A book review of William Hague's "William Wilberforce" by Exiled Preacher

As if listening to the comments that ended my last posting, Guy Davies, Exiled Preacher , has posted a great review of a new book on William Wilberforce, the Evangelical Christian who spent his political life ridding Great Britain of the slave trade.

William Wilberforce by William Hague is written, according to Davies, by a non-Evangelical who is nonetheless sympathetic to his subject. The review begins,

“Last year marked the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. Slavery itself was abolished in the British Empire in 1833. Many men and women campaigned against the slave trade, but the acknowledged leader of the anti-slavery movement was William Wilberforce. William Hague has put us in his debt with this well written and compelling biography. He evidently does not share the reformer's evangelical convictions, but he evidences a sympathetic understanding of his subject. The author's political background (he was a Conservative Cabinet Minister, then Leader of the Opposition and is currently Shadow Foreign Secretary) give him a valuable insight into the political aspects of Wilberforce's life.”

Another section: “But Wilberforce was involved in much more than the abolition of slavery. He was a best selling author. His A Practical View of Christianity exposed the nominal religion of the upper classes and set forth the evangelical faith in a provocative and winsome manner. He was an active philanthropist, involved in many good causes including the improvement of working conditions in the factories, the RSPCA. He advocated the work of overseas mission. In a three hour speech to Parliament, he successfully argued against the East India Company’s ban on evangelistic work in India.”

To read all of the review go here. William Wilberforce by William Hague .