The following Book Report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Joshua E. during the 2007-2008 League.
Book Report: God's Politician
God's Politician by Garth Lean is a biography about William Wilberforce, one of the great Christian orators and politicians of the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Great Britain.
Wilberforce was born in the borough of Hull into affluent circumstances in 1759. When he was nine, his father died and Wilberforce went to live with his Methodist aunt and uncle in St. James Place. His mother, concerned that he might become dogmatic, brought him back to Hull and further immersed him in British high society. He began his political career in 1780 at the age of 21, representing his hometown borough of Hull. Early on, he dealt primarily with local affairs and criticism of British conduct during the war with the American Colonies.
Notwithstanding his small beginnings, Wilberforce grew quickly in political standing due to his stunning wit, engaging personality and public-speaking abilities. Unfortunately, he rejected his Methodist background in the process and developed an entertainment-centered worldview. Providentially, he was convinced of the intellectual soundness of Christianity by his friend Isaac Milner on a trip to Italy during the winter of 1785. Wilberforce's life was permanently impacted, and he began to seriously question his irreverent ways.
He began to rise early, spending time in meditation and prayer. Soon, he gave up his old lifestyle as he realized the hopeless frivolity it enshrined. He stopped his gambling, partying, and dancing. He also ceased to use his biting wit against his political opponents in debate. It was at this point that he discovered God's purposes for his life, namely: "The suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners." Towards the first end, Wilberforce rent the fabric of history by his tireless work for the cause of freedom. Under his leadership, the British Slave Trade was abolished in 1807, followed (after more legislation) by the emancipation of all British slaves in 1833. As for the reformation of manners, he wrote a book (A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes in this Country Contrasted with Real Christianity) which, along with legislations banning socially destructive behavior, was able to curb the rampant social immorality of the day.
The measure of any man is how he acts when he is not in the spotlight, and Wilberforce was no exception. He maintained his family values and would often put his wife and six children before his political work. He also realized that he could not run an abolitionist movement on his own - he needed to delegate. He did this with the Clapham community - a body of men and their families dedicated to the cause of abolition. They researched, advised, wrote speeches, raised awareness, and did whatever possible to further the group's agenda. The community was reminiscent of the early church, giving us an example of a Christ-based, collaborative society making a difference in the world.
If we have learned anything from Wilberforce, it is that individuals can make a difference; he stuck to the task at hand and (with God's help) was able to transform the culture of his day. He noted that "It is not in fact talents, in which we are chiefly wanting, but in resolute integrity." God wants character and dedication. We also learn that we can still maintain Christian standards in a divisive environment such as politics. Christians can make inroads into virtually every field. They cannot only survive; they can thrive. There is no stronghold so grim that Christ cannot penetrate the darkness.
Though Wilberforce is awe-inspiring, the writing style of God's Politician was awkward. The chronology of the piece as a whole was difficult to grasp due to its tendency to skip between facets of Wilberforce's story (such as family and political scenery) rather than weaving his story together as a continuous whole. I was left wishing for a single page linking significant dates and events to the main character. However, the book was well researched. The message still comes through, and leaves us with an outlook worthy of Wilberforce: that the road ahead does not promise to be easy, but it does promise to be better if we are willing to walk it with God's help.
