Pilgrim's Progress, Part 2: Christiana

The journey continues, as Pilgrim's wife, Christiana, disregards the ridicule of her neighbors and follows in her husband's footsteps toward the Celestial City. Accompanied by her four sons and Mercy, a young neighbor, Christiana is in for an adventure. Travel with them as they gather wisdom and confront internal and external dangers along their path of faith. They meet up with Great Heart, a noble warrior with the Sword of the Spirit, as he defeats the deceitful Giant, Grim, and his pair of fierce lions. The insight of the Interpreter comforts them when he explains that God sees not the faults of the sinner, but the perfect likeness of His Son, in whom the pilgrims believe.

Travel with Christiana and her little troupe as they encounter Vanity Fair, the Enchanted Forest, and the Great Chasm, experiencing perils and triumphs on their quest of faith for the Celestial City.

John Bunyan was born in Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, in 1628. He learned to read and write at the village school and was prepared to follow his father's trade as a brazier when the English Civil War broke out in 1644 and he was drafted into the Parliamentary army. His military service brought him into contact with Oliver Cromwell's Puritan troops. Beginning in 1648, Bunyan suffered a crisis in religious faith that lasted for several years. He turned to the Nonconformist church in Bedford to sustain him during this period. His first writings were attacks against the Quakers. Then Charles II was restored to the throne and Bunyan was arrested for conducting services not in accordance with the Church of England. He spent 12 years in jail. During this time, he wrote his autobiography, Grace Abounding, in which he described his spiritual struggle and growth. During his last years in prison, Bunyan began his most famous work, The Pilgrim's Progress, a two-part allegorical tale of the character Christian and his journey to salvation. Part I was published in 1678 and Part II in 1684. The second part deals with the spiritual journey of Christian's wife and sons, as they follow in his footsteps. With its elements of the folktale tradition, The Pilgrim's Progress became popular immediately. Well into the nineteenth century it was a book known to almost every reader in England and New England, second in importance only to the Bible. So great was the book's influence that it even plays a major role in Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott. Such expressions as "the slough of despond" and "vanity fair" have become part of the English language. Bunyan's other works include The Life and Death of Mr. Badman and The Holy War. He also wrote A Book for Boys and Girls, verses on religious faith for children. Bunyan died in London on August 31, 1688.