The Holy War
The Holy War is a Christian Allegory by John Bunyan. Like Pilgrim's Progress, it combines beautiful doctrines of the fall, salvation, Christian warfare and Christ, the lily of the valley, with the storyline.
In the book, King Shaddai creates the greatest city on Earth, Mansoul. It is built so that none can enter without the people opening the gate from the inside. Diabolus, intent on destroying the great works of Shaddai, deceives the people of Mansoul that their King is unjust - He does not allow anarchy and disobedience, so He is unreasonable, he claims - and takes the city. Grieved, Shaddai sends His Beloved Son Emmanuael to convert the city again.
Summary
The narrator tells of Mansoul, a great city built by Shaddai, the finest of his works. Shaddai rules over the city with justice, liberty, and grace. Three mayors command it: Lord Conscience, Lord Understanding and Lord Willbewill.
Diabolus, the enemy, plots to take the city, which no man can invade unless allowed entry by the people of Mansoul. He, with sly words, tempts the people as he did Eve, saying that Shaddai was a tyrant.
The people are deceived and let them in. Lord Understanding is blinded, Lord Conscience becomes confused, and Lord Willbewill serves Diabolous. Lord Innocency is slayed by Ill-Pause. Two mayors, Lord Incredulity and Lord Lusting, entrap the people.
Shaddai, deeply grieved, sends four captains to save the city, Bonageres, Conviction, Judgement and Execution. They plead for three months for the city to repent, but they refuse.
Shaddai realizes that victory is only possible through His Beloved Son Emmanuel. Emmanuel, with 5 captains-Credence, Good-Hope, Charity, Innocence and Patience-fights to retake Mansoul from Diabolus, who flees to the Hell-gate.
Emmanuel rides in gloriously on His white hourse of Purity, and reestablishes the Throne for Shaddai. But infiltators still remain, who plot to overthrow the Throne once again, led by Carnal-Security. These plotters are tried fairly, found guilty, and hanged. Emmanuel is constantly interceding, like an attorney, for Mansoul to Shaddai.
The largest attack, though, is sent by Diabolous, an army of Doubters who attack at the Feel-Gate, the weakest gate in the city. Many men were killed.
Captain Credence sends a message for help, and Shaddai promises help in 3 days. Sure enough, Emmanuel powerfully and gloriously defeats Diabolus, who while still tempting the people, finally leaves. The Secretary comes to remain in Mansoul.
Emmanuel is crowned King of Mansoul, and Shaddai leaves in glory, promising to return for the people one day.
Commentary
The Holy War is an allegory of how Christ redeems the soul of man. Because Christ's atonement on the Cross has already been accomplished, Christ is focused on conquering man's soul, which is why there is no allegory for the Cross in the book.
Shaddai is a name of God, meaning "Almighty" or "All-Sufficient". Thereby, Shaddai is God the Father. Because God created man's soul in his image, Mansoul represents the soul and is imprinted with Shaddai's image.
Emmanuel is a name of Christ, so Emmanuel is Christ, who is the only one able (through His atonement) to redeem Mansoul. He is also crowned King of Mansoul, as Christ must rule our soul. He must also put down our sinful tendencies that remain, represented in Emmanuel's defeat of the plots against His rule. In this way, Christ molds us. Emmanuel is consistently interceding for the people of Mansoul when they rebel, as Christ is our attorney.
The Secretary represents the Holy Spirit, as He is equal to both Shaddai and Emmanuel, as the Spirit is to the Father and Christ. Because at the moment of salvation we are sealed and the Spirit dwells in us, so the Secretary comes into Mansoul immediantly after Emmanuel's victory.
Diabolus represents the Devil. As the Devil in the Garden of Eden deceived Eve by causing her to doubt God's justice, so Diabolus deceives the people in this way. He also continues to tempt the people, as the Devil continues to fight Christians, the reason for Christian warfare. Carnal-security represents the flesh that remains in the Christian, and causes him to sin, this time with remorse.
The four captains sent by Shaddai each represent the tenets of the Law. As these captains fail to save the city, so does the Law fail to save. The reason is simple: the Law convicts the sinner of sin, but when you tell someone not to do something, they want to do it even more. This is seen in the sins of the Old Testament saints.
Conversely, the 5 captains that fight with Emmanuel are the 5 virtues of Christianity. The captains fight and submit to Emmanuel, guarding the city for Emmanuel. Thereby, these 5 virtues submit to Christ, and preserve the Christian in faith against evil, twisted doctrine. These are the virtues that Christ commends Christians to have. Captain Credence was chief of these virtues, as Christian doctrine leads to the rest of these virtues.
The three mayors under Shaddai's rule each represent the original virtues of humanity before the fall. As these three are corrupted, so are the virtues corrupted to the Devil's advantage. Similarly, the two mayors under Diabolus are the two basic characteristics of unbelievers.
The infiltrators plotting against Emmanuel represent the weaknesses of a Christian. These weaknesses differ for each Christian, so the plotters are not named specifically. These must be hunted down and bent to the will of Christ, as these plotters are hanged. The Doubters army represent the attack of doubt many Christians experience half-way through their battle. The fact that they attack at the Feel-gate represents the deceptive and unstable nature of feelings, and the importance of walking by faith, and not by feeling.
Characters
Emmanuel - The protagonist, Jesus Christ, the Just and Fair Son of Shaddai who retakes Mansoul.
King Shaddai - God the Father, the Glorious Ruler of Mansoul and its Creator.
The Secretary - The Holy Spirit, the Counsellor and Guide of Mansoul who comes to Mansoul after Emmanuel's powerful victory.
Diabolus - The Devil, who deceives Mansoul and rules over it with tyranny,, surpressing the people.
Carnal-Security - The head of the plots to overthrow Emmanuel's throne. Represents the weak flesh that Christians must fight.
Captain Credence - Represents the Christian doctrine and creed. The cheif of the 5 captains who fight with Emmanuel.
Captain Good-hope - Represents the hope of the Christian faith. One of the 5 captains.
Captain Charity - Represents the virtue of charity. One of the five captains.
Captain Innocence - Represents the childlike innocence that Christ commends Christians to have. One of the five captains.
Captain Patience - Represents the virture of patience. One of the five captains.
Lord Understanding - One of the three mayors under Shaddai's initial rule. He represents understanding of God, Christ and what is really evil in this world, which people have lost.
Lord Conscience- The second of the three mayors. He represents the conscience, which is very easily confused without the Spirit's guidance.
Lord Willbewill - The third and most sinister of the mayors. He shifts his allegiance to Diabolous almost immediantly after the invasion. Represents the evil human will to do bad.
Lord Innocency - Represents the original human innocence before the fall. He is slayed during the invasion.
Lord Ill-Pause - Represents the loss of innocence in humans. Slays Lord Innocency.
Lord Incredulity - One of the two mayors of Diabolous's tyranny. Represents the athestic disbelief of people in the things of God and the Bible.
Lord Lusting - The second of the two mayors. Represents sexual immorality.
Bonageres - One of the four captains sent by Shaddai who fail to retake the city. Represents the temper of the Law.
Conviction- The second of the four captians. Represents the Law's purpose, to make aware of sin.
Judgement - The third of the four captains. Represents the strict judgement of the Law
Execution - The fourth of the four captains. Represents the punishment of the Law.
The People of Mansoul - Represents man's soul. The people are easily deceived by Diabolous, and are redeemed by Emmanuel.