John Comenius

Volume 90 in the Classics of Western Spirituality series represents the culmination of the literary accomplishments of John Comenius (1592-1670), pastor and leader of the Bohemian Brethren (Unitas Fratrum), a Czech Protestant group inspired by the Hussite movement of the fifteenth century.This work, written against the calamitous background of the Thirty Years War, and Comenius' profound personal sufferings, comprises two parts. Part one, "The Labyrinth of the World, " is an allegory describing a pilgrim's search for meaning as he surveys the classes and occupations of 17th-century Europe. He is disillusioned at every turn. In part two, he turns inward where he finds "the paradise of the heart, " and experiences true hope in relationship with Jesus Christ.