Amazing Grace: A Cultural History of the Beloved Hymn


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A fascinating journey through the history of "Amazing Grace," one of the transatlantic world's most popular hymns and a powerful anthem for humanity.

Sung in moments of personal isolation or on state occasions watched by millions, "Amazing Grace" has become an unparalleled anthem for humankind. How did a simple Christian hymn, written in a remote English vicarage in 1772, come to hold such sway over millions in all corners of the modern world? With this short, engaging cultural history, James Walvin offers an explanation.

The greatest paradox is that the author of "Amazing Grace," John Newton, was a former Liverpool slave captain. Walvin follows the song across the Atlantic to track how it became part of the cause for abolition and galvanized decades of movements and trends in American history and popular culture. By the end of the twentieth century, "Amazing Grace" was performed in Soweto and Vanuatu, by political dissidents in China, and by Kikuyu women in Kenya. No other song has acquired such global resonance as "Amazing Grace," and its fascinating history is well worth knowing.

Author: James Walvin
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 10/31/2023
Pages: 216
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 8.35h x 5.51w x 0.94d
ISBN13: 9780520391826
ISBN10: 0520391829
BISAC Categories:
- Music | Religious | Hymns
- History | United States | 20th Century
- History | United States | 21st Century