Amazing Grace in John Newton: Slave-ship Captain, Hymnwriter, and AbolitionistIn "Amazing Grace," the best-loved of all hymns, John Newton's allusions to the drama of his life tell the story of a youth who was a virtual slave in Sierra Leone before ironically becoming a slave trader himself. Liverpool, his home port, was the center of the most colossal, lucrative, and inhumane slave trade the world has ever known. A gradual spiritual awakening transformed Newton into an ardent evangelist and anti-slavery activist. Influenced by Methodists George Whitefield and John Wesley, Newton became prominent among those favoring a Methodist-style revival in the Church of England. This movement stressed personal conversion, simple worship, emotional enthusiasm, and social justice. While pastoring a poor flock in Olney, he and poet William Cowper produced a hymnal containing such perennial favorites as "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken" and "God Moves in a Mysterious Way." Later, while serving a church in London, Newton raised British consciousness on the immorality of the slave trade. The account he gave to Parliament on the atrocities he had witnessed helped William Wilberforce obtain legislation to abolish the slave trade in England. Newton's life story convinced many who are "found" after being "lost" to sing Gospel hymns as they lobbied for civil rights legislation. His close involvement with both capitalism and evangelicalism, the main economic and religious forces of his era, provide a fascinating case study of the relationship of Christians to their social environment. In an afterword on Newtonian Christianity, Phipps explains Newton's critique of Karl Marx's thesis that religious ideals are always the effect of what produces the most profit. Phipps relies on accounts Newton gives in his ship journal, diary, letters, and sermons for this most readable scholarly narrative. |
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... slave trader himself . Liverpool , his home port , was the center of the most colossal , lucrative , and inhu- mane slave trade the world has ever known . A gradual spiritual awakening transformed Newton into an ardent evangelist and ...
... slave trader himself . Liverpool , his home port , was the center of the most colossal , lucrative , and inhu- mane slave trade the world has ever known . A gradual spiritual awakening transformed Newton into an ardent evangelist and ...
Page vii
Slave-ship Captain, Hymnwriter, and Abolitionist William E. Phipps. Significant Dates for John Newton 1743 1744 1745 ... Trade published Mary dies of cancer Letters to a Wife published Britain makes slave trade illegal ; Newton dies ...
Slave-ship Captain, Hymnwriter, and Abolitionist William E. Phipps. Significant Dates for John Newton 1743 1744 1745 ... Trade published Mary dies of cancer Letters to a Wife published Britain makes slave trade illegal ; Newton dies ...
Page ix
... slave business . His life span was coterminous with the period when England dominated the most colossal , lucrative , and inhumane slave trade the world has ever known . And Newton had the dubious distinction of becoming an Anglican ...
... slave business . His life span was coterminous with the period when England dominated the most colossal , lucrative , and inhumane slave trade the world has ever known . And Newton had the dubious distinction of becoming an Anglican ...
Page x
... slave trade . The accounts he gave to parliamentary committees of atrocities he had witnessed assisted significantly in the passage of legislation during his lifetime to abolish the British slave trade . David Jeffrey , an English ...
... slave trade . The accounts he gave to parliamentary committees of atrocities he had witnessed assisted significantly in the passage of legislation during his lifetime to abolish the British slave trade . David Jeffrey , an English ...
Page xi
... slave ship captain , which Newton carefully logged . In writing definitively about the Atlantic slave trade several decades ago , historian Roger Anstey relied heavily on Newton's log , recognizing it to be virtually the only record of ...
... slave ship captain , which Newton carefully logged . In writing definitively about the Atlantic slave trade several decades ago , historian Roger Anstey relied heavily on Newton's log , recognizing it to be virtually the only record of ...
Contents
1 | |
9 | |
16 | |
25 | |
To Charleston as First Mate | 29 |
Voyages as Captain | 39 |
Now Am Found | 65 |
The Olney Parson | 86 |
Now I See | 159 |
Encounters with Abolitionists | 173 |
Working with Wilberforce | 178 |
As Long as Life Endures | 205 |
The Londoners Wider Impact | 211 |
The Last Years | 224 |
Afterword | 243 |
A Bibliography | 259 |
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Common terms and phrases
abolition abolitionists Amazing Grace Anglican Atlantic Slave Trade became become believe Bible biblical Britain British Bull called Calvin Calvinist Cecil century Christ Christian Church of England Clarkson Clow coast comp composed congregation conversion Daniel Mannix Dartmouth death Diary divine economic English Evangelical Tradition European experience expressed faith fear friends George Whitefield God's gospel Guinea Hannah Haweis heart Hindmarsh History hope human Innovation of John Jesus John Newton John Wesley Journal letter lived Liverpool London Lord Marcus Loane Martin Marx Mary Woolnoth Memoirs of John mercy Methodist middle passage minister Newton told Newton wrote Olney Hymns parish Parliament pastor person plantation prayer preach preacher Psalm pulpit religion religious sailors Scripture sermon ship captain singing slave ship slave trade slavery social Society songs spirit stanza Testament thee theology things Thou thought voyage West Indies Whitefield William Cowper William Wilberforce word writing York
Popular passages
Page 149 - SOMETIMES a light surprises The Christian while he sings; It is the Lord who rises With healing in his wings; When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again, A season of clear shining, To cheer it after rain.
Page 131 - GLORIOUS things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God ! He whose word cannot be broken, Formed thee for his own abode : On the Rock of Ages founded — What can shake thy sure repose? With salvation's walls surrounded, Thou may'st smile at all thy foes.
Page 134 - Till then, I would Thy love proclaim With every fleeting breath ; And may the music of Thy Name Refresh my soul in death ! Amen-.
Page 19 - For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Page 212 - Now this I say, that every one of you saith, " I am of Paul ; and I of Apollos ; and I of Cephas ; and I of Christ.
Page 148 - OH ! for a closer walk with God, A calm and heavenly frame, — A light to shine upon the road That leads me to the Lamb...