If you want to understand the life and labor of William Wilberforce, I recommend to you that you read his one big book that he wrote, a practical view of Christianity first and then go to biographies.

And the reason is that that's the way I did it,

and I am so glad I did because I do not think

I would have known Wilberforce from his biography. I think I knew him when I finished

his book and then could fill in the details with the biography because there are a lot of biographers even Christian ones

who just don't understand some of the things that make

18th century evangelicals tick. They don't get it. And so to read that book you

will get it. You cannot not get it I don't think if you read it and have eyes to see and ears do you

hear so read a practical view I'm sorry it's out of print mine was only published in

96 and it's out of print.

Evidently it doesn't sell all that well.

So go find it in a library and read the practical view. And then if you want to read a biography read Pollock or

McLean or for no or and none of those are in print I think except maybe one I think we might have one

paper back out there in the bookstore get whatever you can and read about this life

what made Wilberforce tick was a profound allegiance to what he calls the peculiar doctrines of Christianity.

Don't think he means Calvinism.

In fact, he said, I'm not a Calvinist.

And I'll tell you a word or two more about why I think he said that later.

But peculiar doctrines simply meant the things that make Christianity as peculiar and distinct from other religions.

And he said, those are the ones

that he loved and lived by.

They were the things that gave rise to true religious affections.

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