"I Surrender All" is a Christian hymn, with words written by American art teacher and musician Judson W. Van DeVenter [sv] (1855–1939), who subsequently became a music minister and evangelist.

Van DeVenter said of the inspiration for the text: For some time, I had struggled between developing my talents in the field of art and going into full-time evangelistic work.

[1][4] Finally, he surrendered his life to Christian service, and wrote the text of the hymn while conducting a meeting at the Ohio home of noted evangelist George Sebring.

[1][4][5] Following his decision to surrender his life to the Divine, Van DeVenter traveled throughout the United States, England, and Scotland, doing evangelistic work.

[10] Weeden, born in Ohio in 1847, taught in singing schools prior to becoming an evangelist, and was a noted song leader and vocalist.

1 hit the previous year with "Let's Hear It for the Boy", released an album of gospel songs, titled So Glad I Know.

[19] While she was still a minor Chicago talk-show host, she had auditioned for the role of Sofia in the 1985 film The Color Purple, and desperately wanted the part.

[19][20][21] For her performance in the film, Winfrey was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in 1986, and later that year her talk show was renamed for her, expanded to a full hour, and broadcast nationwide.

[21] Theological historian Charles H. Lippy notes that the hymn's text expresses values of "victorious life" concepts of late 19th-century evangelism.

[24][25] The victorious life entailed total surrender to Divine will in order to triumph over the problems of daily existence.

In the fifth stanza, the singer feels "the sacred flame" – an image of the Holy Spirit – and the joy of "full salvation" born of surrender.

All to Jesus I surrender; Make me, Savior, wholly thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that thou art mine.