John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace
Product Description
Most Christians know John Newton as a man who once captained a slave ship, was dramatically converted to Christ on the high seas, and later penned one of the greatest hymns of the faith, “Amazing Grace.” But he also had a huge impact on his times as an icon of the evangelical movement, as a great preacher and theologian, and as a seminal influence on abolitionist William Wilberforce. Newton’s friendship with Wilberforce is portrayed in the major motion pictur… More >>
John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace
5 Comments »
Leave a Comment
Ivy said :
February 9, 2010 at 10:38 am
This is a fascinating and enlightening book, which I found difficult to put down. If you enjoy well-written history and adventure, you will love this book.
Rating: 2 / 5
Loretta Waterbury said :
February 9, 2010 at 11:52 am
I have read 3 biographies of John Newton and this is by far the best that has ever been written. Historical references and evidence were referred to and where they can be found in England. This book has effected my life and I continue to order it from Amazon.com to send as gifts.
I also find Amazon.com as the best source of used books. They are not only economical but in great condition and make wonderful gifts.
Loretta Waterbury
Rating: 5 / 5
2boys0girls said :
February 9, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Carole Joy Seid recommended this book – and I am delighted that she keeps presenting it! What a great read. Aitken outdid himself. The reader weeps with the boy whose mother dies and stepmother rids herself of him, and despises the slave trader – while on a journey following this man who he is so much like us and extraordinary since he listened to the call on his life…
Rating: 5 / 5
Alan Meyer said :
February 9, 2010 at 2:47 pm
While the previous reviews have covered much of the material, I must add a few more comments. I found the book incredibly hard to put down yet a book I did not want to breeze though but to absorb its contents. The man’s like swung as a pendulum from perhaps one of the most wretched young man to a mature man of God. If you have any interest in early church history or just enjoy a great biography of one of history’s most dedicated men, then you will want to put this book on your must read list.
Rating: 5 / 5
Trevin Wax said :
February 9, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Biographies are good for the soul. There’s nothing like sitting down with a good biography and getting to know a historical figure through a well-written description of a person’s life and times.
John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace (Crossway, 2007) is a terrific portrait of the life of John Newton (1725-1807) Author Jonathan Aitken recounts the remarkable story of the man who gave us the hymn “Amazing Grace.” Here is a former captain of slave ships who became a beloved pastor, prolific hymnwriter and advocate of abolition.
Aitken wisely spends a good deal of time detailing the travels of John Newton before his conversion. He does not shy away from describing the horror of the slave trade. But detailing the wickedness of Newton’s early life provides the much-needed backdrop to his dramatic transformation upon believing in the gospel. Aitken’s book excels in painting a “Before” and “After” picture of Newton’s extraordinary life.
Aitken describes Newton’s struggles, but he does so in a way that makes his protagonist sympathetic. He shows how Newton sought to maintain single-minded devotion to Christ in the midst of his rising fame and popularity. The reader senses Newton’s heartfelt passion for rectifying his past wrongs by fighting slavery in his old age. The accounts of Newton’s dealings with William Wilberforce are fascinating.
John Newton was truly a great man. And there is much more to his life than the hymn “Amazing Grace.” But even though Newton’s life cannot be reduced to mere “hymnwriter,” Aitken understands that “Amazing Grace” is what he is best known for. So he wisely includes a chapter that shows how “Amazing Grace” started out as an obscure hymn and became the world’s most-recognized Christian song.
The best part about John Newton is not the song or the biography, but the reality of the amazing grace to which both testify.
Rating: 4 / 5