Helen L. Taylor took John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and simplified the vocabulary and concepts for young readers while keeping the storyline intact. The result was a classic in itself, which has now sold over 600,000 copies. It's both a simple adventure story and a profound allegory of the Christian journey through life, a delightful read with a message kids ages 6 to 12 can understand and remember. A new look and fresh illustrations for today's children enlivens the journey to the Celestial City.
In My Pilgrim's Progress, George W. S. Trow gives us a brilliantly original and provocative look at what's happened to America in our time -- a guided tour of the media, the politics, and the personalities of the last half-century by one of our most persuasive social critics. This new book by the author of Within the Context of No Context might be subtitled "A son of Roosevelt reads newspapers, goes to the movies, watches television, and tells us how 1950 got to be 1998." Trow takes 1950 as the year the Old World gave way to the New: Winston Churchill had just been named The Man of the Half-Century by Time magazine; George Bernard Shaw was still alive, and so was William Randolph Hearst. But before the next half-decade was out, the world represented by these powerful old men had disappeared. To illustrate his points, Trow takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride through the New York Times of February 1950, from the thundering front pages where the terror of the H-bomb is making its first appearance to the early, sketchy, amateur television listings. He finds a piece of Television Personality Reportage in the paper -- a kind of proto-People magazine profile -- of the TV "hostess" and "guest" Faye Emerson, and notes: "As to World War II, the Germans lost, and Faye Emerson won." The son of a tabloid journalist from an old New York brownstone family, Trow was brought up in the Deepest Roosevelt Aesthetic -- half FDR and half Walter Winchell. But he soon succumbed to the spell of Dwight David Eisenhower and the extraordinary/ordinary qualities of Ike's era. It is the thrust of Trow's book that both the Roosevelt authority and the Ike decencies are completely gone -- and where are they now that we need them more than ever?
The Pilgrims Progress is a famous story of man's progress through life in search of salvation and remains one of the most entertaining allegories of faith ever written. Set against realistic backdrops of town and country, the powerful drama of the pilgrim's trials and temptations follows him in his harrowing journey to the Celestial City. An enormously influential 17th-century classic, universally known for its simplicity, vigor, and beauty of language. Pilgrim's Progress is read with the greatest pleasure.- George Whitefield (1714-1770) I find this book so full of matter, that I can seldom go through more than a page or half a page at a time. - John Newton (1725-1807) Next to the Bible, the book that I value most is Pilgrim's Progress. I believe I have read it through at least a hundred times... Prick him anywhere, and you will find that his blood is "bibline," the very essence of the Bible flows from him. - Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) That tenderest and most theological of books is pulsating with life in every word. - J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937) Often disguised as something that would help him, evil accompanies Christian on his journey to the Celestial City. As you walk with him, you'll begin to identify today's many religious pitfalls. These are presented by men such as Pliable, who turns back at the Slough of Despond; and Ignorance, who believes he's a true follower of Christ when he's really only trusting in himself. Each character represented in this allegory is intentionally and profoundly accurate in its depiction of what we see all around us, and unfortunately, what we too often see in ourselves. But while Christian is injured and nearly killed, he eventually prevails to the end. So can you.
The quest for joy is as universal as it is elusive. Happiness is that which all human beings desire; yet only few ever discover it in deeply personal and lasting experiences. Among the theologians and philosophers who sought to apprehend a personal experience of joy, the great colonial thinker Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) stands out as a brilliant voice from the past, speaking boldly on what constitutes the true nature of joy, as well as identifying the sad and deceiving counterfeits to real happiness. In A Theology of Joy: Jonathan Edwards and Eternal Happiness in the Holy Trinity, Reformed pastor and Edwards scholar Matthew Everhard studies the primary works of the puritan sage, combing through his many sermons, manuscripts, and major treatises to uncover and systematize the primary concepts, images, and motifs related to joy. This book works through such important pieces as Edwards' The Religious Affections, The End for Which God Created the World, and The Miscellanies; as well as some of Edwards lesser-known writings such as his "Treatise on Grace" and his "Essay on the Trinity." These literature studies identify important strands of Edwards' public teaching and private musings on the concept of happiness. As the book progresses, Everhard begins to group together Edwards' thoughts on joy and happiness into several major categories; especially as they relate to the doctrine of the Trinity, salvation, the holy life, and the believer's final estate in Heaven. Concluding the study, Everhard makes several practical applications that are especially relevant to ministers of the gospel, as well as to all Christians generally.
Nearly every Christian has struggled with their own significance. Sometimes we look at the "giants" of the faith such as the Apostle Paul and wonder if we--ordinary Christians--matter much at all. In this short book, perfect for group or individual study, Pastor Matthew Everhard sketches the lives of eight very ordinary men and women in the New Testament. Each of these "ordinary" Christians, tucked away in the lesser-known paragraphs of the Book of Acts and Paul's epistles, show us that common everyday men and women can make a huge impact for the Kingdom of Christ. Each chapter--complete with discussion and reflection questions--studies the life of a relatively obscure believer: Ananias (the mentor), Silas (the sidekick), Priscilla and Aquila (the married couple), Apollos (the up-and-coming pastor), Lydia (the business woman), Onesimus (the runaway slave), and Epaphroditus (the sick missionary). Discover just how powerful being an anonymous Christian can be!
This study guide includes questions for review, discussion, and reflection on each of the eleven lessons. Also includes devotional comments and applications of the truths discovered in the book Pilgrim's Progress.
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"The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries." - Descartes eading The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan can be a bit challenging even for the best of readers. Not so with this new, easy-to-read version that translates the original archaic language into simple conversational English allowing readers of all ages to easily navigate the most popular Christian allegory of all time. The story chronicles the epic adventure of a man named Christian who leaves his home in the City of Destruction and begins a life-long quest to the Celestial City. Set against the backdrop of a hazardous journey, this powerful drama unfolds as Christian's adventures lead him into fascinating lands and encounters with interesting people who either help or hinder his progress along a narrow way. With a gallery of memorable characters and visits to colorful places, Bunyan's allegorical narrative describes one man's extraordinary adventure on his journey to faith. Without losing any faithfulness to the original text, now you can read Bunyan's timeless classic and reimagine this famous quest that has challenged and encouraged believers for centuries. The book includes the original Bible references and a Bible study guide is available separately for individual and small group use. "A room without books is like a body without a soul." - ... A 19th century classics literature edition.
