"A Will and a Way to Make Life Better"

Abstract

In this article in honor of Howie Davis, the story of Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan is drawn upon to help clarify and illustrate the larger dimensions of Howie's intellectual and spiritual quest to improve the tragi-comédie humaine. As Christian, in Pilgrim's Progress, traversed every step of the way the pilgrim must take from the City of Destruction to Celestial City, traveling through the Slough of Despond, By-Path Mountains, Vanity Fair, Delectable Mountains, Valley of the Shadow of Death, and Enchanted City, so did Howie undertake a spriritual journey of similar dimensions. Combining the qualities of the artist and scholar, imaginative daydreamer and profound exponent of common sense, preacher and entertainer, Howie was propelled by his deep empathy for the pain experienced by others, and his desire to ease that pain and build on human dignity and achievement. Knowledge utilization and planned change were, to him, the means to achieve this goal.