In the first chapter of his book, Monsma examines the life of William Wilberforce (the 18th century British evangelical who, as a member of the British parliament, worked tirelessly to end the African slave trade) and pulls out from his life five principles for Christian involvement in politics:
1. Wilbeforce had a deep personal commitment to Jesus Christ that transformed every aspect of his life. He was not a politician who thought all the answers to society's ills would come through political activism; nor did he think his entire Christian duty was fulfilled in cultivating his inner, private spiritual life. Jesus claimed and transformed every sphere of his life.2. Wilberforce did not act alone, but was part of a group of fellow Christians who prayed, planned and worked together.
3. Wilberforce experienced great opposition to his work, to the point of even receiving death threats. It took more than twenty years -- after failure upon failure -- for the slave trade to finally be abolished.
4. Wilberforce and his Christian partners worked for the greater good of society as a whole. There were not an evangelical special-interest group, seeking only to protect their narrow self-interests as Christian believers. They pursued political policies that actually hurt their own social class's economic wealth. I think this is especially important when wrestling through the issue of the separation of church and state.
5. Wilberforce acted thoughtfully. That is, he took up issues only after careful study and much prayer and Bible study. When he spoke, he had his facts straight and could defend his positions with skill and knowledge.
There's more to come, so stay tuned. And please leave comments so we can interact on these matters together.
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