About
About the book:
John Bunyan was an English preacher and one of the most influential authors of the seventeenth century. John Bunyan had very little schooling. He followed his father in the tinker’s trade. While imprisoned for preaching the Gospel without receiving permission from the Established Church, he wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress—said to be second only to the Bible itself in the number of copies sold worldwide. He was charged with “teaching men to worship God contrary to the law” and was in jail more than twelve years. His tenacity and perseverance has had an eternal impact on the world. His exceptional use of imagery has impacted generations of writers and storytellers throughout the English language in very profound ways ever since. His remarkable works have inspired generations. May they continue to do so!
John Bunyan spent over 12 years of his life in an English prison for opposing the Church of England – holding religious services outside of the establishment. While imprisoned he began his masterwork: The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come. It is a story of the spiritual life told as a journey. It is one of the most significant works in the history of the English language, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been out of print since it was completed in 1677.
Over three centuries later, inspired by the lessons in the story, Stephen T. Moore completed a retelling in graphic novel format. It took him over 6 years. This is a faithful representation of that grand old story.
John Bunyan spent over 12 years of his life in an English prison for opposing the Church of England – holding religious services outside of the establishment. While imprisoned he began his masterwork: The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come. It is a story of the spiritual life told as a journey. It is one of the most significant works in the history of the English language, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been out of print since it was completed in 1677.
Over three centuries later, inspired by the lessons in the story, Stephen T. Moore completed a retelling in graphic novel format. It took him over 6 years. This is a faithful representation of that grand old story.
REVIEWS
"The Pilgrim's Progress is a Christian classic that God has used in millions of saints' lives to graphically depict the journey of a Christian from new birth to final glory. Bunyan's original work was so effective because it freshly depicted what the bible teaches, making the experiences we all go through tangibly real, as well as giving us a glorious vision of what lies ahead. Stephen Moore is helping to take the genius of Bunyan's work and depicting that in a fresh way for us today. Enjoy it, and let it stir your faith." Simon Murphy, Lead Pastor, Redemption Hill Church "Stephen Moore’s graphic novel is distinctive among a recent spate of artistic adaptations of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim's Progress in his visual style, his clear and unashamed incorporation of Scripture, and his attractive spiritual memoir mode of narration. By using himself as the visual model for Christian and adopting a first-person narration, Moore’s story-telling maps very well onto the autobiographical features of Bunyan’s life that inform The Pilgrim's Progress. This makes his graphic novel at once deeply personal and at the same time deeply relatable. His contemporary technique and language make this spiritual classic accessible to a new set of readers. As with Bunyan, Moore’s clear gospel convictions of the transforming work of conversion and sanctification in Christ through the Spirit are evident throughout. His text is rich in Bible – the way in which the reading of Scripture leads to the burden of conviction of sin is powerfully portrayed. Although Mr Worldy-Wiseman has become, for Moore, Professor Worldy-Wiseman, I don’t take this personally! In a world where the social status of being marked as a ‘Gentleman’ no longer holds allure, Moore recognizes that Academics and their vaunted expertise might occupy that position today. In other words, this is an adaptation. It takes a Protestant spiritual classic into what is presently a booming genre of visual story-telling. Indeed, the graphic novel also takes readers on a journey through a mixture of media so that the journey is one where, as is only right, the use of color, panel layout, and changes in design elements mark significant spiritual transitions that the plot effects. Characterizing Christian’s companion Hopeful as a black woman is entirely fitting to a re-telling and shows Moore’s global Christian sensibilities without succumbing to the secular worldliness of any Professor Worldly-Wisemans. This novel would be valuable for young-adult through to old-adult readers. It would spark questions for the reader on a spiritual journey of openness to Christianity while driving them to the Bible, as Bunyan would have wanted. It will reward Christians persevering in discipleship as encouragement for the walk ahead. I commend it warmly." - Andy Draycott (Ph.D., Aberdeen, UK), Associate Professor, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. Besides teaching a dedicated upper-level undergraduate integration seminar on The Pilgrim’s Progress, Andy is the author of several scholarly articles on contemporary reception of The Pilgrim’s Progress. |