Re-writing history
Friday, July 6th, 2007
One of the curious and sometimes unchallenged myths is that social reforms have been initiated by left-wingers only.
The book by William Hague on William Wilberforce is a cracking read, not least because it reminds us of a powerful thread in social reform in this country, notably evangelical Christianity. Wilberforce may have developed his religious faith as a reaction to the wild life led by many of his contemporaries, and Methodist influences. But it did form the basis of his own deeply held Christian beliefs, and spurred him on to attack the slave trade. Indeed throughout the nineteenth century it was this religious force which began to have a considerable impact on social attitudes; threads of which extended into the twentieth century.
More latterly much of this has been nationalised. The dysfunctionality of much of our society arguably arises out of this phenomenon. I wonder what today those pioneering evangelical Christians would make of what is increasingly described as our broken society. The evidence is there for all to see.