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Whose Religion Is Christianity?: The Gospel beyond the West
Many historians of religion now recognize that Christianity is a global faith whose most vibrant expression and growth are found today in the non-Western world. But no one explores this reality and its implications for modern life with the depth of learning and personal insight of Lamin Sanneh.
This book is unique in the literature of world Christianity, not least for its novel structure. Sanneh's engaging narrative takes the form of a self-interview in which he asks questions about the cross-cultural expansion of Christianity and provides insightful answers and meaningful predictions about the future. This technique also allows Sanneh to track developments in world Christianity even while giving attention to the responses and involvement of indigenous peoples around the world.
Sanneh's own background and lifelong involvement with non-Western cultures bring a richness of perspective not found in any other book on world Christianity. For example, Sanneh highlights what is distinctive about Christianity as a world religion, and he offers a timely comparison of Christianity with Islam's own missionary tradition. The book also gives pride of place to the recipients of the Christian message rather than to the missionaries themselves. Indeed, Sanneh argues here that the gospel is not owned by the West and that the future of the tradition lies in its "world" character.
Literate, relevant, and highly original, Whose Religion Is Christianity? presents a stimulating new outlook on faith and culture that will interest a wide range of readers.
This book is unique in the literature of world Christianity, not least for its novel structure. Sanneh's engaging narrative takes the form of a self-interview in which he asks questions about the cross-cultural expansion of Christianity and provides insightful answers and meaningful predictions about the future. This technique also allows Sanneh to track developments in world Christianity even while giving attention to the responses and involvement of indigenous peoples around the world.
Sanneh's own background and lifelong involvement with non-Western cultures bring a richness of perspective not found in any other book on world Christianity. For example, Sanneh highlights what is distinctive about Christianity as a world religion, and he offers a timely comparison of Christianity with Islam's own missionary tradition. The book also gives pride of place to the recipients of the Christian message rather than to the missionaries themselves. Indeed, Sanneh argues here that the gospel is not owned by the West and that the future of the tradition lies in its "world" character.
Literate, relevant, and highly original, Whose Religion Is Christianity? presents a stimulating new outlook on faith and culture that will interest a wide range of readers.
156 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2003
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January 5, 2017Tim Keller on this book:
Lamin Sanneh, who teaches at Yale, is an African, Gambian. He has written a book called Whose Religion is Christianity? And he tells something fascinating about the deep cultural diversity of Christianity.
He would make an argument that Christianity is more open to cultural difference than any other religion—probably—but certainly more open to cultural difference than secularism, because he would say this, he says, "To be African is to believe that the world is filled with spirits." He says, "Africans have always believed the world is filled with good spirits and evil spirits. It's a supernatural place."
He says, "And yet the problem has been superstition, the problem has been fear, what do we do about the evil spirits. How do we overcome them?” He says, “If I send an African off to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, or Oxford or Cambridge, they are going to come back European because they are going to be told, 'Oh, everything has a scientific explanation.'"
They are also going to be saying, "Oh, we love multi-culturalism. Wear your African dress and eat your African food, but we are going to destroy your Africanness, because we are going to tell you that everything has got a scientific explanation."
And Lamin Sanneh says, "But Christianity comes along and says it respects my Africanness, it lets me stay African, because it says, yes, there are evil spirits and good spirits. But Jesus Christ has overcome the evil spirits, and through him you don’t have to be afraid of them."
"In the end," he says, "it renews my Africanness. Admittedly, as a Christian, I'm not the same as I was as an anamist, but," he says, "I'm closer to being an African." And he says, "Africans recognize that if I become a secularist, I will really be stepping away from being African. If I become a Christian, I am not."
And then he makes the case that basically Christianity has made that move because Christianity does not give you a book of Leviticus or Sharia law. Why? Well, because we believe you are saved by grace, and, therefore, even though there are moral norms, there are actually a limited number of moral norms, and there is enormous cultural freedom.
So, whereas, 96 percent of all Muslims are in this band right here, not in the Western, and 88 percent of Buddhists are right here, and 90 percent of Hindus are right here, like 22 percent of Christianity is in South America, 22 percent or something like that is in Africa, almost 20 percent is in Asia, 12 percent North America.
So Lamin Sanneh's point is the idea is that now Christianity is really indigenous. It is really Africanized, Chinese-ified, every place. And so now if a person hears the gospel where they are they don't have the Western baggage.
