Discussion Questions for John Bunyan
Discussion Starters for Bunyan’s Classic The Pilgrim’s Progress
Nov 4, 2009
Delve deeper into the meaning of John Bunyan's classic book The Pilgrim's Progress.
On the surface, the allegory in John Bunyan’s most famous work, The Pilgrim’s Progress seems so simple as to make discussion unnecessary. However, once a good discussion is started the depth and applicability of the book is revealed.
General Questions About the Story
- A classic is something everyone thinks they should read, but no one has. Mark Twain. What, if anything, did you know about John Bunyan’s classic, The Pilgrim’s Progress before reading it?
- Bunyan's characters are universal. They are types or caricatures which can be found in all times and places. Can you think of people you know who could step into the shoes of characters like Talkative and Ignorance? Did other characters remind you of people in your real life?
- The Pilgrim’s Progress is not intended as a gospel tract. Most of the story is about Christian’s journey. Bunyan intended for the story of Christian and Christiana’s journey to be an encouragement to believers and to stir the apathetic to take action and to grow in their Christian journey. Do you think he succeeded?
- There are many great works of fiction that deal with life as a journey. From the great epic The Odyssey by Homer to Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol to The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein. Why do you think a journey is such a popular metaphor for life?
- Christian and Christiana must journey the same path to reach the Celestial City. It would have been easy for Bunyan to repeat himself. How does he avoid repetitiveness?
Specific Questions About the Plot and Characters
- How did you feel when Christian left his family? Luke 14: If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
- Did you notice that it seemed that few people were carrying burdens like the one Christian carries? What do you think Christian’s burden was? Job 21: 7-11 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes. Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not upon them. Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry. They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about.
- What do you think the Slough of Despond represents? Psalm 69: 1-2 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.
- What kind of man does Mr. Worldly-Wiseman represent? He warns against the Evangelist and tells Christian to get rid of the Bible as it should not be read by the uneducated. Do you hear people suggesting those types of things today? He points the way to the Village of Morality, does the village remind you of the lifestyles of different religious groups or people today?
- Christian is forced to pass between two lions. In Bunyan’s day the lion’s would have represented governmental and religious tyranny. What do you think the lions could represent in today’s culture?
- Apollyon represents Satan. Can you think of a time when you struggled with Satan the way Christian does?
- Talkative talks out of both sides of his mouth. His actions betray his heart. Have you known someone like Talkative? Did they hurt your faith or the faith of others around them?
- John Bunyan coined the phrase, “Vanity Fair” to characterize the worldly and materialistic lifestyle found in much of society. Now a popular magazine uses the phrase as its title. What does this say about our culture?
- Christian and Hopeful accidentally leave the narrow path and enter By-path Meadow. They hardly knew they had done it until they find themselves in danger. Have you ever been surprised to find yourself walking a different path than the one God put you on?
- Did you notice how often Christian screws up? After all the battles he has won, it seems odd that he would again lose the path. Does Christian’s difficulties seem typical of a saint’s walk with God?
- What is Doubting Castle? How do you think the two men end up in Doubting Castle when they had just ate and rested?
- Ignorance understands the Bible and acts like an involved and passionate Christian. He works hard and travels through difficulty until the end and yet he isn’t saved. Why is that? (Hint: He is ignorant of the one true way of salvation).
- “The King then commanded that the gate be opened so that, as he declared, ‘The righteous nation that keeps the truth may enter in.’” Most people want to go to heaven – in fact many unbelievers expect to go to heaven. And often people say, I want to go to heaven someday - just not now. Do you think these people understand heaven properly? Do you think God will let them in?
- Why do you think Bunyan chose to end the first part of his book with the damnation of Ignorance, a relatively minor character, rather than the arrival of Christian in the Celestial City?
Read What is The Pilgrim's Progress
The copyright of the article Discussion Questions for John Bunyan in British/UK Fiction is owned by Melissa Howard. Permission to republish Discussion Questions for John Bunyan in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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