Kristy Chan Wai Yu

SID: 1155029579
ENGE 2650
From !naissan"! to En#i$ht!nm!nt
Fina# %a&!r 'ssi$nm!nt ( %i#$rim)s %ro$r!ss
%ro* G#!"+man
1, -ay 201.
%i#$rim)s %ro$r!ss: /o0 mu"h sa#1ation m!ans to Christians
2ots o* Christians &r!a"h 3y runnin$ into &ass!r43ys on th! str!!t in /on$
Kon$5 Youn$!r Christians usua##y a&&roa"h t!!na$!rs in a 1!ry *ri!n6#y 0ay as+in$
a3out th!ir ho33i!s an6 o**!rin$ &hon! num3!rs as i* &ur!#y ma+in$ *ri!n6s5 7h!n
th!y 0ou#6 in1it! th!m to $o to "hur"h $ath!rin$s to ma+! n!0 *ri!n6s an6 ha1! *un5
7his 0ay o* attra"tin$ t!!na$!rs into th! Christianity "ommunity 0or+s 8uit! 0!## an6
amon$ th!s! $ath!rin$ $o!rs9 som! r!a##y 6o "on1!rt to Christianity5 /o0!1!r9 on a
hot summ!r 6ay in "am&us9 I 0as a&&roa"h!6 3y . 0!##46r!ss!6 mi66#!4a$!6 0om!n
an6 th!y han6!6 m! a 3oo+#!t 0ith th! tit#! :'#arm;)5 7h!y &r!a"h!6 m! a3out ho0
Doom)s Day is n!ar an6 I must "on1!rt to Christianity to sur1i1! 3!"aus! that is th!
on#y 0ay to 3! sa1!65 's a non4r!#i$ious &!rson 0ithout mu"h +no0#!6$! a3out
sa#1ation an6 sin*u#n!ss9 I 0as o1!r0h!#m!6 3y th!ir a&&roa"h o* &!rsua6in$ &!o&#!
into th! r!#i$ion o* out *!ar 0hi"h 6o!s not s!!m to 0or+5 7hat ma6! m! thin+ o* th!
s"!nario 0h!n Christian tri!s to ta#+ his 0i*! an6 "hi#6r!n into #!a1in$ th! City o*
D!stru"tion 0ith him an6 ho0 his *ri!n6s an6 n!i$h3ours &ursu! him to stay in th!
*amous %uritanism t!<t =%i#$rim)s %ro$r!ss> 3y ?ohn @unyan5 Sa#1ation is a +!y
"on"!&t in Christianity an6 th! &rota$onist)s !<&!ri!n"! in =%i#$rim)s %ro$r!ss> sho0s
that it is a#most im&ossi3#! to mo6i*y Christians) "on"!&t o* sa#1ation 0ithout a
&ra"ti"a# so"ia# irrationa#ity #i+! th! "orru&tion o* th! oman Catho#i" Chur"h in
-artin 2uth!r)s tim!5 7his !ssay 0i## *irst summariA! th! 6i**i"u#ti!s *a"!6 3y th!
&rota$onist Christian in =%i#$rim)s %ro$r!ss>9 *o##o0!6 3y a "om&arison o* ho0 th!
"on"!&t o* sa#1ation 6i**!rs in 6i**!r!nt 6!nomination o* Christianity an6 th!n
"om&ar! th! "ir"umstan"!s at th! tim! 0h!n %uritanism an6 %rot!stantism !m!r$!s5
7h! a##!$ory =%i#$rim)s %ro$r!ss> is a3out th! &rota$onist)s Bourn!y *rom his
hom! "ity9 th! City o* D!stru"tion9 to th! C!#!stia# City to s!!+ sa#1ation5 7h! story
$i1!s a "#!ar &ortrait o* %uritans) "on"!&t o* sa#1ation an6 th! 6i**i"u#ti!s th!
&rota$onist9 Christian9 !n"ount!rs 0h!n h! tri!s to in*orm oth!rs his un6!rstan6in$ o*
sa#1ation5 In %uritanism9 m!n ar! *i##!6 0ith !<tr!m! sin*u#n!ss an6 th! =&ro"!ss Co*
"on1!rsionD C3!$insD 0ith intros&!"tion9 !<amination o* th! S"ri&tur!s9 an6 #ist!nin$
to th! &r!a"h!6 0or6> an6 Christian 6o!s th!s! in th! a##!$ory E@r!m!r ,2F5 Christian
h!#6 =a 3oo+ in his han69 an6 a $r!at 3ur6!n u&on his 3a"+> E@unyan 12F 0hi#! th!
