literature: Literature shaped by Christian beliefs, themes, or traditions. Bunyan’s works became enduring examples of literature written to teach and dramatize Christian faith.
Dissenting academies: Independent educational institutions established by English Protestant dissenters excluded from the universities. They represent the educational world available to dissenters such as Bunyan, who lacked university training.
The Holy War: John Bunyan’s 1682 allegory depicting a struggle for control of the human soul through a war over the town of Mansoul. It develops Bunyan’s allegorical method through a sustained account of spiritual conflict.