Thoughts Upon News Today

“God Almighty has set before me two great objects … the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.”

The story of John Newton’s conversion is legendary. His hymns, like “Amazing Grace,” perennial favorites. His pastor’s heart, exemplary. His fight for an abolition of the slave trade, monumental. But none of this came quickly or easily.

The hymn Amazing Grace started life as a sermon written by a former slave ship captain.

The hymn Amazing Grace started life as a sermon written by a former slave ship captain.

A crash course on Plato's Republic.

A crash course on Plato's republic.

Ratification: The Struggle For Massachusetts As the epochal struggle for Massachusetts began, it was clear that the majority of the people of the state opposed the Constitution. Furthermore, in contrast to Pennsylvania where the Federalists had the important advantage of recently acquired control of the state government, the story in Massachusetts was almost the reverse. For in 1787, in reaction to the harsh measures taken to suppress Shays’ Rebellion, the people had swept the ultra-conservat...

Travelers driving the coast of Donegal, Ireland, may be puzzled by the road signs proclaiming, “You Are in Amazing Grace Country.” Though "Amazing Grace" is strongly linked to the United States Civil Rights movement—and achieved pop-culture prestige when Aretha Franklin recorded it on her best-selling gospel album of the same name—the song was born off the shores of Buncrana, a 6000-person town along the Wild Atlantic Way. The History of “Amazing Grace” “Amazing Grace” was writt...