Christians and Social Justice: Lessons from William Wilberforce

Christians are called to proclaim the gospel, but what about social justice? Throughout the Bible, God used people to have a transforming influence on the prevailing culture: Joseph, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel. Likewise, throughout Christian history there have been other striking examples. Many know William Wilberforce for his successful battle against the slave trade in the early 19th century, but he was also a deeply committed evangelical Christian with a broad agenda for reforming society. Wilberforce believed that ‘peculiar doctrines’ (evangelical beliefs) led to ‘true affections’, ‘moral transformation’ and eventually ‘political reformation’. In other words, he was saying that Christian beliefs change hearts, which changes lives, which then transform society. This talk reviews the life of Wilberforce to see what we can learn from his example in being both 'not of this world' but also deeply engaged in it, influencing the direction of culture under the Lordship of Christ.