1) Christians should read it every year. That is obvious. :).
2) Because it is a rich and persuasive work about the essence of the Christian life: a pilgrimage to our heavenly home (God). The spiritual, telos of life is one that we are constantly told is a fiction - by the myriad of thoroughly (philosophically) materialist assumptions in our technological and secular age. Any work of imagination that has been so spectactularly successful at keeping a living hope in our heavenly home alive in the mindsd of Christians deserves reading again and again and agin.
As for your specific ignorant and unfounded points ;) (love ya brother in Christ!):
3) It *is* an allegory, just one with too many realistic elements for your taste. All allegories need some realistic elements. Narnia, for example, has children which represent, children! And trees which represent, trees! Shocking stuff. How much 'real' stuff and how many allegorising 'signs' there should be in any work of allegory seems to me to be largely a matter of taste and your taste seems thoroughly underdeveloped. That's fine, don't worry, your taste can mature. But you will need to reread it a few times to get there probably.
One obvious indicator that it is an allegory was actually mentioned by you. The Giant is called Despair not because that is the Giant's problem, but because he represents the despair that every pilgrim encounters in this life.
4) As for a lack of ecclesiology. Sure, that's true to some extent. But then one book can't do everything, and there are some individual elements to our lives: we each have to make rational choices, which are fundamentally made by us, but of course should be made with full concern for their impact on those aroundus; we will each stand before the judgement throne as we are judged one by one, not on the basis of the actions of our spouses or children.
And the church is not absent. Who is Christian's great helper that God sends? Probably my favourite character - faithful. Who is it who strengthens Christian at the last when the River of Jordan is too terrifying and he begins to sink? "And crying out to his good friend, HOPEFUL, he said, "I sink in deep waters, the billows go over my head; all his waves go over me." Then said the other, "Be of good cheer, my brother; I feel the bottom, and it is good." ... HOPEFUL, therefore, here had much ado to keep his brother's head above water; yea, sometimes he would be quite gone down, and then ere awhile he would rise up again half dead. HOPEFUL also would endeavour to comfort him, saying, "Brother, I see the gate, and men standing by it to receive us." But CHRISTIAN would answer, "'Tis you, 'tis you they wait for; you have been hopeful ever since I knew you." "And so have you," said he to CHRISTIAN. "Ah, brother," said he, "surely, if I was right, he would now arise to help me; but, for my sins, he hath brought me into the snare, and hath left me." ... also HOPEFUL added this word, "Be of good cheer, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole "; and with that CHRISTIAN brake out with a loud voice, "Oh, I see him again! and he tells me, 'When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee'"."
You are free to not like parts of Pilgrim's Progress, but these two criticisms are overstated and the parts of the book that go against your analysis are entirely unacknowledged.
If you really want I'll tell you the bits I don't like.
Critique is free for now, but know that you will have to answer for each and every word you say and write in this life. I do not know you, but your article exudes haughtiness and it seems that you consider yourself wise (in your own eyes), even above others who withstood the test of time.
A man's best friend is humility and that was not found here... by a long stretch. Do not attempt to put stumbling blocks in regards to the people of God, who are you to judge?
Wow, I cannot disagree more.
1) Christians should read it every year. That is obvious. :).
2) Because it is a rich and persuasive work about the essence of the Christian life: a pilgrimage to our heavenly home (God). The spiritual, telos of life is one that we are constantly told is a fiction - by the myriad of thoroughly (philosophically) materialist assumptions in our technological and secular age. Any work of imagination that has been so spectactularly successful at keeping a living hope in our heavenly home alive in the mindsd of Christians deserves reading again and again and agin.
As for your specific ignorant and unfounded points ;) (love ya brother in Christ!):
3) It *is* an allegory, just one with too many realistic elements for your taste. All allegories need some realistic elements. Narnia, for example, has children which represent, children! And trees which represent, trees! Shocking stuff. How much 'real' stuff and how many allegorising 'signs' there should be in any work of allegory seems to me to be largely a matter of taste and your taste seems thoroughly underdeveloped. That's fine, don't worry, your taste can mature. But you will need to reread it a few times to get there probably.
One obvious indicator that it is an allegory was actually mentioned by you. The Giant is called Despair not because that is the Giant's problem, but because he represents the despair that every pilgrim encounters in this life.
4) As for a lack of ecclesiology. Sure, that's true to some extent. But then one book can't do everything, and there are some individual elements to our lives: we each have to make rational choices, which are fundamentally made by us, but of course should be made with full concern for their impact on those aroundus; we will each stand before the judgement throne as we are judged one by one, not on the basis of the actions of our spouses or children.
And the church is not absent. Who is Christian's great helper that God sends? Probably my favourite character - faithful. Who is it who strengthens Christian at the last when the River of Jordan is too terrifying and he begins to sink? "And crying out to his good friend, HOPEFUL, he said, "I sink in deep waters, the billows go over my head; all his waves go over me." Then said the other, "Be of good cheer, my brother; I feel the bottom, and it is good." ... HOPEFUL, therefore, here had much ado to keep his brother's head above water; yea, sometimes he would be quite gone down, and then ere awhile he would rise up again half dead. HOPEFUL also would endeavour to comfort him, saying, "Brother, I see the gate, and men standing by it to receive us." But CHRISTIAN would answer, "'Tis you, 'tis you they wait for; you have been hopeful ever since I knew you." "And so have you," said he to CHRISTIAN. "Ah, brother," said he, "surely, if I was right, he would now arise to help me; but, for my sins, he hath brought me into the snare, and hath left me." ... also HOPEFUL added this word, "Be of good cheer, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole "; and with that CHRISTIAN brake out with a loud voice, "Oh, I see him again! and he tells me, 'When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee'"."
You are free to not like parts of Pilgrim's Progress, but these two criticisms are overstated and the parts of the book that go against your analysis are entirely unacknowledged.
If you really want I'll tell you the bits I don't like.
Critique is free for now, but know that you will have to answer for each and every word you say and write in this life. I do not know you, but your article exudes haughtiness and it seems that you consider yourself wise (in your own eyes), even above others who withstood the test of time.
A man's best friend is humility and that was not found here... by a long stretch. Do not attempt to put stumbling blocks in regards to the people of God, who are you to judge?