A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians, in the Higher and Middle Classes in This Country, Contrasted With Real Christianity (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

William Wilberforce

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1334151458 ISBN 13: 9781334151453

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

This book addresses the inadequacies of widely held Christian beliefs, particularly concerning the importance of Christianity and the nature of human beings. It begins by arguing that most professed Christians have an insufficient grasp of the significance of their faith. The author claims they treat it as a collection of mere morality or simple religion, rather than acknowledging its profound and exclusive claims on their lives and behaviors. The book then turns to the topic of human nature, challenging the notion that humans are fundamentally pure and only occasionally prone to lapses in virtue. Drawing on a wide range of evidence, from ancient pagan societies to modern civilized nations, the author argues that the depravity of man is a fundamental and pervasive reality. Through introspection and the study of history, the book demonstrates the extent to which human beings are inclined towards selfishness, violence, and moral failure. The author concludes by emphasizing the profound implications of this understanding of human nature for our comprehension of Christianity.

About this title

About the Author

William Wilberforce (1759–1833) was an English politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire. In 1785, he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical Christian, which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform. In 1787, he came into contact with Thomas Clarkson and a group of anti-slave-trade activists, including Granville Sharp, Hannah More and Charles Middleton. They persuaded Wilberforce to take on the cause of abolition, and he soon became one of the leading English abolitionists. He headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for twenty-six years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. Wilberforce was convinced of the importance of religion, morality and education. He championed causes and campaigns such as the Society for the Suppression of Vice, British missionary work in India, the creation of a free colony in Sierra Leone, the foundation of the Church Mission Society, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. His underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation, and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad. In later years, Wilberforce supported the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery, and continued his involvement after 1826, when he resigned from Parliament because of his failing health. That campaign led to the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, which abolished slavery in most of the British Empire; Wilberforce died just three days after hearing that the passage of the Act through Parliament was assured. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, close to his friend William Pitt.

About the Author

William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was an English politician and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. At the age of 26 he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical Christian, which resulted in a lifelong concern for reform. He headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for many years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which abolished the slave trade in the British Empire but did not abolish slavery itself. In later years, Wilberforce supported the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery. He died shortly after the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 passed through the House of Commons, freeing all slaves in the British Empire. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1334151458
• ISBN 13: 9781334151453
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 525