Fictional Edification by Way of Analogy/Allegory

[No Other Name]

Good morning all,

If anyone is so inclined, would you mind sharing any instances of fiction that can be viewed analogically for Biblical edification? Even if the author(s) never intended for it to be so?

(ex: Sproul's example of Robin Hood and his allegiance to the true king of the land despite the evil steward occupying the current position of rulership.)

Allegories are welcome too. I only know of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and Holy War, but there are probably other well-written ones out there.

Hey, even if they were not well-written; I am also keen to hear of any allegories or analogies that may have had great ideas but may or may not have failed in execution or lasting effect on literature: (Keach's Travels of Ungodliness comes to mind).

TANGENTIAL REQUEST:

As to the excellent allegory Pilgrim's Progress, can anyone share what scene or image or fictional device married with Biblical truth sticks out the most for you personally? Even if it is more than one, I would be very interested in anyone sharing a "Top Ten" moments - or "Top Ten scenes" from this or any other of Bunyan's fictional works ( Mr. Badman maybe?)

Thank you all and God bless you all

 

[RamistThomist]

Edmund Spenser's Fairie Queene is an allegory of Protestant virtues, though the language barrier makes it quite difficult (think Shakespeare with medieval spelling).

 

[davejonescue]

These are also allegories similar to Pilgrims Progress. Both are available at no-cost from Monergism.

Keach, Benjamin The Travels of True Godliness
Keach, Benjamin The Travels of Ungodliness

As far as fiction that can be viewed in such a way, The Matrix comes to mind and how it can be relatable to regeneration and awareness to the true reality we were once all blind of.

 

[No Other Name]

Edmund Spenser's Fairie Queene is an allegory of Protestant virtues, though the language barrier makes it quite difficult (think Shakespeare with medieval spelling).

The are also allegories similar to Pilgrims Progress. Both are available at no-cost from Monergism.

Keach, Benjamin The Travels of True Godliness
Keach, Benjamin The Travels of Ungodliness

Thank you, gentlemen. I am most curious to know your personal thoughts though working through these as an individual.

I am aware of these (and a lot more). But my question lies more in what you personally found valuable or uplifting in these works as a whole or maybe less than a whole? (ex. I thought Holy War overall was a chore, but I highly valued the allegory of a man as a city with sensory gates and the idea of the spiritual warfare in the heavenly realms illustrated by a human-level battle but now I can see the characters inside the city being different facets of my sin nature/psychology).

 

[Jakob Hiebert]

Good morning all,

If anyone is so inclined, would you mind sharing any instances of fiction that can be viewed analogically for Biblical edification? Even if the author(s) never intended for it to be so?

I think Lord of the Rings would fall under this category. J.R.R Tolkien was Christian but I believe he never intended the series to be an allegory and the Christian themes in it are more from his subconscious if I remember correctly.

 

[Steve Curtis]

A lesser-known series would be Jonathan Edwards scholar, Rob Boss' recent works (think Lewis' Screwtape).

 

[Pomopu]

Good morning all,

If anyone is so inclined, would you mind sharing any instances of fiction that can be viewed analogically for Biblical edification? Even if the author(s) never intended for it to be so?

(ex: Sproul's example of Robin Hood and his allegiance to the true king of the land despite the evil steward occupying the current position of rulership.)

Allegories are welcome too. I only know of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and Holy War, but there are probably other well-written ones out there.

Hey, even if they were not well-written; I am also keen to hear of any allegories or analogies that may have had great ideas but may or may not have failed in execution or lasting effect on literature: (Keach's Travels of Ungodliness comes to mind).

TANGENTIAL REQUEST:

As to the excellent allegory Pilgrim's Progress, can anyone share what scene or image or fictional device married with Biblical truth sticks out the most for you personally? Even if it is more than one, I would be very interested in anyone sharing a "Top Ten" moments - or "Top Ten scenes" from this or any other of Bunyan's fictional works ( Mr. Badman maybe?)

Thank you all and God bless you all

C. S Lewis' space trilogy! Obviously his Narnia series, but you know that already. Lesser known, he enfleshes abolition of man in his surreal, horrifying third book of the trilogy. I don't think any depraved T.V show on any streaming service, any depraved modern attitude toward science or technology or power or war, the transgender movement as well, can be understood without reading Lewis on Abolition of Man, and corresponding novel rendition.

