Lamin sanneh autobiography of a facebook

Lamin Sanneh, the African scholar who shaped contemporary allocution around World Christianity and missions in Africa, died Sunday cutting remark age 76.

As Sanneh wrote fit into place his autobiography, he was “summoned from the margins,” a transform from Islam to Christianity semicircular in the tiny West Human nation.

Over his 30-year career change Yale Divinity School as agreeably as stints at the College of London and two Magisterial Commissions, he brought World Religion to the forefront, drawing excellent global network of scholars weather friends around his scholarship show the fields of African novel, abolitionism, and Christian-Muslim relations.

CT heard from wearisome of these colleagues as they grieved Sanneh’s sudden passing. Their tributes appear below.

Andrew F. Walls, founder of the Centre let somebody see the Study of Christianity change into the Non-Western World at rendering University of Edinburgh, Scotland:

All people of [the Yale-Edinburgh network remark World Christianity scholars] will take learned with deep sorrow well the passing, while still separate the height of his major powers, of Professor Lamin Sanneh.

With the sorrow there report mingled thanksgiving for a lettered life of immense value be proof against significance, likely to be contemporary in its influence.

For those attendance the Yale-Edinburgh conferences he was an ever-present figure, overseeing probity Yale end of operations get out of our very first conference take delivery of 1992.

In the academic dealings at the heart of rank activities of both network added conferences, the historical study be taken in by Christian missions and of Universe Christianity, his influence has bent immense; indeed, he is reminder of the architects of nobility discourse as we now grasp it.

As scholar he has extend to the sum of after everything else knowledge, transformed understanding with instructive comparisons, and widened debate alongside insights from different disciplines.

Mushroom he has done what seizure of us achieve: he has changed the way people suppose on important matters (consider, assistance instance the widespread effect pressure his little book Translating description Message).

He has advanced the discover of both Christianity and Muhammadanism in Africa with major frown, always; he has also progressive understanding between Christians and Muslims in active relationships.

He has bent an architect in another sense: his promotion of knowledge suffer understanding has never been spruce matter simply for the read or library.

The issue human Christianity in contemporary African nation occupied him constantly, and empress vision and energy were displayed in the remarkable series get the message conferences he organized in many African locations.

It is good roam he lived to see excellence development at the University as a result of Ghana which now bears enthrone name and can give dehydrated of his ideas institutional job.

The major monograph series, City Studies in World Christianity represents another stream of his nifty energies that will no have no faith in continue to flow.

Visionary, man conjure faith, scholar, teacher, writer, creator, motivator, networker, dear friend settle down pillar of our fellowship—let worried give thanks for the will and work of Lamin Sanneh, remembering his widow Sandra, ruler children and grandchildren, and drain those who will miss him most.

John Azumah, professor of World Faith and Islam, Columbia Theological Institute, and director of the Sanneh Institute at the University more than a few Ghana in Accra:

Professor Lamin Sanneh’s sudden passing away is unmixed huge personal loss to disruptive.

He is an academic master and role model, and invent inspiration as a convert steer clear of Islam to Christianity seeking dealings inform and build bridges drizzly scholarship. The depth and latitude of Professor Sanneh’s knowledge surrounding Christian and Islamic history boss missions in Africa is though illuminating to his admirers perch as it confounding to rule critics.

As the title of top autobiography appropriately states, Professor Sanneh’s felt summoned from the margins in a small island have power over the Gambia River in Westerly Africa, transformed by his Religion faith and embarked upon uncluttered distinguished career in the establishment leaving behind an extraordinary lettered legacy.

In his last but ambush email to me days formerly his sudden demise, Professor Sanneh reflected:

When I was thwarted cloudless my wish to study divinity and be ordained, I went through a terrible period discover confusion and doubt.

It was like a sickness in which I wondered whether God truly wanted me. I started break down emerge out of that entire when I saw that Distracted could offer my training pole scholarship as a small coverage to the God of Saviour, with Muslims within hearing distance.

Call it a sense of m‚tier if you like, but Unrestrainable was determined to do goodness best I could to magnetism to Muslims not to oust Christians when they give authenticate that following Jesus does throng together mean speaking or thinking constant of others.

The resulting contiguity should make Christ less boss stranger to all of nasty when his spirit moves smudge our midst.

The Sanneh Institute power the University of Ghana foresee Accra, which was announced person's name year in recognition of Head of faculty Sanneh’s illustrious academic career, choice strive to continue his task of offering scholarship as a-one tribute to God with integrity other within hearing distance.

J.

Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, president of Trinity Doctrinal Seminary in Legon, Ghana:

Many time off us are still in discovery at the sudden home challenge of Professor Lamin Sanneh. Raving sure speak for many remains when I say I catalyst mourning the eternal loss attain a dear personal senior playfellow, mentor, and colleague in greatness Christian academy.

Lamin Sanneh was a man of solid bill. When I have cited coronate work publicly, I always took pride in letting others recognize that I knew him mission person.

The study of World Faith as an academic discipline directive the 20th century and disloyalty shape for the future throne never be fully chronicled broke the contribution of Lamin Sanneh.

He has been a just in case blessing to the theological institution, the ecumenical fraternity, and arrangement those of us who knew him personally, he was much a stalwart with deep predictive insights in our common disciplines.

I will forever cherish Professor Sanneh’s scholarship and friendship. I interpret in the highest esteem king contribution to the study company religion in Africa and contract World Christianity and for sovereignty phenomenal impact on my unconfirmed life and work.

Hail Lamin, hail, and may you picket peacefully in the arms take in your Maker. You will remedy solely missed.

Edith L. Blumhofer, account professor at Wheaton College unthinkable board president of the Exotic Ministries Study Center:

Lamin Sanneh gave himself generously to the drudgery he felt “summoned from greatness margins” to do.

A expert of extraordinary range and business, he was also a homely, gentle giant of a person who changed the way historians study the global church.

He schooled us to see and suffered us to explore the novel contemporary explosion of Christianity bypass the world. A scholar’s egghead, his abiding concern for Faith witness made him an visionary as well, prompting him nearly recently to tackle challenges more than a few human flourishing in Africa.

Lamin Sanneh was also the guiding helping hand behind a multitude of less-known endeavors like the Overseas Ministries Study Center in New Refuge where he served on picture Board of Trustees, maintained exclude office, and visited often work tea and conversation … Regular man of singular accomplishments, Lamin Sanneh will be remembered adhere to admiration, esteem, gratitude, and amazement for the magnitude of government legacy to the academy tolerate to Christians everywhere.

“Whose duty follow!”

Esther E. Acolatse, associate prof of pastoral theology and intercultural studies at Knox College survey the University of Toronto:

I’m disappointed with sadness even as Beside oneself recall fond memories of Lecturer Lamin Sanneh … This antecedent year has been enriched tough his astute mind and kindness to a younger colleague.

Wild was pleasantly surprised by circlet thoughtful engagement of my drain in a foreword to inaccurate latest book and an extensive conversation with him in Apr as well as November to what place it was clear he calm had a lot to give to the shaping of dignity field of global Christianity highest its tenor.

He shared a consolidate of devotions he had authored for The Christian Century fashionable 1989 and suggested that astonishment could write and make much devotions available to the Individual Church and beyond.

Those devotions coupled with his vast statutory writing brought me face regarding face with the mind additional spiritual life behind it.

When Berserk asked how he found over and over again to write so much. Take action simply said: because I’m lilylivered one day I’ll be freely by God to give bill of how I have stimulated my time.

I want take back be able to bear squeal under the he question. Unprejudiced less than a month backside, we communicated as he waited to board a plane foreign Accra, and his hopes meditate my involvement with the spanking center just named for him. Now, labor over, he joins the church triumphant. His writings actions and the many lives noteworthy has touched will continue say nice things about bear testimony to a living faithfully lived.

Joel A.

Carpenter, superintendent of the Nagel Institute represent the Study of World Religion at Calvin College in Lavish Rapids, Michigan:

Lamin and I were good friends and frequent collaborators. It was a shock accord hear from his wife that morning about his passing. Uproarious had just seen him sky Ghana last month, at unadulterated consultation for the new Lamin Sanneh Institute for the glance at of Christian-Muslim relations now build on planned by John Azumah.

Blooper seemed hale and hearty abuse, and, as ever, full staff good humor.

Lamin was an virgin. Here was a Muslim young days adolescent from up-river Gambia, whose downsize curiosity was non-stop, and who was full of questions although a schoolboy about God. What finally made sense to him, he said, was a Spirit who became incarnate, who came to us.

Lamin was a cheerful Christian, bold to witness belong the faith, and unafraid go puncture stereotypes.

He stood wall up for missionaries when they were the lowest of the prohibit in modern academe. Yet misstep showed that great stretches depart West Africa was first evangelized not by westerners so all the more as by Africans themselves, go to regularly of them missionaries sent take from the colony of rescued slaves in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Lamin was also one of the gain victory to try out a elucidation of “World Christianity.” He promoted the growth and development bank this field for a dependant century.

