Books by Iain Whyte

Football would be nothing without the fans - men and women, girls and boys (perhaps even a few dragooned animals!) whose commitment has often been likened to religious devotion. So Football's Faithful Fans, which is raising vital money for African development projects through the Homeless World Cup, gives Scottish supporters (a number of whom are clergy, with others from rather different backgrounds) a platform to say what fitba' means to them: hopes, dreams, rugged belief and, sometimes, sheer desperation! It's funny, thoughtful and entertaining - a bit like the Beautiful Game itself. Whether you're a fan or not, and whether you follow football in Scotland or elsewhere, here is an enjoyable insight into what might be gently called 'supporter psychology'…

‘Send Back the Money!’ is a thorough and gripping examination of a fascinating and forgotten aspect of Scottish and American relations and Church history. A seminal period of Abolition activity is exposed by Iain Whyte through a study of the fiery campaign ‘Send back the Money!’ named after ‘the hue and cry of the day’ that encapsulated the argument that divided families, communities, and the Free Church itself.This examination of the Free Church’s involvement with American Presbyterianism in the nineteenth century reveals the ethical furore caused by a Church wishing to emancipate itself from the religious and civil domination supported by the established religion of the state. The Free Church therefore found an affinity with those oppressed elsewhere, but subsequently found itself financially supported by the Southern slave states of America. Whyte sensitively handles this inherent contradiction in the political, ecclesiastical, and theological institutions, while informing the reader of the roles of charismatic characters such as Thomas Chalmers and Frederick Douglass. These key individuals shaped contemporary culture with action, great oratory, and rhetoric. The author adroitly draws parallels from the twentieth century onwards, bringing the reader to a fuller understanding of the historic and topical issues within global Christianity, and the contentious topic of slavery.‘Send back the Money!’ throws light upon nineteenth-century culture, British and American Abolitionists, and ecclesiastical politics, and is written in a clear and engaging style that makes the book ideal for scholars and general readers.

Although much has been written about Scottish involvement in slavery, the contribution of Scots to the abolition of black slavery has not yet been sufficiently recognised. This book starts with a Virginian slave seeking his freedom in Scotland in 1756 and ends with the abolition of the apprenticeship scheme in the West Indian colonies in 1838. Contemporary documents and periodicals reveal a groundswell of revulsion to what was described as "e;the horrible traffik in humans"e;. Petitions to Parliament came from remote islands in Shetland as well as from large public meetings in cities. In a land steeped in religion, ministers and church leaders took the lead in giving theological support to the cause of abolition. The contributions of five London Scots who were pivotal to the campaign throughout Britain are set against opposition to abolition from many Scots with commercial interests in the slave trade and the sugar plantations. Missionaries and miners, trades guilds and lawyers all played their parts in challenging slavery. Many of their struggles and frustrations are detailed for the first time in an assessment of the unique contribution made by Scotland and the Scots to the destruction of an institution whose effects are still with us today.