Customer Reviews

Hero for Humanity: A Biography of William Wilberforce

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In an age when celebrities are made through self-promotion, selfish excess and even 'reality' television centering on the lowest forms of human behavior, Hero for Humanity is a refreshing look at a man who by his faith, life and commitments, made his country, and indeed his time, better for him having lived.

Kevin Belmonte has been fascinated by William Wilberforce for years, and is determined to have the world rediscover this man, and hopefully follow his example to change their world. Wilberforce was an Englishman of noble birth who was born into a nominal Christian home in 1795. A few years after being elected to Parliament, and with a bright political future ahead of him, the Lord worked in his life to bring him to faith. Counseled by John Newton to continue in Parliament, Wilberforce set his sights on bettering English society. His aim was to abolish the African slave trade (and later slavery itself in England)and to have a 'reformation of manners', meaning moral change in society.

Unlike many modern "Christian" statesmen and politicans, Wilberforce did not need to couch all his ideas in Christian language, nor did he feel that he had to quote Scripture on the floor of Parliament to make his case, but he was clearly and consciously informed by Scriptural principles in all that he did. He had many opponents who ridiculed his faith and attacked his reforms because of it, but he resisted the temptation to 'demonize' his opponents (again, unlike many today) and instead sought to win them over by integrity, honesty, care, and by using his incredible gifts of oration and persuasion. His struggle to eliminate the slave trade and slavery took many years and had many setbacks and defeats. But in the end, he and his group of co-workers achieved their goals.

Belmonte also portrays Wilberforce as a man people just wanted to be around. He could carry on intelligent conversations on almost any topic. He was as home with intellectuals as he was with the working class man. His great gifts were balanced by a genuine humility, knowing that all he had was a gift from God, and all he accomplished was much less than he could have. Belmonte paints a portrait of Wilberforce as a man who you would just want to spend time with. I would urge you to do just that and read this book. It will inspire you to see how you can be used by God in greater ways in whatever sphere of life He has called you to.

I found this book inspirational in many ways. Belmonte is clearly deeply immersed in the material and knows his subject well. In fact the book is so packed with direct quotes that even Belmonte's own prose seems at times influenced by Victorian style and cadence. Belmonte's stated purpose was not to write the complete Wilberforce story, but rather a `re-introductory' biography (p.16). This may explain the absence of any criticism of his subject.

One aspect of Wilberforce's life that I had read about before and was gratified to learn more about here was how he came to recognize his calling. After his conversion to evangelical Christianity, he had begun to think of leaving politics and pursuing Christian work of some kind. But fortunately for the welfare of thousands, he received some timely advice to remain in politics and to serve Christ there. Who knows how much longer the slave trade would have persisted if Wilberforce had left politics to become a minister. To my mind this has tremendous relevance today as far too many young Christians seek work in the Christian sphere instead of pursuing a calling to serve Christ in the marketplace at large.

Another aspect of Wilberforce that I already had some familiarity with was that he saw his life's work as "two great objects: the suppression of the slave trade, and the reformation of manners [morals]." I knew that he saw success in the first, but what about the second? Belmonte naturally details how Wilberforce led the accomplishment of the first object. But of fresh interest to me was to learn to what degree he saw success in the second object of reforming the morals of his entire nation/society. How he did it and the perseverance with which he pursued both objects is truly an inspirational story. Belmonte builds a good case that Wilberforce bears significant responsibility for the peaceful golden age that characterized 19th century England. When one labors for spiritual reform, he needs to view his work with a generational timescale.

Why is Wilberforce not more well-known and admired? There is a very moving passage quoted on pages 204-5 from a Benjamin Hughes speech made a few years after Wilberforce's death that provides deep insight. "There is a charm that attracts the admiration of men to their destroyers [such as Napoleon]; a propensity to applaud those very acts that bring misery on the human race; and on the other hand to pass by unheeded, the placid and even tenor of the real benefactors of their species." How tragic it is that we humans ignore our philanthropists (those who love mankind), and adore our conquerors. Perhaps this biography will help us remember the true qualities of heroism.

William Wilberforce may be the most famous person in the world that no one knows. Author Kevin Belmonte has written a wonderfully engaging work that will keep you reading. If you ever wonder if one person can make a difference in the world this book will offer great encouragement. If not for the work of Mr. Wilberforce, slavery would not have been abolished in England so peacefully. If only America could have learned the lesson from the Mother Country. In fact, Wilberforce contributed so much to humanity that it is hard to measure his impact. His life was lived by conviction, even until the day he died. What a clear challenge for us all in our own lives. If you love history, like reading biographies and want to see a man who changed the world almost anonymously, this is your book.

Belmonte's work, Hero for Humanity, is one of the best works I've picked up in a few years. He traces the life of English statesman William Wilberforce from his boyhood through his career in public life. Along the way, Wilberforce struggles with the subject of faith, finally becoming an evangelical Christian. It is at this point that his worldview changes, and his legislative career in Parliment takes a new turn, as he begins on the long journey of the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire. Wilberforce becomes a man whose "conscience is held captive by the word of God", and he wrestles with being a Christian in the rough and tumble world of politics. This book is a must read for history buffs, Christians, skeptics, and lovers of a life well lived.

Hero For Humanity is the biography of William Wilberforce, who was once called "The Washington of Humanity" by Italian statesmen and who was further praised by Abraham Lincoln and novelist Madame de Stael. Wilberforce was a man who devoted his life to abolishing Britain's slave trade, then struggled further to bring an end to slavery in the British colonies and elsewhere. His crusade, triumph, and great legacy are remembered in this impressive and very highly recommended biography by Kevin Belmonte.

Kevin Belmonte has written a fitting biography for a man who was blessed by God to address two of the greatest ills of mankind, what he called his two great objects (slavery and sinful, selfish behavior) in a hostile, elitist atmosphere (the British Parliament of the late 1700s). William Wilberforce is a man of whom everyone should know but too few do. Belmonte shows us why. Through his thorough research Belmonte makes it clear that it was after the redemptive turn his life took that Wilberforce became devoted and focused enough to see his two great objects through to the end of his life. What a marvelous resource this book is. What an inspiration to all who would do good in the world is beloved Wilber. Well done, Kevin Belmonte.
(Caution: the extensive references in this edition do not appear in the second edition of the book and currently the first edition from NavPress is out of print.)

As a collector of all things related to the Clapham group, I was excited to get my hands on this new bio of Wilberforce. The facts, illustrations, sources, and anecdotes are worth the reading. However, the writing is unorganized--reminiscent of a lecture in which the professor forgets key points and goes back to insert them. That said, I applaud the resurgence of curiosity about Wilberforce, and look forward to the upcoming film production mentioned in the book.

I am not so enthusiastic about this biography. While it introduces Wilberforce in a rather surface manner, I find that many of the experiences in the book are twisted to claim Wilberforce as an evangelical rather than to accurately portray the context and culture of the man.

If one is searching for a true historical account of Wilberforce that includes a superior knowledge to the culture and political history of the era, I think Pollock's biography is a much better read...without the ulterior motive of promoting a form of Christianity. The real purpose of this book is a promotion of evangelicalism rather than a historical account of a life.