Yuma Public Library

Behind our most beloved hymn is a fascinating story spanning continents, cultures, and centuries. Inspired by the way "Amazing Grace" continues to change and grow in popularity, acclaimed music writer Steve Turner embarks on a journey to trace the life of the hymn, from Olney, England, where it was written by former slave trader John Newton, to tiny Plantain Island off the coast of Africa, where Newton was held captive for almost a year, to the Kentucky-Tennessee...

Describes the events of the life of John Newton as a captain aboard a slave trade vessel and later as a clergyman that led to his writing the well-loved hymn, "Amazing Grace."

Bill Moyers tells the story of this song, one of the most popular pieces of music in the English language, through the people who have sung it. He also tells the story of John Newton, once the captain of an English slave ship, who came to faith after surviving a storm at sea in the eighteenth century and wrote the lyrics which across distances of time and culture have become, when set to music, a courier of the spirit to millions of people.

Presents the personal stories of Saint Paul and John Newton, composer of the hymn "Amazing Grace," to illustrate the workings of grace, discussing how its power can be used to overcome difficulties and increase love and tolerance for others.