–– Paul Schlehlein

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Captain Charles Boycott (1832-1897) was an Irish land agent who became infamous for being ostracized by his community. In 1880, after renters had refused to pay their fees, Boycott served them eviction notices. But the community revolted, insisting Boycott’s employees quit. Blacksmiths, postal workers, farmers, and shopkeepers ignored him until he agreed to leave the country. This social excommunication nearly ruined him financially.

Soon, the term “boycott” came to mean withdrawing from commercial or social relations as a form of punishment or protest. By 1888, “boycott” was in The Oxford English Dictionary, as there was no other word in English to describe such a dispute. “Boycott” has since wormed its way into other languages, including Dutch, French, German and Russian.

Recently Nigerians considered boycotting a milk company for insensitive remarks they made about the death of Christ. Boycotting is not new to Africa. During the 1970s and 80s, countries around the world boycotted South African goods as a way to oppose apartheid. This is not only a Christian issue. Today, the Muslim association UUCSA is calling on South Africans to boycott Jewish-owned companies like Dis-Chem. The pro-Palestine organization BDS is encouraging South Africans to boycott Puma for sponsoring the Israel Football Association.

How should Christians think about boycotting immoral businesses? Is boycotting biblical? Consider the following six principles.