About
John Bunyan, born in 1628 at Elstow (Bedfordshire) and died in 1688 in London, was an English Puritan writer and preacher. From a modest background, he worked as a tinker. He served in the Parliamentarian army during the English Civil War and underwent a profound spiritual crisis in the 1650s, recounted in his autobiography. A Nonconformist preacher, he was imprisoned for about twelve years for preaching without a license. During his captivity, he wrote his major work, The Pilgrim's Progress, an allegory of the Christian life that achieved immense and lasting success. He left a prolific body of nearly sixty works.
* 1628-11-28 — † 1688-08-28
Major works
- The Pilgrim's Progress (1678)allegory
- Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666)autobiography
- The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680)moral narrative
- The Holy War (1682)allegory
Key milestones
- 1660Arrested for preaching without a license, beginning his imprisonment.
- 1672Released from prison and elected pastor of the Bedford church.
- 1678Publication of the first part of The Pilgrim's Progress.
Themes
Christian allegoryRedemptionPerseveranceFaithDivine grace
Sources: id.loc.gov · oxfordreference.com · archives.trin.cam.ac.uk