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Amazing Grace
An illustrated history of how "Amazing Grace" became one of the most popular hymns of all time tells how its author, John Newton, was a British slave trader who became a minister and spent his latter years speaking out against slavery.
48 pages, Library Binding
First published March 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 15, 2021
I only recently learned about the man who wrote "Amazing Grace" and the fact that he had been a slave trader before becoming a minister. So when I ran across this book in my library, I had to read it to learn more. It's a shame this book seems to have been largely overlooked or forgotten, as it imparts some powerful messages.
It's very difficult to understand how a person could become a devout Christian and be a slave-trader simultaneously, but John Newton did hold those contradictory views in his mind for a time. Eventually, however, he came to see the injustice of slavery and to regret his part in it. And from that point on, he worked to bring an end to the slave trade. According to this book, we can thank him, not only for "Amazing Grace," but for the detailed records and writings he left behind that help us understand this part of history today.
This is a powerful story that encourages us to reflect and learn from the past without condemning the people who lived it. It reminds us that history is more complex and nuanced than we sometimes like to admit. And it shows us that people can and do change - that there is always hope for reconciliation and grace.
It's very difficult to understand how a person could become a devout Christian and be a slave-trader simultaneously, but John Newton did hold those contradictory views in his mind for a time. Eventually, however, he came to see the injustice of slavery and to regret his part in it. And from that point on, he worked to bring an end to the slave trade. According to this book, we can thank him, not only for "Amazing Grace," but for the detailed records and writings he left behind that help us understand this part of history today.
This is a powerful story that encourages us to reflect and learn from the past without condemning the people who lived it. It reminds us that history is more complex and nuanced than we sometimes like to admit. And it shows us that people can and do change - that there is always hope for reconciliation and grace.
biography
April 9, 2023Wow! This was an interesting biography about an English man who was a troublesome kid, worked on ships that enslaved Africans, but later became an abolitionist.
“ I hope it will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me, that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders.”
His most famous impact was actually the song that he wrote called Amazing Grace.
Although this is a great story, it is still written with language that is not empowering enough. We should stop saying “slaves” and replace with enslaved people. “Slave” still connotes property and dehumanization.
“ I hope it will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me, that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders.”
His most famous impact was actually the song that he wrote called Amazing Grace.
Although this is a great story, it is still written with language that is not empowering enough. We should stop saying “slaves” and replace with enslaved people. “Slave” still connotes property and dehumanization.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews