by 

James McClure B.A., M.T.S., Ph.D.

‘Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.’                                  (John Newton, 1725-1807)

For almost 250 years John Newton’s beautiful words have been much loved in the English speaking world.  They have enjoyed the status of being both an aid to worship and a ‘best seller’ in popular music charts.

The hymn is particularly subjective yet that subjectivity and the simplicity of the words express an insightful depth of faith - the faith of one who has had such a profound experience that has radically transformed his life.

John Newton’s transition from slave-ship captain to preacher of the Gospel of salvation and a foremost slave-trade abolitionist was exceptional. To Newton the dynamic that transformed him was a discovery and experience of the grace of God - nothing less. The words of this hymn were not intended to be a theological definition of grace but were rather the heart-felt expression of one whose life had been touched by the mystery of divine love and the grace that flowed from that love.

‘Grace’ is a core concept in Christian theology and it has been the subject for much reflection, discussion, debate and conflict.  Different branches of historic Christianity have placed their own unique and often markedly different interpretations of the nature and place of grace in Christian belief and practice. These different interpretations have even evoked hostility within the Church.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the early usage of the word, examine its usage in the New Testament and trace its interpretative development in the life of the Church. A capital ‘C’ is used when referring to the universal church.

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