If nothing else, That Hideous Strength reminds the Christian that the demonic lies behind the surface, lies behind the surface, like a war it is at the center of so much, rooted deep, parasitically sucking and deviously directing, in constant conflict with the Christian, the Christian ideal, and Christ. So good.

My take? Allegorizing is tough. Hard. And not respected by the artistic elites, as it were. In 2024, we need Christians to excel at writing novels, short stories, memoirs, and biographies. And maybe some solid allegories for kids. Irrelevant, but anyway.

 

[RamistThomist]

I am aware of these (and a lot more). But my question lies more in what you personally found valuable or uplifting in these works as a whole or maybe less than a whole? (ex. I thought Holy War overall was a chore, but I highly valued the allegory of a man as a city with sensory gates and the idea of the spiritual warfare in the heavenly realms illustrated by a human-level battle but now I can see the characters inside the city being different facets of my sin nature/psychology).

Yes. I think it is great.

 

[No Other Name]

C. S Lewis' space trilogy! Obviously his Narnia series, but you know that already. Lesser known, he enfleshes abolition of man in his surreal, horrifying third book of the trilogy. I don't think any depraved T.V show on any streaming service, any depraved modern attitude toward science or technology or power or war, the transgender movement as well, can be understood without reading Lewis on Abolition of Man, and corresponding novel rendition.

If nothing else, That Hideous Strength reminds the Christian that the demonic lies behind the surface, lies behind the surface, like a war it is at the center of so much, rooted deep, parasitically sucking and deviously directing, in constant conflict with the Christian, the Christian ideal, and Christ. So good.

My take? Allegorizing is tough. Hard. And not respected by the artistic elites, as it were. In 2024, we need Christians to excel at writing novels, short stories, memoirs, and biographies. And maybe some solid allegories for kids. Irrelevant, but anyway.

Yes thank you! This is exactly what I am looking for. Specific examples of fictional analogy/allegory and why you value them by sharing what you learned etc.

I am not sure if allegorizing is tough or is it because our modern age is full of cynical hyper-criticism to not allow a simply allegory communicate one simple aspect of truth.

I suspect if John Bunyan wrote his allegorical magnum opus Pilgrim's Progress, it would be met with snarky rejoinders on social media as it rose up the bestseller list about how salvation "doesn't fully work that way", or that is not how salvation works at all or how it is "not that simple".

I recall Spurgeon himself saying the cross should have come before the wicket gate (but in my opinion, he is missing the fact that the cross and the "scroll" (Gospel assurance) does not always come immediately for some as others - cf. Christiana receiving the scroll at the wicket gate).

Maybe - as a society - we have forgotten that an allegory need not be all-encompassing.

It is not a failure of any allegory that does not account for all possible facets of a theological truth in order to service one particular facet that the allegory seeks to illuminate.

 

[Pomopu]

Yes thank you! This is exactly what I am looking for. Specific examples of fictional analogy/allegory and why you value them by sharing what you learned etc.

I am not sure if allegorizing is tough or is it because our modern age is full of cynical hyper-criticism to not allow a simply allegory communicate one simple aspect of truth.

I suspect if John Bunyan wrote his allegorical magnum opus Pilgrim's Progress, it would be met with snarky rejoinders on social media as it rose up the bestseller list about how salvation "doesn't fully work that way", or that is not how salvation works at all or how it is "not that simple".

I recall Spurgeon himself saying the cross should have come before the wicket gate (but in my opinion, he is missing the fact that the cross and the "scroll" (Gospel assurance) does not always come immediately for some as others - cf. Christiana receiving the scroll at the wicket gate).

Maybe - as a society - we have forgotten that an allegory need not be all-encompassing.

It is not a failure of any allegory that does not account for all possible facets of a theological truth in order to service one particular facet that the allegory seeks to illuminate.

I like your thoughts on allegory. Well said.

If you decide to commit to this, I recommend the following resource to Lewis: https://www.amazon.com/After-Humanity-Commentary-Lewis-Abolition/dp/1943243778

 

[No Other Name]

My top ten moments from Pilgrim's Progress

10) The resolution of the Castle Despair incident. How often my own spiralling psychology could have been stopped so much sooner by simply remembering the key of God's promises (the object of our faith per Turretin).

