Excerpt
“In other words, offending God is the essential consideration, not killing man or imperiling a nation. That is what made Wilberforce tick. He was not a political pragmatist. He was a radically God-centered Christian who was a politician. And his true affections for God based on the ‘peculiar doctrines’ of Christianity were the roots of his endurance in the cause of justice” (p. 25).
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About the Book
Against great obstacles William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian and a member of Parliament, fought for the abolition of the African slave trade and against slavery itself until they were both illegal in the British Empire.
Many are aware of Wilberforce's role in bringing an end to slavery in Great Britain, but few have taken the time to examine the beliefs and motivations that spurred him on for decades. In this concise volume, John Piper tells the story of how Wilberforce was transformed from an unbelieving, young politician into a radically God-centered Christian, and how his deep spirituality helped to change the moral outlook of a nation.
As world leaders debate over how to deal with a host of social justice and humanitarian crises, a closer look at Wilberforce's life and faith serves as an encouragement and example to all believers.
First Edition 2007
Crossway Books (Wheaton, Illinois)
Table of Contents
Foreword by Jonathan Aitken
Introduction: Enduring for the Cause
1. His Early Life
2. “God Has Set Before Me Two Great Objects”
3. A Multitude of Christlike Causes
4. Extraordinary Endurance
5. The Deeper Root of Childlike Joy
6. The Gigantic Truths of the Gospel
Translations
English-UK
Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press
ISBN: 9781844741854
Italian
Publisher: Alfa & Omega
ISBN: 88-88747-68-2
Portuguese
Publisher: Tempo de Colheita
ISBN: 978-85-61619-02-2
Spanish
Publisher: Editorial Unilit
ISBN: 0-7899-1580-4
Related Resources
- Tribute to William Wilberforce, #1 (blog post)
- Peculiar Doctrines, Public Morals, and the Political Welfare (conference message)
- The Spring of Persistent Public Love (sermon)
About John Piper
John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the author of more than 50 books including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. John and his wife, Noël, have five children and twelve grandchildren.
Endorsements
"John Piper's succinct and superbly perceptive study of William Wilberforce deserves to become an acclaimed bestseller. It not only tells the story of a great man's life-it also tells us how to understand the ultimate source of his greatness and happiness. Moreover, that understanding goes far deeper than the abolitionist achievements for which Wilberforce is honored, astounding though they were. William Wilberforce's secret, as revealed in this book, was that he made the journey from self-centeredness, achievement-centeredness, and political-centeredness to God-centeredness. And he made it with Christlike joy." —Jonathan Aitken
