John Bunyan “Pilgrim’s Progress”

“Pilgrim’s Progress” might be the most familiar book on the list for most people; many who have not read the book are still familiar with the basic structure of Christian seeking out his home in Celestial City. Bunyan wrote this allegory while in prison as a dissenter. The book is an allegory for the Christian’s journey through life in this world and is based largely on Bunyan’s own story. The story is told as dream which Bunyan is narrating. The book itself can be very difficult to read in its original, due in large part to the author’s vocabulary; thankfully, there are very good updated versions, which allow the reader to absorb the author’s meaning. Given the distance between the author and our modern context, one of these updated texts would probably benefit most (if not all) readers. Pilgrim’s Progress is a very useful tool for reflection on the Christian life and can help anyone recognize where they are and where they need to go.