John Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher who is best known for his allegorical novel The Pilgrim' s Progress, published in 1678. Bunyan' s faith was profoundly influenced by two books owned by his wife: Arthur Dent's Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven and Lewis Bayly's Practice of Piety, and he turned to preaching following the death of his guide and mentor, John Gifford. The restoration of the monarchy of Charles II of England marked England' s return to Anglicanism, and Bunyan' s freedom to preach was curtailed. He was arrested numerous times for preaching without a licence, and was finally imprisoned for the offence in November 1660. Bunyan was released from prison in January 1672 and resumed preaching (as permitted under the Declaration of Religious Indulgence) until his death in 1688.