# The Pilgrim’s Progress as a Religious Allegory
# Journey motif in the The Pilgrim’s Progress
# ‘Salvation is by grace alone through faith’ Evaluate
There are three famous doctrines in spiritual Christianity regarding salvation. First, according to St. Augustine (354-430), man is originally of sinful nature sharing the sin of Adam and Eve. He has no scope to get salvation. Second, St. Paul’s doctrine of original sin differs a bit from Augustine’s. Paul believes that man can achive salvation only through the devine grace. [It is somewhat similar to the Quranic concept- Grace is in the hand of God, but man can achive it though good works and meditation.] Third, St Calvin expresses a new religious doctrine named ‘Doctrine of Elect’ departing from those of Augustine and Paul-
“Neither good works nor holiness of life can save a man but only faith, the Grace of God freely given to the few who are chosen”
Again, “Salvation is by grace alone through faith.” (Encyclopedia of Religion, Voll. 3, P.32). God elects some few for salvation on the basis of their faith. [According to him, to get salvation one has to leave all the worldly things. And, one cannot be free of burden or sinless until he receives the way of Christ who is the only link between man and God and who sacrifiecd his life for the salvation of human beings. It is also rememberable that Calvinism is mostly accepted in Puritanism.]
Bunyan was a Puritan non-conformist. From the childhood, Bunyan was mentally disappointed and doubtful of his salvation, and thought himself a sinner. At his spiritual crisis at that time, Bunyan got acquainted with the Bedford pastor John Gifford whose religious discussion made him begin to feel himself one of them ‘chosen by God’, and to prepare himself facing the tests of faith. In the text, The Pilgrim’s Progress, we get the influence and hints of all of these facts.
Christian, formerly named Graceless, central figure of this allegory, clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house and a great burden upon his back, reads a book in his hand, symbolising the Bible and becomes conscious of his terrible condition in the city of destruction, the living place of life without God. His lamenting expression is “ What shall I do?” Being disregarded of his thought of coming danger his family members and neighbours, next day, reading that book again, he wants to be saved.
“What shall I do to be saved?”
Then, there comes a man named Evangelist representing bringer of good news and preacher of right way. He shows him a way though the ‘Wicket Gate’. So, Christian begins to run leaving all back and putting his fingers in his ears and crying
“Life, life, eternal life.”
Here, this incident allegorically shows a Puritans utter helpessness, but later a spiritual journey or pilgrimage towards eternal world, since he must leave his worldiness to get salvation. It also indicates Bunyan’s incident of early life with Jhon Gifford.
Christian has been able to be free from two persons, Obstinate and Pliable, symbolising two mental states of human mind, before he comes out of the “Slaugh of Despond”, the first trouble in his journey, with the aid of a man called Help.
The Slaugh of Despond is very important here. It represents a hopeless state of despair, doubt and fear, after one’s having realised his sin. So a ‘pilgrimage’ must overcome it to reach the way of Christ.
Then, Christian meets Wordly Wiseman who misleads him from the right path. But again he is directed by Evangelist respresenting Christian’s own consciousness. Indeed, the intention of Wordly Wiseman is to divert Christian from his feeling of Puritanism and Calvinism.
At last Wicket Gate is opened for Christian by Good Will. This menas “Christ accepted him into the Christian life. Since Christ himself is the Gate. Good Will is an allegorical figure standing for devine grace.” In short, anyone, wishing to reach the celestial city and to be an elected one, must make a ‘pilgrimage’ through the way of Christ.
At the House of Interpreter, Christian becomes spiritually enriched knowing about the qualities, duties and carefulness of a newly converted Christian by seeing many symbolic pictures and incidents regarding spiritual things. In fact, Interpreter plays the role of a preacher of the Bible who interpretes the Gospel to the members of his congregation, as Gifford did to Bunyan.
When Christian comes near to a cross, representing Christ who sacrificed his life for the salvation of man, he gets rid of his sin or burden. And by Shining Ones or angles he is clothed with change of raiment, put a mark on his forehead, and given a roll with a seal upon it like a certificate which will, later, be proved to be very essential to enter the Celestial City.
Though Christian has already been elected, to get salvation, now he must face the tests of his deep faith in God through many perilous incidents both physical and spiritual.
Now Christian makes his way disregarding all perils. He arrives at a hill called difficulty near which there are two lions to test his faith. Then in the valley of Humiliation, he meets a fiend named Apollyon whose task is to prevent the Pilgrims from going to Celestial City. Christian defeats him with a sword representing faith. Then he passes the “Shadow of Death”, symbol of the dark state of soul or hell.
With a companion named Faithful, representing deep faith in God and salvation, Christian arrives at the “Varity Fair” where all the worldly things are sold and which is arranged by Beelzebub, the Satan and through whose temptation, each Pilgrim has to go. Here the death sentence is given to faithful who reaches thus the celestial city easity on account of his faith. And Christian gets released from here. It suggests that each pilgrim has to be released from the worldy temptations.
In this way, Christian with his friend, Hopeful goes on his journey. They are to cross a river by themselves. Actually the dept of the river depends totally on their dept of faith. They are told-
“You shall find it deeper or shallower, as you believe in the King of the place”
Indeed, there is no alternative save passing the river to reach the celestial city or Heaven. It reminds us of the “ Pulsirat” in the term of Islam. At last Christian and his friend overcome their last test of faith and are received in the Celestial City with great respect and dignity.
A question may be raised- “what has been fate of those, who have come through the way without Christ’s and have lack of faith?” The answer is that those like Igrnorance have fallen into, Hell, even after coming very near to Heaven, having failed to show the entrance
The Pilgrim’s Progress shows up, of the three spiritual religious the doctrines, Calvinism which, departing from Augustinism and St Paul’s ‘Doctrine of Origine Sin’, advoctes the ‘Doctrine of Elect’-
“Neither good works nor holliness of life can save a man but only faith, the grace of God freely givento the few who are chosen’
and
‘Salvation is by grace alone through faith’” (Encyclopedia of Religion, Voll. 3, P.32)
That is God elects some few for salvation on the basis of their deep faith in God and God’s grace. (Puritanism Calvinism)