Quest for Heaven : Salvation Through an Allegory Francesca Giorgianni College

Why would a writer choose to write a Christian allegory? It is not a new concept, nor is it easy to create a presentation of the Christian allegory with new and interesting insight to captivate readers. Bunyan wrote his Christian allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress, while he was in jail in Bedford, England. He was born in 1628 during a time full of religious turmoil, due to the protestant reformation. He experienced his own “intense spiritual struggle” during Oliver Cromwell’s commonwealth, from 1648-1652. After the British Restoration, Bunyan was arrested for not conforming to the Act of Uniformity while preaching in the countryside, and he spent 12 years in jail. After being released, he became pastor of an independent church, but was jailed once again in 1677 for preaching without a license. In his second confinement, he was jailed in a bridge over the River Ouse, where he finished writing The Pilgrim’s Progress. Initially, this novel was written as a way to entertain his children when they came to visit him in jail. This is very surprising not only because the story is very religiously dependent, but also because it contains many mature concepts. Bunyan may have written this novel as a way to indoctrinate his children and all...