John Newton

John Newton
Johnathan Aitken
Crossway Books
ISBN: 1-58134-848-7
Non-Fiction, Biography
Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

The story of John Newton’s life is one of my personal favorites. Like most of us, Newton’s journey to his destiny was filled with false starts, obstacles, and a good deal of regret. Perhaps of all the biographies that I have read, the story of this man’s life resonates most with me as genuinely truthful and truly inspiring.
Most people may not initially recognize the name of John Newton, that is until it is noted that he wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. Despite that it was written over 200 years ago, Amazing Grace is the most sung, most recorded, most played song ever. Not bad for a creation that was meant only to serve as a simplistic way to teach scripture to Newton’s congregation in Olney.
Perhaps this song resonates so deeply with so many people because the words reflect John Newton’s own extremely troubled life journey. Newton spent many years of his young adulthood completely lost. Career wise, he had no idea what he wanted to do and seemed bent on rebelling against everything that was given to him. The only thing he seemed to excel at was creating havoc. His greed and resentment led him to do horrible things including becoming a slaver.
After a series of what Newton perceived as divine interventions, the man slowly began realizing that he needed to change his life. After a lot of false starts, Newton turned his life around and dedicated himself to God’s word. In his lifetime, he became a bestselling author bringing religious material to the masses. His frank testimony about his actions in the slave trade was also significant in the abolishment of slavery in Britain.