John Bunyan (1628-1688) was a Baptist preacher and writer. Bunyan grew up in Bedford, England, joined the army as a teenager, and later became a tinker, the trade of his father. He married a pious believer who led him to Christ. After his baptism, he joined the Baptist church and began preaching. Since he had not received permission from the Established Church he was arrested and thrown into jail in 1660. His family fell into severe poverty during this time and he was rarely permitted to see them. Yet, despite these circumstances, he wrote one of the great classics of literature, The Pilgrim’s Progress, while imprisoned. The Act of Pardon freed him in 1672 and he became pastor of the Bedford Baptist Church, a congregation he served until his death. He wrote other books including The Holy War and Grace Abounding. His allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress is considered one of the great works of Christian literature and was often one of only two books, along with the Bible, that families owned for over 200 years until the early 20th century.
