Awakening Words: John Bunyan and the Language of Community

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David Gay, James G. Randall, Arlette Zinck
University of Delaware Press, 2000 - Biography & Autobiography - 223 pages
This study examines Bunyan's questions concerning the power and limitations of language to effect personal, social, and political transformation within and beyond his nonconformist community. Its focus is the interaction of textual and political worlds in seventeenth-century England, as Bunyan considers and portrays the possibility of acting meaningfully by creating imaginative worlds in writing for members of an oppressed and persecuted community.

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Contents

Bunyan the Shadow of Persecution and the Power of Awakening Words
9
Abbreviations
23
Restoration Images in Bunyan and Milton
27
Bunyan and the Cry of Blood
51
Bunyan Allegory and the Samsonian Moment
68
John Bunyan and English Millenarianism
81
Grace Abounding and the Labyrinth of Predestination
97
Pilgrims Progress and the Liturgies of Nonconformity
113
Unfolding of their Secret Things
141
Misogyny in the Works of John Bunyan
153
Bunyan and the Alternative Society in the Second Part of The Pilgrims Progress
169
Derivative Texts and the SeventeenthCentury Reader
186
Bibliography
202
Contributors
215
Index
218
Copyright

John Bunyan and Radical Religion
127

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Popular passages

Page 31 - Against revolted multitudes the cause Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms...
Page 52 - What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
Page 56 - For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
Page 31 - More safe I sing with mortal voice, unchanged To hoarse or mute, though fallen on evil days, On evil days though fallen, and evil tongues...
Page 97 - At this I was put to an exceeding maze ; wherefore leaving my cat upon the ground I looked up to heaven, and was, as if I had, with the eyes of my understanding, seen the Lord Jesus looking down upon me, as being very hotly displeased with me, and as if he did severely threaten me with some grievous punishment for these and other ungodly practices.
Page 50 - Almighty, nodding, gave consent; And peals of thunder shook the firmament. Henceforth a series of new time began, The mighty years in long procession ran: Once more the god-like David was restored, And willing nations knew their lawful lord.
Page 38 - His godlike guest, walks forth, without more train Accompanied than with his own complete Perfections; in himself was all his state, More solemn than the tedious pomp that waits On princes, when their rich retinue long Of horses led, and grooms besmeared with gold, Dazzles the crowd, and sets them all agape.
Page 56 - ... who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Page 38 - But admit that monarchy of itself may be convenient to some nations; yet to us who have thrown it out, received back again, it cannot but prove pernicious. For kings to come, never forgetting their former ejection, will be sure to fortify and arm themselves sufficiently for the future against all such attempts hereafter from the people...
Page 86 - When the morning was up, they had him to the top of the house, and bid him look south. So he did ; and behold, at a great distance he saw a most pleasant mountainous country, beautified with woods, vineyards, fruits of all sorts, flowers also, with springs and fountains, very Delectable to behold.

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