A Tinker and a Poor Man: John Bunyan and His Church, 1628-1688 [Paperback]

Christopher Hill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1990

John Bunyan, one of England's greatest writers, was also a man of his age, an age marked by war, bloodshed, and passionate political drama. His life and times are authoritatively set forth in Christopher Hill's illuminating presentation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bernard Shaw called John Bunyan England's greatest prose writer. Even today, next to the Bible, The Pilgrim's Progress is perhaps the world's bestselling book, translated into more than 200 languages. Although there are many important studies of Bunyan as a writer or religious figure, this scholarly book by an eminent British intellectual historian is unique in setting the tinker's son from Bedford against the history of his turbulent, revolutionary times. Hill authoritatively discusses not only Bunyan's life, theology and publications but also his attitude toward women, his hatred and contempt for the rich (on theological grounds), his roots in popular culture, his influence on working-class movements in England, America, China and Africa, as well as his role as creative artist. A major work for a specialized audience.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

A recognized scholar of 17th-century English history, Hill has provided an excellent study of John Bunyan that places his literary achievement in the context of his economic, political, and religious environment. For Hill, Bunyan symbolizes lower-middle-class Calvinism and its reaction to the economic and political crises of the English Civil War period, and he substantiates his argument by repeatedly contrasting Bunyan's views to those of the university-educated Milton and of the more radical Quakers and Ranters. Since he is a cultural historian, Hill analyzes the whole Bunyan corpus, choosing not to stress Pilgrim's Progress to the same extent that a literary critic probably would stress it. Highly recommended for academic libraries. Susan A. Stussy, St. Norbert Coll., De Pere, Wis.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc (April 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393306623
• ISBN-13: 978-0393306620
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #391,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Heavy on theology, light on biography, October 14, 2009

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Robert M. Snell - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Tinker and a Poor Man: John Bunyan and His Church, 1628-88 (Hardcover)

I bought this book looking for a good biography on the writer of "The Pilgrim's Progress" John Bunyan, who I knew had been imprisoned in 17th century England for his Christian views. Unfortunately, after reading this book, I had learned little more about Bunyan other than that he had been in the Parliamentary army on garrison duty, that he was at some point converted, he pastored the church in Bedford, when he was born and when he died. The remainder of the book was about the competing theologies of the day, in detail, and analysis of the books he wrote. So, I am left looking for more information on the man and his life.
If you are looking for a good book on the 17th century English theology of the Ranters, the Quakers, the Diggers, and the Puritans, you will like this book.