NAME John Bunyan
WHAT FAMOUS FOR John Bunyan is best known for his Christian allegory, The Pilgrim's Progress, a significant work of religious literature that has been translated into over 100 languages. Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim's Progress in prison.
BIRTH John Bunyan was born in 1628 at Harrowden, one mile east of Elstow near Bedford, England.
FAMILY BACKGROUND John Bunyan's father was a tinker, a tradesman who made and mended pots and kettles. Bunyan followed his father into the tinkering business.
Tragedy struck in 1644 when he lost both his mother and sister Margaret.
CHILDHOOD Bunyan spent his childhood learning the tinkering trade from his father. His upbringing was humble, marked by the manual labor of a tradesman's life.
His autobiography, Grace Abounding, reveals glimpses of his childhood. Bunyan wrestled with nightmares, picked up swearing from his father, and devoured popular stories from cheap chapbooks.
EDUCATION Bunyan attended the village school, where he only learned to read and write. The only book he knew thoroughly was the King James Bible.
"Charles 1st once expressed his astonishment that Dr Owen, a learned man, should be attracted to Bunyan's teaching for John was a simple man. Dr Owen's reason was "Had I the tinker's ability please your majesty, I would gladly relinquish my learning." (1)
CAREER RECORD Bunyan initially worked as a tinker like his father. Here's his resume:
1644-45 Fought in English Civil War
1657 Became a recognised preacher while keeping family on a secure financial footing by remaining a tinker.
1660-72 In prison, Bunyan supported his family by making long, tagged laces which he sold to hawkers. He was released through the King's Declaration of Indulgence.
During his lengthy imprisonment Bunyan helped to support the family from prison by making long-tagged shoelaces, "many hundred gross of which he sold to the hawkers."
1671 Appointed pastor by his congregation despite still being in jail. Bunyan took up his position the following year.
1672-5 Continued preaching
1675 King Charles II clamped down on non conformism again and Bunyan was rearrested and jailed for six months.
1678 Part one of Pilgrims Progress was published
1684 Part two of Pilgrims Progress wass published.
In his last years under the nickname "Bishop Bedford," Bunyan organised the non conformist churches between Bedford and London.
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| John Bunyan By Thomas Sadler Wikipedia |
FASHION Bunyan's fashion was likely typical of a tradesman of his time—functional and modest, reflecting his humble origins and later his devout Christian beliefs.
CHARACTER Bunyan was known for his eloquence and powerful speaking. His character was shaped by his deep religious convictions and his experiences of hardship and imprisonment.
SENSE OF HUMOUR There is little documentation of Bunyan's sense of humor, though his writings suggest a serious and contemplative nature.
RELATIONSHIPS Bunyan married his first wife in 1649. Her name is unknown, and she brought two books on Christianity as her dowry, which significantly influenced Bunyan's religious journey. She died in 1656. In 1659, he married his second wife, Elizabeth, who cared for his four children, including a blind daughter named Mary.
MONEY AND FAME When he married his first wife they didn't possess as much as "a dish or a spoon between them."
By 1657 Bunyan had gained a popular reputation in the villages around Bedford as an able, eloquent and powerful speaker.
Bunyan's fame grew largely after his release from prison and the publication of The Pilgrim's Progress. Despite his literary success, he lived modestly and supported his family through manual labor.
FOOD AND DRINK There are no specific records of Bunyan's dietary preferences, but his humble lifestyle suggests he would have eaten simple, modest meals typical of the lower classes in 17th century England.
MUSIC AND ARTS John Bunyan's most famous work, The Pilgrim's Progress, is considered a masterpiece of allegorical writing, and its vivid imagery and character portrayals have inspired countless artists throughout the centuries. Painters, illustrators, and even playwrights have drawn upon Bunyan's work to create visual and dramatic interpretations of his spiritual allegory.
His iron violin can be found in the Bunyan meeting museum in Bedford
LITERATURE Bunyan wrote over 60 published works, including books, tracts, and children's poetry. Had he not spent over 12 years in Bedford Prison it is unlikely he would ever been remembered as anything apart from an effective and successful preacher. Prison gave him time to think, to read and to write. He read and reread the Bible, the Prayer Book, Foxes Book of Martyrs and George Herbert's Devotional Poems.
By 1656, Bunyan had emerged as a writer, publishing his first work, Some Gospel Truths Opened, a critique of emerging religious sects such as The Quakers.
In 1660, Bunyan was imprisoned for twelve years for defying preaching restrictions. Unbowed, he used this time productively, writing his autobiography Grace Abounding and laying the groundwork for his most famous work.
