by Kevin Bauder | Oct 21, 2022 | In the Nick of Time
Discussions of Pilgrim’s Progress tend to focus upon either its literary value or its theological interpretation. Not many interpreters speak of its value as a work of fantasy. Yet Bunyan chose to incorporate multiple fantastic elements, and those fantastic...
by Kevin Bauder | Oct 14, 2022 | In the Nick of Time
After he passes through the Wicket Gate (salvation), but before he reaches the cross and the sepulcher (assurance), Christian stops to visit the Interpreter’s House. Guided by the Interpreter, he is confronted with a series of unusual, vision-like scenes. Each...
by Kevin Bauder | Oct 7, 2022 | In the Nick of Time
John Bunyan was a Puritan, but Puritans came in different sorts. They held differing views of church polity. They also applied their Calvinism in various ways. For example, even though they affirmed justification through faith alone, they also recognized the...
by Kevin Bauder | Sep 30, 2022 | In the Nick of Time
What manner of thing is Pilgrim’s Progress? Clearly it is a work of literature—indeed, a powerful one—but what kind of literature is it? The book is surprisingly difficult to classify, but several observations are in order. To begin with, Pilgrim’s...
by Kevin Bauder | Sep 23, 2022 | In the Nick of Time
Charles II returned from exile to assume the English throne in 1660. He faced both ecclesiastical and political opposition from the Puritan party that had executed his father. Neither side could distinguish the political aspects of the struggle from the religious...
