Endorsements
William Wilberforce, the leader of the campaign for the abolition of the slave trade, was a devoted Evangelical Christian. His spiritual journals between 1785 and 1833 open a window on the inward life of this public man.
David Bebbington, Professor of History, University of Stirling, Stirling
Read moreWilliam Wilberforce has long been regarded as the classic example of evangelical activism in the long eighteenth century. His tenacious fight against the barbarous inhumanity of the slave trade and slavery have made him an iconic hero for many in our day. But what is often not remembered is the spiritual matrix out of which Wilberforce drew the resources to wage his indomitable battle for justice and social righteousness. Prof McMullen has put us all in his debt by editing these previously–unpublished diaries of this great human being. They reveal that Wilberforce’s love for the African people was intimately tied to his ardent Christian spirituality. Wilberforce was a man who lived life coram deo. May the reading of these diaries inspire many in our day to do likewise and attempt great things for God.
Michael A. G. Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky