The Christian Revolution: Abolition Movement and the Role of Christianity

During the 18th century, a distinctive Protestant understanding of the spirit emerged, leading Christians to reevaluate the institution of slavery. The mechanized and racialized mass torture of slavery began to unsettle the consciences of white Christians, prompting them to conclude that slavery was evil. This realization fueled the abolitionist movement and led to mass agitation across Britain, ultimately pressuring authorities to push for the abolition of slavery. However, history is not simple, as there were Christians on both sides of the slavery debate, with many using the Bible to justify slavery. The complicity of slave traders, plantation owners, and those benefiting from the trade is a scar on the conscience of Christendom. Despite this, enslaved Africans found solace in Christianity, using the Bible to learn about emancipation and gathering under hush arbors to worship in privacy, away from the gaze of their white owners.