During this third imprisonment, in 1675 he penned the first part of his masterpiece, The Pilgrim's Progress. This allegorical tale of Christian's spiritual journey to the Celestial City became a cornerstone of English literature, offering enduring guidance and comfort to countless readers.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Bunyan's main interests were religious contemplation and writing. In his early life he enjoyed bell ringing, dancing and playing games such as tipcat.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Bunyan was a Particular Baptist with Calvinistic theology. His writings often explored themes of sin, redemption, and divine grace.
John Bunyan's path to faith was a remarkable one. Initially, he led a carefree life, adhering to the traditions of High Anglicanism. However, his first wife introduced him to influential religious texts like Bayley's Practice of Piety and Dent's Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven, which got him thinking.
Bunyan said he owed his conversion to the fact that he heard three or four old women talking as they sat in the sun. At that time he himself was a "brisk talker" and had a surface veneer of religion. "They were far above out of my reach! Their talk was about new birth, the work of God in their hearts" and of their own righteousness as filthy and insufficient to do them any good. As they thought they spoke, as if joy did make them speak. They spoke with such pleasantness of scripture language. "
Bunyan's heart began to shake. He described his conversion thus, "One day I was travelling into the country musing on the wickedness of my heart and considering the enmity that was in me to God, the scripture came into my mind 'He hath made peace through the blood of the cross.' I saw that the justice of God and my sinful soul could embrace and kiss each other. I was ready to swoon not with grief and troule but with solid joy and peace."
In 1653, Bunyan formally joined the Bedford Separatist Church. He became a renowned preacher, captivating audiences of over 1,000, even in harsh winter weather. Theologically, he aligned himself with the Particular Baptists, embracing Calvinist doctrines, congregational church governance, and believer's baptism. However, he held a more open stance on the specific mode of baptism, not insisting on full immersion for church membership.
POLITICS Bunyan's life was heavily influenced by the political turmoil of the English Civil War and the subsequent restoration of the monarchy. He was a Non-conformist preacher, which led to his repeated imprisonments.
IMPRISONMENT John Bunyan spent a significant portion of his life behind bars. As a devout Puritan, he clashed with the Church of England during a period of religious turmoil. His refusal to conform to Anglican practices and his preaching without a license led to his arrest in 1660. He served twelve years in Bedford Gaol, a harsh experience that nonetheless proved to be a fertile ground for his writing. During his imprisonment, Bunyan produced many of his important works, including Grace Abounding. The first part of The Pilgrims Progress was written during Bunyan's second spell in jail in 1675.
MILITARY RECORD In 1644, Bunyan was conscripted into the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War. He was stationed in Newport Pagnell but did not engage in battle. While details remain sparse, this experience exposed him to the realities of war and the diverse religious views circulating within the military. The influence of this exposure would later surface in his writings, particularly The Holy War.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Bunyan was generally healthy until his final illness in 1688, when he died from a violent fever after being caught in a rainstorm.
HOMES Born into a family of tinkers in Elstow, England, Bunyan probably spent his early years in a simple dwelling. Records indicate he resided on St. Cuthbert's Street in Bedford during his more established years as a preacher.
The Bedford county gaol where he was imprisoned 1660-73 was later the home of John Howard, the great prison reformer.
In 1675 his jail was Bedford Bridge Gaol on a bridge over the River Ouse.
DEATH In 1688, John Bunyan embarked on a journey to London to visit his friend, grocer John Strudwick. He made a detour to Reading, Berkshire, in an attempt to mediate a dispute between a father and son. Sadly, his trip was cut short when he was caught in a storm and contracted a fever. Bunyan succumbed to the illness on August 31, 1688, at Strudwick's house in London.
Bunyan was laid to rest in a tomb belonging to Strudwick at Bunhill Fields, a nonconformist cemetery in London. At the time of his death, his estate was valued at £42 19s 0d, which is roughly equivalent to £5,200 in today's terms.
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA John Bunyan's story and work have been adapted for various media platforms. There have been film productions, television miniseries, and even video game interpretations of The Pilgrim's Progress. Its themes even inspired the famous hymn "He Who Would Valiant Be."
ACHIEVEMENTS 1. Pilgrim's Progress has been translated in over 100 languages
2. For the next 150 years after Bunyan's death, his books, like the Bible, were found in every English home;
Sources 1. Great Quotes and Illustrations George Sweeting pg. 93 2. Longman Encyclopaedia of World History. 3. AA Touring Guide of Britain
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