THE HOLY WAR (1682) – AN OVERLOOKED JOHN BUNYAN WORK

THE HOLY WAR (1682) – The work that John Bunyan is most well-known for is The Pilgrim’s Progress, but given the theme of Balladeer’s Blog, rather than write the 2 billionth review of that book I decided to take a general look at one of Bunyan’s often overlooked writings on mythology/ allegory. 

The City of Mansoul was created by Shaddai (God) and is an Ideal State. It is almost impregnable because its Five Gates (the senses) cannot be opened by force, so it is purely up to the gatekeepers who may or may not enter Mansoul.

(Hey, it’s John Bunyan. If you’re looking for subtlety, let me introduce you to Mr. You-Won’t-Find-It-Here. Still, his works can be entertaining and thought provoking in a quaint, fairy-tale way.)

Perpetually menacing the people of Mansoul are the evil forces outside the gate; forces led by a giant named Diabolus (Guess Who) who has already ruined the other cities created by Shaddai. Things have been so good for the citizens of Mansoul for so long that the guardians at the gates have grown less vigilant and get suckered in by the temptations and appeals to their egos offered up by the agents of Diabolus.

As time goes on, a Fifth Column of Diabolus’ forces accumulates in Mansoul. They first entered through the Five Gates by deceiving the guardians and once inside, those agents proselytized to more and more of the citizens of Mansoul.

Eventually, Diabolus has coerced enough people to his side to start an open rebellion. Mansoul falls to the enemy forces within and without the city, resulting in Shaddai being overthrown and driven away. At first the citizens of Mansoul feel they made the right choice because Diabolus grants them greater freedoms.

Soon, Diabolus unleashes a reign of terror and inflicts horrific punishments for anything he chooses to interpret as disobedience to his megalomaniacal will. Mansoul becomes dystopian, “a place of total darkness with nothing but nettles, briars, thorns, weeds, and stinking things.”

When enough of Shaddai’s former subjects cry out to him, he has his son Emmanuel, astride his white horse, lead his armies into battle to retake Mansoul. After a period of warfare, Emmanuel retakes the city and reestablishes his father’s rule, but Diabolus escapes. 

Emmanuel skillfully articulates to his and his father’s people how to resist the agents of Diabolus and how to root them out wherever they have established new cells. But, as in so many things, eternal vigilance is needed and peace again makes the citizens of Mansoul complacent.

Diabolus summons to himself, one by one, an army of Doubters who have grown skeptical of Shaddai and his policies. Eventually, our villain has gathered an enormous host and once again wars upon Mansoul.

Again, Diabolus and his forces prevail. The pattern repeats itself and Diabolus’ rule again becomes so undeniably worse than Shaddai’s that Emmanuel retakes Mansoul once more.

Diabolus refuses to give up, and tries twice more to conquer Mansoul, but the citizens have grown resolute enough that the would-be invader is defeated both times. Emmanuel eloquently reminds his father’s subjects about the constant vigilance that is needed to keep Mansoul safe from the agents of Diabolus.

I always jokingly say that most of John Bunyan’s works should end with the words “GET IT?” His works certainly reflect his times but I’m impressed by the way that Bunyan – despite being mocked by some critics as unsophisticated and naive – was shrewd enough to offer an especially forward-thinking conclusion to The Holy War.

By that I mean that John Bunyan “gets” the fact that there is no such thing in life as “happily ever after”, there is only happy FOR NOW. New dangers always lie in wait in the future. That’s just how it is.

I’m amazed that The Holy War hasn’t come close to overtaking The Pilgrim’s Progress in popularity because of the action and the novel’s relevance on multiple levels, not just religious but civic and political as well.   

FOR MY REVIEW OF THE IRISH MYTHOLOGY IN THE BOOK OF THE DUN COW CLICK HERE.