I had previously posed the question of why the anti-slave movement started in Europe, and Britain especially. Well, drum rolls please…the reason is the growth of Christianity and Christian philosophy.
Back in the 18th century, behind all the social, economical and political activities including slave trading, something was brewing in the British empire: The enlightenment. Happening all over Europe; people were putting down the importance of Christianity and increasingly replacing it with a materialistic world view. The evangelicals, who were opposed to ‘the enlightenment’ and organised religion on the other hand, had the great awakening. Their conviction was to share Christianity everywhere, outside organised religion. At first, their primary concern was spiritual enslavement by sin but in the 19th century, they belief matured. They held that eradication of physical slavery was crucial to eradicating the world of sin and activism for social reforms became essential. What primarily drove this was the Christian conscience of ‘Imago Dei’ i.e., human beings were made in the image of God, so all are equal in value and rights in God’s eyes.
It’s good to note that the church and state of England were one, and that slavery as an institution was not part of the empire’s common law. This made a social crusade easy in comparison to regulating vices, which was something the empire did.
Together with the Quakers, the Clapham, an evangelical group led by Wilberforce, spearheaded the movement and 20 years later after many failed petitions, they succeeded in their campaign and got the 1807 Slave trade Act passed. This prohibited slave trade in the British empire and encouraged them to take the fight to end the practice to other nations. They immediately (yr1808), took to the open seas for patrol e.g., they patrolled the West-African coast where they helped free around 150000 African slaves. More of their efforts have been mentioned in the previous post. The campaign by the Quakers and evangelical Christians continued and in 1833, slavery abolition act was successfully passed and gradually fully implemented by 1843✊.
I won’t talk much about the American civil war to abolish slavery, but I will highlight the famous phrase-“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” that stands at ease in their declaration of independence which crowned the end of that war. Another phrase I would like to highlight is “As He died to make men Holy, let us die to make men free. While God is marching on.” This is found in the battle hymn of the republic that was popularly sung by the warriors in this war. These two phrases clearly tell us that the motivation to end slavery was essentially Christian.
Christianity was the change that encountered the normalcy of slavery and made it wrong. Otherwise, why would it be wrong?
Now, we cannot close without mentioning the CRUSADES (1095-1291). I think they played a huge role in ending slavery, or trying to, being that they were called to aid the church; to counter the Islamic conquests that was capturing, and enslaving Christians and territories in general. Even though there’s no concept of holy war in Christianity, the knights were driven by the calling to liberate fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as well as spread the gospel and this is what made the first crusade very successful. I understand that later crusades failed to accomplish their mission as they lost sight of their first calling, and due to interference of politics and self interest. Some Christians during the crusades ended up participating in enslaving others; this was, and still is condemned by the church in general.
Slavery is still institutionalised in parts of the Islamic world today, as their role model for human kind, Mohammed, exemplified it and left marching orders in the last chapter of the Quran for them to subjugate all non-muslims. Did you know that the Quran in chapter 98:6, among many other verses like 9:29, calls non-muslims (disbelievers) the worst of all beings? Such verses are used to justify jihad and enslaving of non-believers. Christians today are still on the forefront fighting slavery, physically and spiritually, in these parts, and the world in at large because their marching orders call for them to love their neighbours as themselves, love their enemies and spread the good news in all the world -doesn’t translate to pacifism.
Should we bring back the crusades to counter the fiery Islamic conquests going on in the world today: Like in Nigeria, Africa and Syria today? What should the Church do to help?
Note: The church as used here, is the whole body of Christ (all Christians); not as an institution.
Gen 1:26, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
To read more on the image of God. Click link⤵️
Image of God: Invisible God made Visible