John Newton’s Theology of Suffering and Its Application to Pastoral Care

John Newton was an eighteenth-century Anglican minister who is best known as the writer of the hymn “Amazing Grace.” Yet he was also the leading pastoral counselor of his generation who kept up a prolific letter-writing ministry of pastoral care to dozens of people from all walks of life who wrote seeking his advice. But why was Newton’s counsel so popular? This work seeks to answer this question by exploring Newton’s unique theology of suffering, which formed an essential structure that informed and shaped his model of soul care. Influenced by this doctrine, Newton’s manner and methodology of pastoral care is explored, highlighting key principles of his strategy as he sought to care for others. Finally, two examples of Newton’s counsel are considered: his ministry to his wife during her chronic health issue and his care of the poet, William Cowper, through his decades of struggle with depression.