Dr. Barry Horner joins the program to discuss John Bunyan’s classic The Pilgrim’s Progress. Horner has thought deeply on the subject and has written a book of his own titled The Pilgrim’s Progress: Themes and Issues. His Doctor of Ministry degree from Westminster Seminary in California focused on the biblical/theological content of The Pilgrim’s Progress as well as its validity as an appropriate means for the communication of the Word of God.
Dr. Horner teaches The Pilgrim’s Progress in church, seminar, and camp settings, and pastors Christ’s New Covenant Church, Tucson, Arizona.
Links
- Bunyan Ministries
- Dr. Derek Thomas Lecture Series on the Pilgrim’s Progress
- The Bolton Conference
Participants: Barry Horner, Camden Bucey, Nate Shannon
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Nick- Do you have a website for your friend’s church plant in Asheville?
“The Life and Death of Mr. Badman” is a must read for our church today. It cannot be forgotten that he writes here of a man who believes that he is a Christian and has convinced himself that he is saved…to his damnation.
Wow, I will be anxious to listen to this, I have been on vacation. I discussed, for three hours, on my podcast the charge of whether or not the Puritans taught preparationism. http://reformedpastor.podbean.com/2010/05/03/did-the-puritans-teach-preparationism-part-1-thomas-sullivan/
In our day I don’t think pastors ever counsel persons who are in a “slough of despond” or know how to answer the question of why Evangelist asked Christian “do you see yonder wicket gate,” without wondering why Evangelist didn’t just say, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Was Bunyan teaching preparationism? I don’t believe so. I also wonder how pastors in our day would interact with “the man in the iron cage.”
Enjoyed the podcast. Appreciate how Dr. Horner put the book into perspective by saying that it is an expression of Bunyan’s Christian life. With that in mind it was rather out of context for the hosts to say that Bunyan was obviously not a transformationists. This was said before and after Dr. Horner identified the context and purpose of the book. Whether or not Bunyan was a transformationist (and whether he was or wasn’t wouldn’t make the transformational view right or wrong), that was not the purpose of the book. He was not writing a polemic on how the church should operate in this world. He wrote it about the individual Christian experience, particularly his own. So we can’t say he was or wasn’t a transformationalist based on this book; but it is safe to say that he was not covenantal.
Tom,
Thank you for your comments. Since I was the one who made the statement I suppose I should give a defense. While it might be anachronistic to impose such categories on Bunyan, I thought it was somewhat evident that Bunyan would never be mistaken as being a “cultural transformatist.” The fact that he was a non-conformist, coupled with the fact that the entirety of the Pilgrim’s Progress is built on the Christian’s individual, spiritual experience, makes this evident. While I am not neo-Kuyperian, the statement was not a reasoned attack on “culture transformation” per se. It was supposed to be an attempt to make a humorous observation. 1) I am coming to terms with the fact that I am not funny; and 2) I should tell people before I attempt to make what a joke.
Hi guys, although not a Presby., i enjoy your podcasts. I was wondering if you could recommend some help for me. i teach college age SS at a reforming baptist church. i would like to teach through a book of the bible.
thanks jim