James H. Thomas (1) (1890–)

A good retelling of a great work for kids. It’s vivid and straight-forward. Gives reader a clear analogy to attach to virtues and vices that are good to spark discussion with early readers. Almost assuredly will produce kids who are Gnostic Pelagians, but that’s par for the course for American Christians, so how bad can that be? The two elements most missing are of being called into this world, not out of it and love. Christian’s dismissal of his family and other pilgrims on the road show more does nothing but reinforce the idea that piety is more important than love of neighbor. show less

It's a nice story, it feels a bit too old school but I'm glad I read it. I prefer the first part over the second part and if I were to re-read it (not an impossibility) I'd probably only read the first part.

I don't exactly understand how Beulah Land is supposed to work. It's supposed to be a temporary place until you're called for Heaven but it implies there's no problems there, so isn't Beulah Land essentially Heaven? Wouldn't it make more sense to have a sense of living amongst the show more sinners or having missions to convert them rather than living in pre-Heaven? I know it's a story but I don't think this aspect really captures the late game of Christianity. It does a great job at describing the early and mid game of Christianity but falls short at the late game, perhaps because the author hadn't reached the late game?

This was also my first Christian book I think and it was enjoyable enough. I'm not sure how many more Christian books I'd read as I have plenty of history books I'd love to read and one should be strategic about what you are reading. show less

This retelling follows Christian as he leaves his home in the City of Destruction and begins a long journey to the Celestial City. His adventure is full of encounters with interesting people, such as Faithful, Hopeful, and Ignorance. Traveling through places such as Vanity Fair and the Valley of the Shadow of Death, he reaches his heavenly home but learns rich lessons during the journey. The story has immediate application to everyday life.

Later on, Christian's wife, Christiana, decides to show more join her husband in the Celestial City. As she travels, Christiana comes upon a different set of people, such as Greatheart, Mercy, and Honesty. Her story illustrates how Christians follow different paths but with the same destination: eternity with Jesus. show less

In this allegorical adventure share the adventures and perils of Christian as he sets out on the journey of his life. On the road he meets terrifying monsters, horrible giants, a cruel judge, raging lions and scary dark places. But he also makes good friends and, at last, reaches his journey's end - the Celestial City.