Pilgrim’s Progress Part 2: KDP Content
The second part of this spiritual epic recounts the journey of Christian’s wife, Christiana, with her four boys and a young friend, to join her husband in the Celestial City, at the invitation of its king. Ashamed of her treatment of her husband before he left for the City, she sets out immediately. Here we meet some of the heroic figures who have become part of our cultural and spiritual heritage, in particular the stout-hearted Mr Great-heart, who is allocated to the party as its guide and mentor. By the time they arrive at the River with no bridge, they have gathered up a miscellaneous collection of heroes, saints and underdogs, reminiscent of any typical group of Christians anywhere. This is a distinctive and rather comforting feature of the second part of Bunyan’s narrative. Christian had traveled alone or with a single companion; Christiana travels in company, some of them weak and fearful, others confident and bold. The final picture of the little band gathered on the bank of the River awaiting their summons to go across is immensely poignant, not least the memorable farewell words of Mr Valiant-for-truth.
Other features of this tale are Bunyan’s acute perception of human nature and society; his understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and temptations of his fellow-travelers; his touching sympathy with pilgrims contending with their own weaknesses to stick to the path and surmount its obstacles; his keen observation of nature and ability to extract spiritual lessons from it; and his extraordinarily lucid explanations of Christian belief in language directed to ordinary people.
This part of the Pilgrims’ Progress contains a number of closely reasoned teaching passages, usually as part of a conversation, which reward careful attention, and call for some concentration.
Hopefully, this contemporary version will help us understand ourselves and God’s love for us despite our inadequacies a little better, and perhaps encourage us to have a little more sympathy and compassion for others contending with their own weakness
and doubts.
The second part of this spiritual epic recounts the journey of Christian’s wife, Christiana, with her four boys and a young friend, to join her husband in the Celestial City, at the invitation of its king. Ashamed of her treatment of her husband before he left for the City, she sets out immediately. Here we meet some of the heroic figures who have become part of our cultural and spiritual heritage, in particular the stout-hearted Mr Great-heart, who is allocated to the party as its guide and mentor. By the time they arrive at the River with no bridge, they have gathered up a miscellaneous collection of heroes, saints and underdogs, reminiscent of any typical group of Christians anywhere. This is a distinctive and rather comforting feature of the second part of Bunyan’s narrative. Christian had traveled alone or with a single companion; Christiana travels in company, some of them weak and fearful, others confident and bold. The final picture of the little band gathered on the bank of the River awaiting their summons to go across is immensely poignant, not least the memorable farewell words of Mr Valiant-for-truth.
Other features of this tale are Bunyan’s acute perception of human nature and society; his understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and temptations of his fellow-travelers; his touching sympathy with pilgrims contending with their own weaknesses to stick to the path and surmount its obstacles; his keen observation of nature and ability to extract spiritual lessons from it; and his extraordinarily lucid explanations of Christian belief in language directed to ordinary people.
This part of the Pilgrims’ Progress contains a number of closely reasoned teaching passages, usually as part of a conversation, which reward careful attention, and call for some concentration.
Hopefully, this contemporary version will help us understand ourselves and God’s love for us despite our inadequacies a little better, and perhaps encourage us to have a little more sympathy and compassion for others contending with their own weakness
and doubts.