Lamin Sanneh, who teaches at Yale, is an African, Gambian. He has written a book called Whose Religion is Christianity? And he tells something fascinating about the deep cultural diversity of Christianity.
He would make an argument that Christianity is more open to cultural difference than any other religion—probably—but certainly more open to cultural difference than secularism, because he would say this, he says, "To be African is to believe that the world is filled with spirits." He says, "Africans have always believed the world is filled with good spirits and evil spirits. It's a supernatural place."
He says, "And yet the problem has been superstition, the problem has been fear, what do we do about the evil spirits. How do we overcome them?” He says, “If I send an African off to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, or Oxford or Cambridge, they are going to come back European because they are going to be told, 'Oh, everything has a scientific explanation.'"
They are also going to be saying, "Oh, we love multi-culturalism. Wear your African dress and eat your African food, but we are going to destroy your Africanness, because we are going to tell you that everything has got a scientific explanation."
And Lamin Sanneh says, "But Christianity comes along and says it respects my Africanness, it lets me stay African, because it says, yes, there are evil spirits and good spirits. But Jesus Christ has overcome the evil spirits, and through him you don’t have to be afraid of them."
"In the end," he says, "it renews my Africanness. Admittedly, as a Christian, I'm not the same as I was as an anamist, but," he says, "I'm closer to being an African." And he says, "Africans recognize that if I become a secularist, I will really be stepping away from being African. If I become a Christian, I am not."
And then he makes the case that basically Christianity has made that move because Christianity does not give you a book of Leviticus or Sharia law. Why? Well, because we believe you are saved by grace, and, therefore, even though there are moral norms, there are actually a limited number of moral norms, and there is enormous cultural freedom.
So, whereas, 96 percent of all Muslims are in this band right here, not in the Western, and 88 percent of Buddhists are right here, and 90 percent of Hindus are right here, like 22 percent of Christianity is in South America, 22 percent or something like that is in Africa, almost 20 percent is in Asia, 12 percent North America.
So Lamin Sanneh's point is the idea is that now Christianity is really indigenous. It is really Africanized, Chinese-ified, every place. And so now if a person hears the gospel where they are they don't have the Western baggage.
July 24, 2019
Great ideas! The Q&A format felt a little clunky and made it a tougher read than it had to be. But...the ideas inside were great!
December 24, 2022
This is a book to – in the most basic language, because I need to reread it before I can say anything more interesting – help Westerners get over themselves, Christians and non-Christians alike. On occasion more Catholic than I agreed with. Winsome and compelling throughout.
Salient quotes:
“More people pray and worship in more languages in Christianity than in any other religion in the world. Furthermore, Christianity has been the impulse behind the creation of more dictionaries and grammars of the world’s languages than any other force in history. Obviously, these facts of cultural and linguistic pioneering conflict with the reputation of Christianity as one colossal act of cultural intolerance. This has produced a deep Christendom guilt complex, against which all evidence seems unavailing. It is important, however, to get people to budge because the default Christianity they now practice is a worn-out cultural fragment of something much greater and much fresher.”
“[T]he West should get over its Christendom guilt complex about Christianity as colonialism by accepting that Christianity has survived its European political habits and is thriving today in its post-Western phase among non-Western populations…World Christianity is evidence of a boundary-free global economy being witness to boundary-hinged communities of faith.”
Salient quotes:
“More people pray and worship in more languages in Christianity than in any other religion in the world. Furthermore, Christianity has been the impulse behind the creation of more dictionaries and grammars of the world’s languages than any other force in history. Obviously, these facts of cultural and linguistic pioneering conflict with the reputation of Christianity as one colossal act of cultural intolerance. This has produced a deep Christendom guilt complex, against which all evidence seems unavailing. It is important, however, to get people to budge because the default Christianity they now practice is a worn-out cultural fragment of something much greater and much fresher.”
“[T]he West should get over its Christendom guilt complex about Christianity as colonialism by accepting that Christianity has survived its European political habits and is thriving today in its post-Western phase among non-Western populations…World Christianity is evidence of a boundary-free global economy being witness to boundary-hinged communities of faith.”
