Guide Mentor

Character Role Analysis

Evangelist

Using the name "Evangelist" for Christian's guide, Bunyan is making two important references. The first is to John the Evangelist, one of the four Gospel writers. Bunyan and his fellow Puritans (as well as many other Christian groups) believed that John was also the author of Revelations: the main "judgment day" text of the Bible frequently referred to in sermons of the "fire and brimstone" variety.

Bunyan is also making a not-so-subtle reference to "evangelism" itself. Just think of the way Christian meets Evangelist: our hero is distressed and confused and, importantly, wants some kind of guidance. Evangelist's one-on-one attention helps to convert Christian in a way that nothing else—not even the Bible itself—could do. This is what it is to "evangelize" in a pretty basic way: to go out there and spread the word, saving one soul at a time.