The mid-1600s were a tumultuous time to live through. It felt like the world was changing fast, and that no-one was quite sure where it would end up. The English Civil War(s) was a living memory, and the consequences were still being felt through out society. The after-effects of re-instating the Monarchy in 1660 created a political instability that wouldn’t be resolved until the ‘Glorious Revolution’. In the meantime intrigue and uncertainty characeterised the corridors of power. Scotland was agitating for religious and political independence, and Europe was embroiled in war and conflict. It was the era of the Plague, and the captial was slowly rebuilding after the great fire of 1666.
It was a time of incredible cultural upheaval and spiritual uncertainty. There were concerns about the rise of Islam (in the form of the Ottoman Empire and culminating in the Great Turkish War); and Anglican Bishops seemed more concerned with institutional niceties and political influence than with the Gospel. Indeed, the Great Ejection of 1662 had witnessed several thousand evangelical clergy deprived of their livings, and the consequent rise of an ‘underground’ Church in the UK.
As a wise man once said, ‘There is nothing new under the sun…’ (Eccl.1:9).
And what does the Church need from her pastors during such times as these? Well, according to Bunyan, the answer seems to be: ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress from this World to that which is to come’ (to give it its full title). Bunyan wrote, rather understatedly: ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress is a guide to all heavenward pilgrims; the author furnished with leisure time to write it, by being for many years shut up in prison for refusing to viiolate his conscience’. In 17th Century terms, he was a pastor in the British Underground Church, and had been imprisoned as a result.
We’ll reflect on this more fully as we navigate the narrow path with Christian. But as we start it is worth considering the simple fact that in view of everything that was going on in the 1600s, this is what Bunyan wrote about. To be fair, it wasn’t the only thing he wrote. My edition of ‘The Works of Bunyan’ extends to three volumes, each in excess of 700 pages. Pilgrim’s Progress (both parts and unabridged) covers some 240 such pages at the beginning of Vol.3. It wasn’t even the only allegory he wrote. The Holy War, (in which Diabolus and Shaddai battle for the Town of Mansoul); The Heavenly Footman; The Life and Death of Mr. Badman, all fall in the same genre.
But Pilgrim’s Progress is by far the most enduring and popular of Bunyan’s works. If we are looking for nuance, sophistication and subtlety, we'll be disappointed. We’ll interpret Characters, Places and Events as having at times an almost comical sense of caricature. If we are reading for the sake of being entertained, everything seems too obvious. But if we read this work as those on pilgrimage ourselves, the work takes on a very different feel. We find ourslves in a map, that charts the reality of spiritual experience. If we identify with Christian and his struggles, his triumphs and defeats, his failures and restorations, and his inexorable progress towards the Heavenly City, then we will find this a book that has a great deal to teach us. Over the centuries, many have found this simple work to hold a penetrating diagnostic ability, helping us to make sense of our own expereince as disciples in a world in which nothing seems stable or secure. It becomes autobiographical. In this, Pilgrim’s Progress has few equals.
Bunyan understood that in tumultuous times, his people needed a pastor who would lead them past the shifting shadows of this world, with its uncertainties, its brokeness and struggle. There are deeper issues to grapple with, and higher stakes to play for. Bunyan can never be accused of being detached from life in this world, but he sees clearly that there is more to life than this world. From his cell, he preaches. And in this, his most enduring sermon, he doesn’t settle for political commentary, or an analysis of the economic situation; neither does he engage in polemic, in virtue signalling, or moralising for the nation. He focusses on the greatest adventure of all, the most tumultuous of epic journeys… It is the ultimate Tale of Two Cities, as Christian flees from the City of Destruction to find refuge in Celestial City. It is a road of many dangers and obstacles, a road of struggle, pain and at times, uncertainty. It is a road which we do not travel alone. We will meet many who will help or hinder. It is a road in which we find rest and restoration.
And it is a road we will follow.
Questions to ponder:
Do you think Bunyan is right in what he thinks his people need from their pastor? What do you think the role of your minister is?
Can you think of any passages from the Bible that would help you make sure your expectations of your Church leaders are in line with God’s vision for their roles and responsibilities, rather than simply our own cultural assumptions?