9) The man in the iron cage in the House of the Interpreter. A scene so obviously Calvinstic that no film treatment includes it (or re-imagines it as a "vision of the future" that a "past Christian" is witnessing of his own future cage in the Castle Despair as in the most recent animated version). It is sad how much Arminianism has taken hold of Christianity in America.

8) Faithful's escape from Wanton and Adam the first:

Faith. I escaped the slough that I perceive you fell into, and got up to the gate without that danger: only I met with one whose name was WANTON, that had like to have done me a mischief.

Chr. 'T was well you escaped her net; Joseph was hard put to it by her, and he escaped her as you did; but it had like to have cost him his life.

"And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth." Genesis 39:11-13

But what did she do to you?

Faith. You cannot think (but that you know something) what a flattering tongue she hath; she laid at me hard to turn aside with her, promising me all manner of content.

Chr. Nay, she did not promise you the content of a good conscience.

Faith. You know what I mean, all carnal and fleshly content.

Chr. Thank God you have escaped her: the abhorred of the Lord shall fall into her ditch.

"The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein." Proverbs 22:14

Faith. Nay, I know not whether I did wholly escape her, or not.

Chr. Why, I trow you did not consent to her desires?

Faith. No, not to defile myself; for I remembered an old writing that I had seen, which saith, "Her steps take hold on hell".

"Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell." Proverbs 5:5

So I shut mine eyes, because I would not be bewitched with her looks;

"I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" Job 31:1

then she railed on me, and I went my way.

Chr. Did you meet with no other assault as you came?

Faith. When I came to the foot of the hill called "Difficulty," I met with a very aged man, who asked me what I was, and whither bound? I told him that I was a pilgrim going to the Celestial City : then said the old man, Thou lookest like an honest fellow; wilt thou be content to dwell with me for the wages that I shall give thee? Then I asked him his name, and where he dwelt? He said his name was Adam the first; and that he dwelt in the town of Deceit .

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;" Ephesians 4:22

I asked him then, What was his work? and what the wages that he would give? He told me that his work was many delights; and his wages, that I should be his heir at last. I further asked him, what house he kept, and what other servants he had? So he told me that his house was maintained with all the dainties in the world; and that his servants were those of his own begetting. Then I asked how many children he had? He said that he had but three daughters, – the lust of the flesh; the lust of the eyes; and the pride of life;

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." 1 John 2:16

and that I should marry them all, if I would. Then I asked how long time he would have me live with him? And he told me, as long as he lived himself.

Chr. Well, and what conclusion came the old man and you to at last?

Faith. Why, at first I found myself somewhat inclinable to go with the man, for I thought he spake very fair; but, looking in his forehead as I talked with him, I saw there written, "Put off the old man with his deeds."

Chr. And how then?

Faith. Then it came burning hot into my mind, whatever he said, and however he flattered, when he got me home to his house he would sell me for a slave. So I bid him forbear to talk; for I would not come near the door of his house. Then he reviled me, and told me that he would send such a one after me, that should make my way bitter to my soul. So I turned to go away from him; but just as I turned myself to go thence, I felt him take hold of my flesh, and give me such a deadly twitch back, that I thought he had pulled part of me after himself: this made me cry, "O wretched man!"

"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Romans 7:24

So I went on my way up the hill.

7) Faithful's subsequent beating by the Law for his previous lust

6) Faithful's martrydom in Vanity Fair

5) Vanity Fair itself! Also, never dramatized due to potentially offensive content are the streets and avenues that obviously show the heresies of Rome, prosperity preachers et al bring me to the

4) trial of Faithful and Christian where more of the obviously unbiblical ideologies are represented by the jury and accusers and confronted biblically with Faithful's testimony.

3) I love how Christian was the inquisitive student to Faithful and then post-martyrdom, Hopeful catches up and Christian becomes the tutor to Hopeful's inquisitive learener.

2) the balance between views of God in his word (Palace Beautiful) and views of consequences of sin (Valley of Shadow of Death) and the balance of views of the Celestial City (Delectable Mountains) and hell (that one path where they saw the cave as the gates of hell)

1) my favorite subtle point Bunyan made: Hopeful crossing the dark river with assurance and finding the water easy to walk though while Christian felt the waters up to his head and above and was panicking. Assurance of salvation is never a gift to take for granted, and Christian and his faulty memory is a tragic reminder for us all.