John Bunyan
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
One of the most controversial issues in Christian teaching during the era in which John Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim's Progress was the question, originally posed by Martin Luther, if Christian salvation could be achieved through good deeds or through faith alone. According to the initial appearance of the structure of the book to the eye of a unenlightened modern reader, it might seem as if good works or deeds were all that were required on the part of the pilgrim, Christian, at the center of the narrative. After all, the act of pilgrimage is a physical action of a good deed, of movement in the world from a secular place to a sacred place. Christian does travel a long and hard journey to fully apprehend the true nature of the Christian faith. However, the ultimate (Protestant) truth that Christian learns at the end of The Pilgrim's Progress is that that salvation is achieved by faith in Christ alone.
The reason that Bunyan's tale makes it initially appear that salvation is the result of work rather than of faith...
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