The Pilgrim's Journey: A Political & Social Analysis of John Bunyan's Classic - Essay Sample

Introduction

The story of the Pilgrim – Christian – may be construed in political and economic/social circles to imply a struggle and battle against current societal ills. Christian is battling from the Destruction region to the Celestial City. As such, analysts may be highly compelled to ask questions around the liberation themes underlying in the spiritual classic with regards to material and political liberation movements of the day (Brown, 1952). Furthermore, the allegory´s writer, John Bunyan, wrote the text while in prison. Scholars may thereby make inquiries regarding the influence that imprisonment (that was largely politically instigated) had an angle to the creation of the allegory. This book was, further, originated from the lower classes of protestant populism, thus denoting a political grounding (Bunyan, 1880).

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However, using the implications from spiritual and theological works into worldly affairs continue to present issues around faith and metaphysical spirituality. While religious writings are taken as timeless and a representation of a legacy of spirituality, the political and economic discussions are often approached as paradigmatic, and ´timeful´ and thereby do not warrant a spiritual engagement (Land of Books and Honey, 2018). The Bible and such religious, literary texts like Pilgrim´s progress are approached as saturated with God´s presence divinity. Any direct comparison of the allegorical works in the spiritual domains with worldly paradigms are often seen as simplistic and inconsiderate of the faith-based, religious underpinnings. Such a simplistic misrepresentation of Pilgrim´s Progress may create a misappropriation of the text by using the book in a political ideology battle and democratization revolutions (Brown, 1952).

At the Vanity Fair….

At the Vanity Fair, Satan brings to light the material wealth of the world, which Christian and Hopeful could buy and acquire at the Vanity Fair (Land of Books and Honey, 2018). As a Christian, the wealth present at the Vanity Fair is not useful for the fulfillment of the spirit and the devotion to God´s path. I would thereby not buy anything at the fair. However, if the fair sold the Truth and Wisdom, then the author will buy the same. If I were able to acquire one item at the fair, it would be the wisdom of knowledge to handle the Truth. The Truth I will buy at the fair thereby shall be the Truth about my salvation and the second coming of Jesus. Wisdom to manage justice (e.g., Lord Hate-Good) and the rest of the traders in Vanity Fair as well as in various sections of the journey (Bunyan, 1880).

The Relevance of Pilgrim´s Progress in Today´s Evangelical Christians

In my judgment, the Pilgrim´s progress allegory is still as relevant to evangelical Christians today as it was in the 17th Century. According to theologists, the moral complexities of modern society necessitates a fight in faith and evangelism similar to Christian´s path in Pilgrim´s Progress. As the Christians of the modern-day wade through the wilderness of societal uncertainty, they can look at their situation like the Pilgrim´s journey from the land of destruction to the Celestial City (Bunyan, 1880). The mission works in these modern post-Christian evangelical settings, however, it enables incorporation of the racial, gendered, political, social, and economic context in a fight towards a redeemed creation under God. Faith and discipleship with Jesus Christ, thereby necessitate a proclamation and evangelism among the modern Christians in similar manners as Christian from the historical allegory (Forrest, 2016).

Despite the intensely altered social and political systems between the original Pilgrim´s Progress and modern society´s post-secularism, the reader should be able to imagine a mission impact inspired by the journey of Pilgrim to the land of spiritual freedom. Secularism has, however, created a scenario where the world continues to shift from metaphysical and religious reasons to more empirical and fact-based objective claims. Such claims may serve to slow the evangelical works inspired by the Pilgrim´s Progress allegory. However, the secular community setting still gestures to the supernatural and metaphysical forces that imply spirituality or religiosity when their literary logic cannot be explained rationally. It is also essential to note that the Pilgrim´s progress allegory has not gone out of print for over 350 years. This longevity further emphasizes its importance to modern-day evangelical duties. The allegory is, finally, a herald of modern Christian individualism (Forrest, 2016).

The trajectory from John Bunyan’s Christian To Me

My trajectory of Christian would be the baggage-laden version in need of deliverance. Despite the belief in Jesus Christ, I would be the Christian who is weighed down by baggage and receives directions towards the light from Evangelist. As with modern society, Christian must thereby contend with Mr. Worldly Wiseman on the way to deliverance. The deliverance path is, as posited by various authors, a wilderness in modern society that Christian must wade through mostly unguided.

Spiritual Walk This Week as an Allegory

Christian was feeling filled with worldly knowledge. When he went out, he met Mr. Foolishness, who convinced him that he is on the right track and that material knowledge and human knowledge are the ways to the top. As they were conversing, they saw Mrs. Wise Elder just observing nature and sceneries without talking. When Christian engaged Mrs. Wise Elder in their discussion with Mr. Foolishness, Mrs. Wise spoke a parable that implied the overconfidence of people with lower levels of information. She prayed that Christian prays for value in the wisdom, honesty, and concern for others.

Reflection on the Class Content

The critical foundations, including hope, liberation, evangelism, and internal conflict, are some of the dominant features throughout the texts for this class. Christian community projections of faith, evangelism, and missiology amidst adversity are the common themes that were uncovered through the classical Christian works used as well as the Bible. The critical readings in this course that provided context and symbolic images in mission and liberation struggles. The essential writings and translations include the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians as well as the famed Pilgrim´s Progress. Spiritually the Christian classic is then analyzed and the historical text´s implications and adaptations in modern music.

These adaptations have assisted in developing and strengthening metaphysical idealisms in Christianity. The concept of physical and mental liberation is implicitly and explicitly contrasted, and their impact on modern missiology and evangelism analyzed. It is, thereby, essential to recognize the centrality of Christian versus post-secular western missionary approaches and the position of the west of spiritual texts in shaping the missionary works in the new literary-inclined communities. The area of the theological topics and literary works in overall academia and increasingly complex economies also receive recognition. Spiritual formation in the analysis is thereby attained through a sufficient understanding of the liberation and struggle duality applied in understanding various texts and Bible verses used in these mission settings

References

Brown, E. S. (1952). The Political Pilgrim's Progress. Phylon (1940-1956), 13(2), 85. https://doi.org/10.2307/271540

Bunyan, J. (1880). Pilgrims progress. Worthington.

Forrest, J. F. (2016, March 2). The Pilgrim's Progress: A Dream That Endures. Christian History Learn the History of Christianity & the Church. https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-11/pilgrims-progress-dream-that-endures.html.

Land of Books and Honey. (2018, January 4). Book Review: The Pilgrim's Progress. https://medium.com/@landofbooksandhoney/book-review-the-pilgrims-progress-b06edb142a5e