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Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce [Paperback]

John Piper , Jonathan Aitken
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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Book Description

January 9, 2007

"John Piper's succinct and superbly perceptive study of William Wilberforce deserves to become an acclaimed bestseller. It not only tells the story of a great man's life-it also tells us how to understand the ultimate source of his greatness and happiness. Moreover, that understanding goes far deeper than the abolitionist achievements for which Wilberforce is honored, astounding though they were. William Wilberforce's secret, as revealed in this book, was that he made the journey from self-centeredness, achievement-centeredness, and political-centeredness to God-centeredness. And he made it with Christlike joy."
-Jonathan Aitken

Against great obstacles William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian and a member of Parliament, fought for the abolition of the African slave trade and against slavery itself until they were both illegal in the British Empire.

Many are aware of Wilberforce's role in bringing an end to slavery in Great Britain, but few have taken the time to examine the beliefs and motivations that spurred him on for decades. In this concise volume, John Piper tells the story of how Wilberforce was transformed from an unbelieving, young politician into a radically God-centered Christian, and how his deep spirituality helped to change the moral outlook of a nation.

As world leaders debate over how to deal with a host of social justice and humanitarian crises, a closer look at Wilberforce's life and faith serves as an encouragement and example to all believers.


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Product Details

  • Paperback: 80 pages
  • Publisher: Crossway (January 9, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1581348754
  • ISBN-13: 978-1581348750
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have the greatest respect for William Wilberforce and for John Piper, but I'm not sure if this book is one that really needed to be written. Piper offers his own brief perspective on the life of William Wilberforce, a perspective easily obtained by reading a good biography of the British statesman. For readers familiar with Wilberforce and with Piper, there is nothing new here. For readers unfamiliar with Wilberforce, this title doesn't do justice to his magnificent life. A more detailed biography such as the one by Metexas is necessary to get the full impact. For readers unfamiliar with Piper, this book just hints at his views that are so eloquently stated elsewhere. I recommend passing on this title -- I give it two stars only from admiration for both Wilberforce and Piper.
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32 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
In just over 50 pages, John Piper gives a biographical study of William Wilberforce's life that I believe reveals the true heart behind the member of Parliament who fought for 46 years (1787-1833) to abolish the slave trade and then slavery in the British Empire. Piper shows us not only what he accomplished during his remarkable life, but seeks to go "behind the scenes" to what drove the man: A steadfast joy in God rooted in the Gospel. John Piper quotes often from Wilberforce's own book, A Practical View of Christianity, to give motives behind the actions. Piper reveals the the true Wilberforce, a view that you likely won't get from textbooks and that will be minimized in secular biographies. The great turning point for William Wilberforce was when God saved him as a young self-centered member of Parliament in 1785; that same grace that saved him sustained him and drove him toward incredible perseverance and accomplishment in many varied causes of social good.

This book is needed today. Toward making Christianity practical and relevant to today's culture and today's needs, many are quickly moving to jettison doctrine and even truth. Seeing so many professing Christians do so little to help the poor, sick, the voiceless in the world (an inexcusable omission that the Church must work to remedy), many say that we need a more Christian morals and less Christian doctrine. Here's what Wilberforce would have to say to that:

"From the neglect of these peculiar doctrines (human depravity, divine judgment, justification by faith alone, regeneration by the Holy Spirit, and the practical necessity of fruit and devotion to good deeds - p. 22) arise the main practical errors of the bulk of professed Christians. These gigantic truths retained in view would put to shame the littleness of their dwarfish morality." (p. 71)

"It is a fatal habit to consider Christian morals as distinct from Christian doctrines." p. 72

Wilberforce took on a large number of initiatives for social good, but behind them all he realized that if one is to have a lasting influence for good he must deal with the root of the problems. Therefore, he attacked sin in himself and his nation not first and foremost as a societal problem. He commented that most of the Christians in England estimated the guilt of an action "not by the proportion in which, according to scripture, [actions] are offensive to God, but by that in which they are injurious to society" (p. 23). Likewise, the greatest good in his aims was the salvation of souls, not just the meeting of needs and the application of justice here on earth.

William Wilberforce accomplished many social goods, it could be argued that in human history he was one of those who accomplished most. He is one that we should all look to in order to emulate him in his diligence, his joy in God, his love, and his doctrine.

I pray that those, like me, who are dissatisfied with the inactivity of the church against the social ills of today would read this book. There are many liberal "Christians" with a sin-minimizing, self-glorifying, truth-questioning, doctrine-denying "gospel" promising a better morality, a better Christianity. Don't buy the lies. Run to the God of Wilberforce, learn the doctrines that drove him because then and only then will you make a lasting difference. Wilberforce says it well:

"The fatal habit of considering Christian morals as distinct from Christian doctrines insensibly gained strength. Thus the peculiar doctrines of Christianity went more and more out of sight, and as might naturally have been expected, the moral system itself also began to wither and decay, being robbed of that which should have supplied it with life and nutriment. (p. 8)

[...]
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Grace February 26, 2007
Format:Paperback
Just in time for the debut of the movie by the same title, "Amazing Grace" is John Piper's snapshot of the life, faith, and practice of William Wilberforce. Piper, a leading Evangelical pastor and author, succinctly (75 pages) outlines the spiritual forces that motivated Wilberforce's lifelong battle to end slavery in the British Kingdom. Unlike the flurry of other books recently released on Wilberforce, here readers will find the theology behind the man. Further, readers will be engaged to ponder how theology should impact practice today, especially in the area of how a lay person relates biblical truth to social action in today's world.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money
Very little to the book, maybe I was disappointed because I like longer books, but this was so short I felt cheated. The book couldn't have 200 pages long.
Published 1 month ago by jenny nearnberg
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
As always, John Piper has done a great job giving us an indepth look at another great man in this biography of William Wilberforce. I love his bios!
Published 6 months ago by Penny Burke
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not exhaustive
I am still in the process of reading this book, and I must say it is rather shorter than I had thought. That is probably my fault for not checking the length prior to purchase. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jennifer Berry
5.0 out of 5 stars This will whet your appetite to read more about Wilberforce
If you know anything about the life of William Wilberforce, you may know that he tirelessly worked for the end to slavery in the British Empire. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Craig T. Owens
5.0 out of 5 stars While the politics of Wilberforce make a great story, it was his...
John Piper has written a biography about a Christian pillar: William Wilberforce. Wilberforce, who served in the British Parliament for 45 years, devoted his life to abolishing... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mike Pettengill
5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review on William Wilberforce by John Piper
Book Review
By
Jason Scott

Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce
By
John Piper

This is a short biography on arguably the... Read more
Published on June 25, 2010 by Jason L. Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars Examing the Theology of Wilberforce
William Wilberforce is one of my favorite historical figures, and John Piper is one of my favorite authors, so I knew I really wanted to read this book! Read more
Published on May 14, 2010 by John Gardner
5.0 out of 5 stars A Look at what made Wilberforce tick
I have finished Piper's little book Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce. It was excellent! Read more
Published on April 11, 2010 by R. Hayton
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Grace - Amazing story
This book is an excellent companion to the studies of history, the Bible, slavery and the power of redemption. I had to learn more about Mr. Read more
Published on November 9, 2009 by Doncine Banks Kelly
4.0 out of 5 stars Little Book, Big Lessons
William Wilberforce, for those of you who are as clueless as I was when I started reading this book, was the British parliamentarian who spearheaded the campaign to abolish the... Read more
Published on November 26, 2007 by Rebecca Stark
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