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How to use Wilberforce?

The film Amazing Grace which tells the story of William Wilberforce and his fight against slavery is about to come out in Britain as we go to press.

It looks as if it will be a movie which will stir up conversation, not only about the injustice of the slave trade two centuries ago, but also with regard to the nature of true Christianity.

It is interesting to see how the anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade is being used by various groups. Apart from the right use of the events of history to point out the sin of racism, it also has an apologetic mileage. In his book Abolition! Richard Reddie says during the late 18th and early 19th century Britain underwent a religious revival... At the same time as Britain was forming abolition committees, France was in the first throes of revolutionary fervour, making protestations about liberty, equality and fraternity. However, France’s involvement in the anti-slavery movement comes a poor second to Britain’s and I would argue that the lack of a clear religious dimension to France was the reason for this lack of activity.’

There are other agendas for which the Wilberforce film seems to be being used. One Christian magazine’s recent editorial did its best to paint Wilberforce in the darkest possible colours saying that he regularly took drugs which are classified as ‘class A’ today and ruthlessly suppressed the civil rights of the working classes. The fact that he was a man of his time and that his use of opium was prescribed by doctors in the wake of a serious illness produced by overwork in 1788 is ignored. Yes, Christian heroes do have feet of clay, but are we being encouraged to follow their flaws rather than their virtues?

The film does have great evangelistic potential. Just as John Piper produced a book which proved most helpful to give to people when the film The Passion of the Christ came out, so he has also produced one to go with this film. It is titled Amazing Grace in the life of William Wilberforce and the British version was available from IVP on March 16 (ISBN 1 84474 185 0, 80 pages, £4.99). You may want to get hold of some of these to use from your church.

John Benton