William Wilberforce: the Christian Politician: a Look at How His Faith Influenced His Career and the Abolishment of Slavery
| William Wilberforce: The Christian Politician | A Look at How His Faith Influenced His Career and the Abolishment of Slavery |
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“They took me in the night, ripped me away from my family. Tried my wrists and took my dignity. I was sold for coins like we sell cattle; my ‘owner’ led me to a ship with hundreds more like me, I was cuffed to another, feet to wrists to neck. We were forced on board and sent in between decks and into apartments. As we set out for sea and the days pass, at night I lay in my own waste and during the day I feel nothing but pain and hear nothing but the splash of the waves and the moaning of the others” (Falconbridge 1788) (Ioan Gruffudd 2006). This account of the experience of a slave does not come close to enforcing the reality of the brutality of what these slaves went through. This is, however, what William Wilberforce spent his entire political career, and until his death, to abolish. Through his faith and prominence in the British government in the late 1700s through to the early 1800s he was determined to end this brutality against fellow human beings. In the film Amazing Grace, Wilberforce’ political career was depicted as a great success by his belief in God, his determination, ability to speak in public persuasively with prominence and passion, and the support of his friends and wife; and in this success he was able to fulfill his dream and calling to forever abolish slave trade in the British Empire.
In the 2006 film Amazing Grace, director Michael Apted, tells the story of William Wilberforce and his journey from becoming an evangelical Christian and politician, through his movement in parliament for the abolishment of slavery to his success in the abolishment and his death. His character and career is beautifully depicted through his acts and in the way works his way through British parliament in order to fulfill his dream (or calling) of ending the transatlantic slave trade. The film also depicts the
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“They took me in the night, ripped me away from my family. Tried my wrists and took my dignity. I was sold for coins like we sell cattle; my ‘owner’ led me to a ship with hundreds more like me, I was cuffed to another, feet to wrists to neck. We were forced on board and sent in between decks and into apartments. As we set out for sea and the days pass, at night I lay in my own waste and during the day I feel nothing but pain and hear nothing but the splash of the waves and the moaning of the others” (Falconbridge 1788) (Ioan Gruffudd 2006). This account of the experience of a slave does not come close to enforcing the reality of the brutality of what these slaves went through. This is, however, what William Wilberforce spent his entire political career, and until his death, to abolish. Through his faith and prominence in the British government in the late 1700s through to the early 1800s he was determined to end this brutality against fellow human beings. In the film Amazing Grace, Wilberforce’ political career was depicted as a great success by his belief in God, his determination, ability to speak in public persuasively with prominence and passion, and the support of his friends and wife; and in this success he was able to fulfill his dream and calling to forever abolish slave trade in the British Empire.
In the 2006 film Amazing Grace, director Michael Apted, tells the story of William Wilberforce and his journey from becoming an evangelical Christian and politician, through his movement in parliament for the abolishment of slavery to his success in the abolishment and his death. His character and career is beautifully depicted through his acts and in the way works his way through British parliament in order to fulfill his dream (or calling) of ending the transatlantic slave trade. The film also depicts the
Bibliography: Colson, Charles, and Anne Morse. "The Wilberforce Strategy: Britain 's great abolitionist worked to change society 's values, not just its laws." Christianity Today, 2007: 132-318. Falconbridge, Alexander. An Account of Slave Trade on the Coast of Africa. London: James Phillips, 1788. Amazing Grace. Directed by Michael Apted. Performed by Albert Finney, Michael Gambon Ioan Gruffudd. 2006. White, John. "Christian Responsibility to Reform Society: the Example of William Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect." Paternoster Periodicals, 2008: 166-172. Windschuttle, Keith. "William Wilberforce: The Great Emancipator." New Criterion, 2008: 17-24. -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. I made this viewpoint up, with the help of the contents in “An Account of the Slave Trade from the Coast on the Africa” as well as Olaudah Equiano’s account in Amazing Grace. [ 2 ]. It was important for them to connect with the upper-class because that’s where the money and power was, both in terms of authority and of trend. Lower-classes were also reached by Wilberforce and his team and showed great success in changing their society (White 2008).