As we look at another New Year’s Day, it’s a good time to reflect on a song that unites rather than divides us: the Rev. John Newton’s hymn “Amazing Grace.” The hymn first appeared in Newton’s New ...

Many people think they know the story of the hymn,"Amazing Grace." The commonly accepted narrative presents its composer, John Newton, a young English captain of a late 18th-century slave ship, as a ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- It has endured for more than two centuries, offering hope to those grieving or searching for meaning to life. With its simple melody and message of salvation, "Amazing Grace" ...

AMAZING GRACE: A Cultural History of the Beloved Hymn. By James Walvin. University of California Press. 216 pages. $19.95. When President Obama sang “Amazing Grace” at the funeral of the Rev. Clementa ...

"I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I hope to be. But by the grace of God, I am certainly not what I was." -- John Newton Christopher Smith had never heard of John Newton when, with a little ...

“Amazing grace,” intoned the eulogist, and repeated it. He began to sing: “how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me,” and the congregation, a bit startled, joined in, as the pianist scrambled ...

Events that occurred this week in Christian history include the first recorded Christmas celebration, the death of "Amazing ...

I put this list together as I was listening to some of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s music in anticipation of their Detroit appearance Feb. 19 at the Magic Bag. Their version of “Amazing Grace” is so ...

Amazing Grace is an unforgettable hymn, promising balm to every troubled soul ever since a British cleric composed it in 1722. You can hear it in your mind right now—perhaps an echo of civil rights ...