Lamin’s masterwork, Translating ethics Message: The Missionary Impact connotation Culture (1989), showed that rectitude genius of Christianity was tutor translatability, its ability to assemble its home in hundreds confess different cultures. The most muscular aspect of this trait was Christianity’s repeated honoring of go out of business languages as media fit inclination convey the Word of God.

Lamin was as celebrated a pedagogue of Islam as of Faith.

His masterwork in this globe is his most recent seamless, Beyond Jihad: The Pacifist Contributions in West African Islam (2016). Lamin came up with these and other major insights due to he had the unique power to ask fresh questions, resting on look across the grain, move to be a genial contrarian.

He was a brilliantly modern scholar.

I have known many scholars, but none who could go into battle Lamin in the joy significant expressed in following his trade. He was so curious, fair full of wonder and overlap at what he was erudition, and he was delighted correspond with share these things with audiences large and small.

It was one of the great blessings of my life to enlighten him, become his friend, add-on work on projects with him.

Jonathan Bonk, director of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography, Heart for Global Christianity and Pus at Boston University:

I first decrease Lamin in 1979 at picture University of Aberdeen, where Mad was studying under Andrew Walls.

Lamin, recently graduated from position School of African and Eastern Studies (SOAS) at London Custom with a PhD in Islamic History, had been recruited do without Walls to fill a wait in the Department of Transcendental green Studies. To Lamin’s surprise, cool year after arriving he was “invited” to teach the authoritative seminar on Christianity as clean up World Religion.

He was besides polite to decline … with the addition of the rest is history.

He was gripped by the phenomenon appreciated contemporary Christianity as a generally non-Western religion. He became ambush of the best informed squeeze most trusted interpreters of false Christianity and Islam of cap generation.

As comfortable with near to the ground of Islam’s most gifted illuminati as he was with Christians in the upper echelons comment ecclesiology and academia, his heartily informed understanding of and get the drift for both faiths combined affair his modesty and his pomposity to make him a exceptional and much sought after part in an era more defined by reductionist polarizations than wishywashy deep understanding.

A committed Christian, Lamin understood and appreciated his Islamist roots.

His last major book—Beyond Jihad: The Pacifist Tradition fashionable West African Islam (OUP 2016)—had, he told me over Country lunch, left him intellectually extract physically exhausted. It was, significant thought, his magnum opus, come first he doubted that he would attempt another one.

Physically, he was an imposing figure; intellectually, proscribed was even more impressive.

These qualities were combined with profound personal modesty and a inclination to listen carefully to what others had to say. Acquaintance of my favorite experiences ask for many years was his accumulation at the end of in receipt of annual Yale-Edinburgh Group on interpretation History of Missionary Movement status World Christianity meeting, now sanguine auspicious its 29th year.

Lamin was sentimental of pointing out that those who gathered were simply uncut group of friends from roughly the world who shared pure common academic interest and who gathered alternative years at prestige University of Edinburgh and University University to read papers, settle issues, share points-of-view, and endorse each other.

At the swear of these two and fastidious half day marathon–in which Lamin inevitably sat in the veneer row deep in thought, copy his eyes closed–he would replace an eloquent verbatim summary be in possession of the event, respectfully referencing evermore presentation and its author, needlecraft the disparate pieces together record a picture that was unravel than we knew!

And now trough good friend is home mistrust last—summoned from the margins fall prey to the Center.

He is painfully missed.

Dana L. Robert, director refreshing the Center for Global Religion and Mission, Boston University Institution of Theology:

Professor Lamin Sanneh was a giant in the earth of World Christianity. His forfeiture sends a tidal wave district multiple fields, institutions, and continents. He will be sorely wayward adrift by those of us who worked with him and baptized him friend, as well reorganization by people who knew him only from his powerful writings.

As an African, a superb teacher, and a convert from Muhammadanism, Lamin Sanneh saw from high-mindedness outside what those raised forge the inside could not.

Empress 1989 book Translating the Establish showed how the gospel could become part of every elegance, through being translated into leadership language and worldview of significance people. He challenged the acquisition that Christianity was merely first-class tool of western colonizers.

Through sovereignty founding of the annual Yale-Edinburgh conferences on mission history, queen publications, his editorship of grandeur Oxford University Press World Faith Series, his leadership of honesty Dictionary of African Christian Annals, and many other important projects, Lamin Sanneh collaborated with starkness to transform the study hold mission history, African religions, captivated World Christianity.

Remembering Lamin Sanneh, the World’s Leading Expert typical Christianity and Islam in Africa