European enslavement of Africans and the development of the slave trade began in the sixteenth century. As the New World opened up, the slave trade thrived and slave labour became a significant economic force. Slavery itself was seldom challenged on humanitarian or religious grounds - in fact, evangelical leaders often used the Bible to justify slavery. In the late eighteenth century a notable exception emerged: John Wesley. Though little has been written about this dimension of Wesley's life, he was the first Christian leader of world renown to take a decisive stand against slavery. With wide-ranging analysis and depth, Dr. Brendlinger has brought to light the strength of Wesley's convictions about slavery and demonstrates how his theology compelled him to work to abolish it. From the writing of Thoughts Upon Slavery to his interactions with key players such as Wilberforce, Clarkson, Sharp and Benezet, Wesley utilized all means available to him to support the cause. The breadth of his authority and respect enabled him to influence Methodists (in England and America) to use their collective power to bring about radical societal change. Wesley's legacy to Methodism is extensive, but his contribution to the antislavery movement is singularly significant in bringing down the institution of slavery. This is his story. IRV BRENDLINGER is Professor of Church History and Theology at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. He holds a Ph.D. degree from the University of Edinburgh. 5.5" x 8.5" perfectbound, 292 pages

Born in 1713 of French Huguenot stock, Philadelphia Quaker Anthony Benezet was probably the most significant force in advancing the cause against slavery and the African slave trade in the eighteenth century. However, while abolitionists like Granville Sharp, William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson, and John Wesley are familiar, the name "Benezet" is hardly recognized. And yet, it was his work that reinforced Sharp's legal battles, his tracts that singularly influenced both Wesley and Clarkson to join the cause, and his friendship with Benjamin Franklin that led to Franklin leading the American antislavery society after Benezet's death. To Be Silent... Would Be Criminal introduces the development of antislavery activity in America and then traces the life of Benezet, examining both his work and influence on individuals, including Wesley, Sharp, Clarkson, and Franklin. Benezet's correspondence with these and other contemporaries is reproduced here, giving insight into his relationships and his desire to build a viable network to oppose slavery. It's from a letter Benezet wrote to Lady Huntingdon, the chief administer behind the Calvinistic wing of Methodism, that the title of this book is derived: "...where the lives & natural as well as religious welfare of so vast a number of our Fellow Creatures is concerned, to be Silent, where we apprehend it a duty to speak our sense of that which causes us to go mourning on our way, would be criminal." With one exception, all of Benezet's antislavery tracts, which are otherwise available only in special archives, are replicated in full within the book, further demonstrating Benezet's uniquely significant role in the eventual victory over slavery.