The Seeker’s Journey: A Contemporary Retelling of Pilgrim’s Progress

By Marshall Davis

The Seeker's Journey: A Contemporary Retelling of Pilgrim's Progress is a humorous exploration of contemporary spirituality. Patterned after John Bunyan's 17th century classic "Pilgrim's Progress," this book is an allegorical pilgrimage through the landscape of 21st century American Christianity. This is not your grandfather's Pilgrim's Progress! In this retelling of the beloved allegory, Seeker (who later changes his name to Pilgrim) meets Campus Crusader on his university campus. The evangelist instructs him to begin his journey by entering through a gate illuminated by lamppost, which strangely resembles the one at the boundary of Narnia. Instead of the Slough of Despond this modern Pilgrim falls into the Bog of Existential Angst, and then stays in the Town of Therapy for a while. Where Vanity Fair used to be, now there is Prosperity Gospel Ministries. Pilgrim visits the City of Megachurch where he meets people who suspiciously resemble Robert Schuller, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, and Benny Hinn. The allegorical characters are still here, but their names are more familiar to modern ears. There is Judgmental, Bored, and Spiritual But Not Religious. Pilgrim meets Tolerant and Intolerant, Psychologist and Evangelical, and the Dark Knight of the Soul. Calvin and Arminius live in a cave overlooking the Valley of Dry Bones. Billy Graham and the Dalai Lama even make cameo appearances. In the Theologian's House he encounters many interpretations of the Bible and Christ, all of which are recognizable from the American religious landscape - from Creationism to Feminism. Pilgrim visits First Baptist Church where he stays at the home of a Fundamentalist family. He fights the dreaded Apollyon, travels through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and encounters the Four Horsemen of the New Atheism. These are just a few of the adventures that Pilgrim and his companions have on their journey from their home in the Shadowlands (shades of C. S. Lewis) to their Destination beyond the river. Along the way there are references to Harry Potter, Philip K. Dick, Talladega Nights, and Mark Twain. The ending will surprise you. This is a romp through the landscape of contemporary American Christianity that will get you thinking deeply and laughing out loud.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 154994780X
• ISBN13: 9781549947803
• Release Date: October 2017
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.5" x 5.5"