Christian Book Notes

Bunyan, John. The Works of John Bunyan, 3 Volumes. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. $99.00. Purchase at Westminster for $69.30.

Introduction

I read the book Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners in the first volume of the three volume complete works of Bunyan shown above in the picture. You are able to purchase this title as a separate volume for $15.83 at Westminster books though I would highly recommend purchasing the set.

Summary

Grace Abounding is John Bunyan’s (1628-1688) spiritual autobiography that was published in London in 1666. In this spiritual biography, Bunyan shows in great detail his wrestling with God for salvation. He lists how he often thought he was saved yet would willingly shun the Scriptures and correction by God in order to continue in his sinful ways. At one point, he actually began attending church because of the great name he was gaining within the village as a man changed by the workings of God.

After writing much of his false faith, he gloriously details his conversion and how he was changed, quite literally, overnight. Soon after, he was called to preach. While pastoring, he began writing. Bunyan is most well known for his The Pilgrim’s Progress which he wrote while in prison for preaching the gospel. Though that is his most famous book, he wrote many, many others all of which can be found in the three volume works.

Toward the end of this biography, Bunyan offers an apologetic (defense) against the charge of sexual immorality. I honestly do not know why he felt the need to address this particular topic in his spiritual biography (if anyone has insight, please comment!), but he does so at length. Also, toward the end of the book, he offers an account of his imprisonment which is when he wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress.

Review

Reading this spiritual biography was of great encouragement and blessing to me. It was a great encouragement for me personally as I read how he came with no Christian heritage or pedigree yet God saw fit to save his soul. I, too, came from no real Christian heritage (nominal Catholicism at best) nor do I have much of a spiritual pedigree in my family beforehand. To see how Bunyan, through Christ, was to live out his faith and come to grips with the sovereignty of God was refreshing to my souls. Many times I found myself thinking that I could relate to what Bunyan had written.

Bunyan is quite open with his life both before and after his conversion. He especially spends much time detailing his false faith leading up to his true salvation. This alone is worth the price of whichever book you purchase. There are many in the church today who, though they think they are Christian, are, in fact, anything but Christian.

Recommendation

Every Christian needs to read Grace Abounding not just for their own edification, but for their spiritual well-being as well. Bunyan tells it straight and in so doing, challenges everyone to take a hard look at their own standing in Christ. We need more testimonies like Bunyan’s (and I fear that there are many out there waiting to be told–Mt. 7:21) in today’s Americanized, apathetic Christian churches. Be sure to pick up a copy of Grace Abounding and rediscover the genius of Bunyan through his own eyes.

Bunyan, John, edited by C.J. Lovik.  Illustrated by Mike Wimmer.  The Pilgrim’s Progress.  Wheaton:  Crossway Books, 2009.  240 pp.  $24.99.  Purchase at Westminster Books for $16.24.

Review

What more can be said about The Pilgrim’s Progress than has already been said?  Truth be told, I would be spinning my wheels to heap praises on this timeless allegorical portrayal of the Christian life.  Did you know, though, that The Pilgrim’s Progress is actually the #2 selling book of all time?  Bet you can’t figure out which book is #1.

At any rate, the question should be running through your mind, “Why do we need another edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress?”  Glad you asked!  This particular edition has been meticulously updated and modernized in the areas that were needed.  In other words, the entire book has not been updated.  Only the antiquated metaphors and some of the allegorical phrases that are lost on modern readers today have been updated.

The end notes are extremely helpful in explaining what is being shared by Bunyan without interfering with the flow of the story.  These can be read before or after reading a particular chapter though I would recommend that they not be read while reading the chapter unless you are greatly confused.  Lovik, the editor, achieves his goal of maintaining the integrity of Bunyan’s writing while updating the language for the modern reader to understand (without the use of a 1600′s dictionary!) what is being said.

The beauty of this particular edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress is the illustrative work by Mike Wimmer.  The colorful pictures will keep your children engaged as you read aloud the travels of Christian on his way to the Celestial City.

The one downfall is that the book only contains Christian’s pilgrimage to the Celestial City and not his wife’s and children’s pilgrimage.

Recommendation

Reading this particular edition will be, for the many who have read The Pilgrim’s Progress, as though they are reading it for the first time.  The reader will stop frequently and say something like, “Oh, that is what that means!”  or “I never saw that before!”  I pray that this edition would bring back the grandeur of Bunyan’s imagination.

DVD

For those interested in introducing The Pilgrim’s Progress I highly recommend the DVD to the right entitled Pilgrim’s Progress: Journey to Heaven.  I have shown it to my children (5 and younger) and to the children at my church where I currently serve as the Children’s Minister.  While they remove much from the book to adapt it to the movie, it certainly piqued the curiosity of many of the kids to the point that they wanted to read the book for themselves.  It has become one of my own children’s favorite movies.

Bunyan, John.  The Acceptable Sacrifice.  Edinburgh:  Banner of Truth Trust, 2004.  117 pp.  $8.00.  Purchase at Westminster books for $5.60.

Review

Based on Psalm 51:17, John Bunyan writes on what exactly God looks for in the heart and mind of a man.  That is, God seeks a broken spirit and a contrite heart.  Without these two, Bunyan questions the authenticity of one’s conversion.

The Acceptable Sacrifice, as is the case with most anything written by the Puritans, needs to be read today.  In an age of walking an aisle and praying a prayer, John Bunyan lays it all out on the line regarding what kind of true emotions come with one’s salvation.  Even more, he argues that the Christian must remain with a contrite heart and broken spirit.

This does not mean that Christian’s will mope around and be bummed out all the time.  On the contrary, they are to have a broken heart because of their sin, while knowing that God has forgiven them through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.  Our spirit is to be contrite because we will see more and more the reality of our sinful natures.  At the same time, we will experience more and more the grace of God in forgiving a “wretch such as I.”

As I read The Acceptable Sacrifice I was reminded one again to remain humble before the foot of the cross.  I was also reminded of the only means by which men can truly have a broken spirit and a contrite heart–the Word of God.  It takes the work of the Holy Spirit in conjunction with the spoken Word (the gospel) to bring about the emotions necessary for forgiveness.

John Bunyan writes with a keen eye toward the Christian and the unrepentant sinner.  His words from 1688 may have well been written in 2008.  What we need today is more men and women to experience the emotions that lead to true salvation rather than simply praying a prayer and adding your name to a local church.  The Acceptable Sacrifice would make an excellent gift for a new believer in Christ.

The Pilgrim’s Progress needs no introduction nor would any review do it any justice. However, this particular rendition of the classic-that word does not suffice for the second most sold book of all time behind God’s Holy Word, the Bible-is not a well know resource for children. With the help of illustrator Alan Parry, Oliver Hunkin set out to arrange the story of Pilgrim so that young children could meet with Everyman who journeys from this world to the next. Read more…