"Amazing Grace" is Amazing Indeed

Nearly three hundred years ago, a man by the name of John Newton finished his term serving the British Royal Navy. He was not a religious man. At least, not yet. Upon looking for another job, John found himself sailing the open sea again as a slave trader. One stormy night, their boat was violently tossed about in the winds and waves. Several of his ship mates were swept overboard and dropped into the ocean. With rain and wind pelting his face, John took the wheel. But he noticed that his effort was useless against the strong sea. That is when he began to plea to God in hopes that his "amazing grace" would come to rescue them. It came.

John Newton wrote "Amazing Grace" after this intimate encounter with God. After the incident, he was known for always treating slaves with respect and gentleness.
Last night, as I plopped down on my couch after a long day to watch American Idol, a tall, handsome-looking black man stood in front of Simon and the judges. He sang as best he could the chorus from "Amazing Grace." The judges knew the song. I knew the song. I knew my family knew the song and I tried to think of someone who didn't.

How did "Amazing Grace" progress from a single inspired man on a boat to be internationally well-known? I came up with several answers.

I give most of the credit to the cultivation theory. The lyrics for the song were written in the 1700s, perfectly primed for Christian pioneers who sought for some religious relief in America. With no electronic or taping recording possible, the song was disseminated by what mass media consisted of back then: the printed word. Consequently, Christian groups would share the lyrics with others, publications of it would multiply, and its popularity increased. We can find evidence of print media as a factor of the song's popularity in Harriet Beecher Stowe's book, Uncle Tom's Cabin. She includes a couple of stanzas in it.
Much later, when radio developed, the first recording of it was made in 1922. The song was broadcast through many of the channels, especially those targeting African-American religious communities. As television become more common, "Amazing Grace" was then used on several occasions to promote equality and human rights in the 1960s.

Later on still, pop artists like Aretha Franklin, Crystal Gayle and even Kylie Minogue performed renditions of the song that topped various music charts.

More recently, "Amazing Grace" was performed in the movie, "Amistad," which features the escape of a black slave in colonial America--perfectly appropriate for the context of the song itself. In 2007, the movie entitled "Amazing Grace" made it to the theater. It was another film depicting slave trade and the life of an abolitionist.

So how does a sincere man's hymn become a symbol for African-american and Christian freedom from worldly trials? Again, I think the answer here is the cultivation theory. The lyrics of the hymn progressed so strongly through every kind of media, was so often used to convey the message of the Christian religion and freedom from slavery, and it became so widely recognized among traditional Christian music that to be Christian and not know the song would now be perceived as odd and inconsistent. The overall effect the cultivation theory is that it creates a stereotype, or code, for Christians in that they should know how to sing "Amazing Grace" with fervor.

Thanks to the media, this religious hymn is made famous everywhere, and brought Christians together as a common social group.

What other examples are there of Christian music entering the realm of popular culture? Then, how do non-Christian societies perceive Christians because of it?