3oo+ in his han6 is th! @i3#! an6 throu$h r!a6in$ th! s"ri&tur!9 th! +no0#!6$! o* his
sins is r!&r!s!nt!6 3y th! $r!at 3ur6!n on his 3a"+5 7ra"in$ th! @i3#!9 =*or min!
ini8uiti!s ar! $on! o1!r min! h!a6: as an h!a1y 3ur6!n th!y ar! too h!a1y *or m!>9
th! 3ur6!n o* sin*u#n!ss "om!s *rom r!a6in$ th! @i3#! an6 h!n"! is 6!&i"t!6 as a
&hysi"a# 3ur6!n in th! story E%sa#m .G:,F5 Su"h 3ur6!n is th! &ro3#!m Christian *a"!s
an6 h! must s!!+ a so#ution5
7h! on! $r!at 6i**i"u#ty Christian *a"!s is that no on! un6!rstan6s his $r!at
3ur6!n an6 that h! is in 6istr!ss5 =C/! isD "!rtain#y in*orm!6 that this "ity 0i## 3! 3urnt
0ith *ir! *rom h!a1!n> an6 th!r!*or! &!o&#! shou#6 *o##o0 him #!a1in$ th! City o*
D!stru"tion or !#s! =3oth Chims!#*D9 0ith th!! ChisD 0i*!9 an6 you ChisD s0!!t 3a3!s9
sha## mis!ra3#y "om! to ruin9 !<"!&t som! 0ay o* !s"a&! "an 3! *oun6H>E@unyan
1,F5 In*ortunat!#y9 n!ith!r his *ami#y nor his n!i$h3ours un6!rstan6s him9 inst!a69
=th!y thou$ht that som! *r!nAy 6ist!m&!r ha6 $ot into his h!a6> E@unyan 1,F5 7h!n9
th! E1an$!#ist "om!s to him on! 6ay an6 $a1! him a &ar"hm!nt ro##9 instru"tin$ him
to *o##o0 th! =shinnin$ #i$ht> to s!!+ sa#1ation5 's h! 3!$an to run a0ay *rom hom!9
his 0i*! an6 "hi#6r!n ="ry a*t!r him to r!turn: 3ut th! man &ut his *in$!rs in his !ars
an6 ran on H> E@unyan 17F5 D!s&it! t0o o* his n!i$h3ours9 J3stinat! an6 %#ia3#!)s
"hasin$ a*t!r him to r!turn an6 -r Wor#6#y Wis!man 8u!stionin$ him a3out his 0i*!
an6 "hi#6r!n9 h! r!*us!s an6 &oints out that =Ch! isD so #a6!n 0ith this 3ur6!n9 that Ch!D
"annot ta+! that &#!asur! in Chis 0i*! an6 "hi#6r!nD as *orm!r#y: m!thin+s I am as i* I
ha6 non!> E@unyan .0F5 7h!r!*or!9 6!s&it! Christian)s 6!t!rmination to #!a1! hom!
*or sa#1ation9 th! &!o&#! aroun6 him "annot un6!rstan6 him at a##5 7h! r!ason 3!hin6
su"h #a"+ o* un6!rstan6in$ is that !1!ryon! thin+s on! 0i## 3! sa1!6 3y 3!in$ $oo6
Christians 0ith *aith an6 $oo6 0or+s an6 th! h!#& o* ?!sus Christ in th! tim! o* ?ohn
@unyan so 0h!n Christian t!##s his *ami#y an6 n!i$h3ours that th!y ar! too sin*u# to
3! sa1!69 it is "!rtain#y 6i**i"u#t to $!t &!o&#! 3!#i!1! in him5 7o *urth!r un6!rstan6
th! im&ossi3i#iti!s *a"!6 3y Christian9 th! "on"!&t o* sa#1ation 0i## 3! *urth!r
!<&#ain!6 in th! *o##o0in$5
Sa#1ation in Christianity m!ans a #ot to Christian 3!#i!1!rs 3!"aus! th!y ar!
