author
John Newton
1725–1807
Best known for writing “Amazing Grace,” he lived one of the most dramatic turnarounds in English religious history, moving from a life at sea and involvement in the slave trade to the pulpit and the abolition cause. His story still stands out for its honesty, moral reckoning, and lasting influence on hymn singing.
1 Audiobook
Thoughts upon the African slave trade
by John Newton
About the author
Born in London in 1725, John Newton spent much of his early life at sea. He later became involved in the transatlantic slave trade, a part of his life that would shadow his conscience and shape the way later readers understood his work.
Newton eventually became an Anglican clergyman and hymn writer. He is most widely remembered as the author of "Amazing Grace", and he also worked with William Cowper on the influential collection Olney Hymns.
In his later years, he spoke and wrote against the slave trade, becoming an important ally of the abolition movement. That long, difficult arc—from sailor and slave-ship captain to minister, hymn writer, and abolitionist—has made him a compelling and often debated figure ever since.