sin*u# an6 th!y n!!6 to 3! sa1!65 7o 3!$in 0ith9 sins ar! o**!n"!s a$ainst Go6 3y
6!s&isin$ his %!rson an6 his "omman6m!nts9 an6 3y inBurin$ oth!rs E6969 -!tA$!r
an6 Coo$anF5 '*t!r '6am an6 E1!9 Christians ar! 3orn sin*u# 3!"aus! sins #i! in
human natur! inst!a6 o* on#y o""urrin$ 0h!n ru#!s ar! 3ro+!n5 Sins 0i## 3rin$ a3out
natura# 6isast!rs9 1io#!n"!9 i##n!ss an6 6!ath5 7h!r!*or!9 r!$ar6#!ss o* 6!nomination
6i**!r!n"!s9 sa#1ation m!ans =th! sa1in$ o* th! sou# *rom sin an6 its "ons!8u!n"!s>9
an6 thos! "ons!8u!n"!s m!an s!&aration *rom Go6 in this #i*! an6 th! n!<t EJ<*or6
En$#ish Di"tionaryF5 With 3i3#i"a# r!*!r!n"!9 =@3#i!1! on th! 2or6 ?!sus Christ9 an6
thous sha#t 3! sa1!6 an69 thy hous!>9 th! im&ortan"! o* sa#1ation in Christianity is
hi$h#y r!"o$niA!65
/o0!1!r9 0ith r!$ar6 to 6i**!r!nt 6!nominations9 th! m!ans o* sa#1ation
6i**!r5 /!3r!0 an6 ?!0s 3!#i!1!6 that a &!rson "an $o to h!a1!n 0ith har6 0or+ an6 a
stron$ r!#i$ious *aith5 Simi#ar#y9 Christians 3!#i!1!6 that in a66ition to *aith an6 $oo6
0or+s9 aton!m!nt 0hi"h m!ans =man)s r!"on"i#iation 0ith Go6 throu$h th! sa"ri*i"ia#
6!ath o* Christ> is ma6! &ossi3#! 3y th! sa"ri*i"ia# 6!ath o* Christ ECo##ins Jn#in!
Di"tionaryF5 /o0!1!r9 %rot!stants 3!#i!1!6 that in or6!r to 3! sa1!69 $oo6 0or+s 0i##
not $i1! on!s!#* ri$ht!ousn!ss 3!"aus! ri$ht!ousn!ss "an on#y 3! $i1!n 3y Go6 so a##
th!y n!!6 to 6o is to ha1! *aith in Go6 an6 r!a6 th! @i3#!5 'mon$ th! 6i**!r!nt
%rot!stant r!#i$ions that s&ran$ u& a*t!r th! *a## o* authority o* th! oman Catho#i"
Chur"h9 %uritanism stat!s that sa#1ation :0as &ossi3#! on#y throu$h Go6)s m!r"y9
0hi"h 0as 3!sto0!6 on#y on th! !#!"t) E@r!m!r ,.F5 %uritanism !m&hasiA!6 !<tr!m!
sin*u#n!ss an6 th! "ons!8u!nt n!!6 *or Go6 to sa1! th!m an6 in a66ition9 6is"i&#in!
an6 har6shi&s5 7h! %uritan m!an o* sa#1ation is 6!&i"t!6 3!st in th! most si$ni*i"ant
%uritanism #it!ratur! 0or+ =%i#$rim)s %ro$r!ss> in 0hi"h th! &rota$onist 0!nt throu$h
#ots o* har6shi&s 3!*or! 3!in$ sa1!65 7his ma+!s sa#1ation in %uritanism 1a$u!r an6
mor! 6i**i"u#t to a"hi!1! 0h!n "om&ar!6 to "on1!ntiona# Christian 3!#i!*s5
@!si6!s th! 6istin"t#y tou$h sa#1ation "on"!&t o* %uritanism9 th! so"ia#
"ir"umstan"!s at th! tim! %uritanism aros! a#so ma6! 6i**i"u#t to 3! a""!&t!6 6u! to a
#a"+ o* so"ia# irrationa#ity5
?ohn @unyan E162G416GGF 0as a %uritan &r!a"h!r 0ho 0as im&rison!6 t0i"! 3y
th! Chur"h o* En$#an6 *or &r!a"hin$ to his o0n "on$r!$ation 0ithout a #i"!ns! an6
0rot! th! a##!$ory =%i#$rim)s %ro$r!ss> as h! s&!nt a 6!"a6! in Bai#5

-oti1!s *or &!o&#! to s0it"h *rom
Christianity to %uritanism ECa#1inF: 3y thr!at!nin$ !$5 !<tr!m! sin*u#n!ssEth!
3ur6!nF9 th! har6shi&sEa#on$ Christian)s Bourn!yF9 th! !n!mi!s 4K too har6 to $!t to
h!a1!n 4K ma+! &!o&#! s"ar!64K *ai#ur!
Catho#i"ism to %rot!stantism E2uth!rF: 3y r!mo1in$ th! 3a6 thin$s a3out C Chur"h
4K ma+! &!o&#! ha&&y 4K su""!ss
In"#inin$ to0ar6s human natur! '&&roa"h!s o* r!#i$ious r!*ormation 6!"i6!s 0h!th!r
it is su""!ss*u# or not