March 20, 2018
Lamin Sanneh is one of the most insightful historians of world Christianity. Born in Gambia and raised a Muslim, Sanneh is now a Roman Catholic and professor at Yale University. In this book, Sanneh presents his accumulated study of world Christianity in a casual, Q-and-A style (the questions being inspired by queries Sanneh has encountered from critics of missions). As with much of his work, the book focuses mostly on Africa, on Christianity's impulse to translate, and Islam's RELUCTANCE to translate. Sanneh critiques the Western, rational worldview that has emerged from the Enlightenment; he posits that Christianity, rather than undermining indigenous culture, has actually helped it thrive via the translation of the biblical text which in turn required an affirmation of native languages (missionaries have sought to translate the Bible into such languages as Xhosa, Micmac, and Māori, rather than forcing these indigenous cultures to adopt a Western language like English or Dutch).
March 13, 2025
wasnt bad, wasnt great. always makes me laugh when authors do a question and answer with themself though!
November 28, 2021
The West is only one part of the worldwide, diverse family of God — and we’re better for knowing and embracing that.
Academic, friendly, with the potential to be heavily influential.
Academic, friendly, with the potential to be heavily influential.
April 15, 2022
I love how he distinguishes between the global and world Christianity and encourages us to recognize “indigenous discovery of Christianity” over a more colonized Christianity. Very interesting and informative. I’d never heard of Ajayi Crowther before, nor of the Maasai Creed. The book is a very heady, slow read, though, and it’s a bit cumbersome to follow on the more complex ideas. Still, I think all Western Christians should learn about the historical examples he uses and should learn these concepts.
January 22, 2021
"We do not threaten one another by coming into God's presence with the variety of tongue and race that marks our humanity. It's when we turn our tongue and race into a god that we arouse the dragon."
The Gospel is beautiful.
The Gospel is beautiful.
February 11, 2024
While his central thesis is correct (that Christianity is not exclusively a western religion), his Roman Catholic sympathies and concessions to ideas like the hellenization thesis make this book flawed. His assertion that “the language of Christianity is the language of the people, whoever they happen to be,” is on the money, though.
July 4, 2020
A clear demonstration that Christianity is not a religion that colonialists imposed on the world, but a global religion that is “translated” into each culture it encounters as it renews each culture.
April 3, 2025
sentences are atrocious. ideas are mostly mid, and occasionally (i think) flat out wrong.
January 4, 2023
Would love to try again when my vocabulary gets to the 26th grade level 🤯🤯 looked up every other word but with the help of google, there were definitely some interesting thoughts in this one
December 22, 2024
the ideas in this book are worthwhile and profound, but the presentation of said ideas drove me crazy
December 30, 2016
At times Sanneh's question and answer format was helpful, but overall, I think it broke up his argument a bit too much. Simple paragraph form with clear subheadings may be mundane, but it is effective. I read this for an introductory mission class, so I'm certainly not qualified to be too critical, but that said, the content overall was good in my opinion.
December 9, 2020
The premise of the book, which submits that 'Christianity is not intrinsicly a religion of cultural uniformity", and that history shows us that the global expansion of the Christian religion demonstrates this through the "tremendous diversity and dynamism of the peoples of the world", suffers slightly from a less than ideal structure. The way the author examines this premise is by splitting up concise summaries of the main ideas and two lengthy sections that function as an interview and conversation. The conversation itself is interesting, and probably would work well in audio format, but it also means that much of this meanders as it follows an argumentative style. The one asking the questions is challenging his ideas, and his answers then respond. This has both negative and positive qualities. It does help to see how he fleshes out his premise on a fundamental level, but i couldn't help but feel like much of that conversation would have been better served tightened up and simply presented in a more direct way.
But the content makes this one worthwile. Often a book like this will contrast the West with the East, or Western Protestantism with the views of the early Church. Sanneh takes a broader appraoch, suggesting that Christianities expansion througout history presupposes its diversity, and that this becomes important for us looking ahead to the shift from the West back to the South where Christianity has its roots. When we see the West as the culimination of a "true faith", this will present many challenges for those in the West as the dominant expression of the faith begins to emerge from the South. We have been far too dependent on old ideas of conquest and colonialism for too long, and even while we recognize the evils of these ideas, the West (in general) has tended to view Africa as a new mission field that needs to be Christianized by the West. This is not only dangerous, it's simply wrong. And when the West actually looks in on the South and the growing Christian majority, it tends to look confusing and even a bit scary to Western eyes, resulting in stereotypes and marginalization of the culture.
And yet this is Christianity's future. And so we would do well to understand that pluaralism in terms of Christianities different expressions is actually a good and positive thing. The author argues that this diversity is not the failure of the religion but the "triumph of its translatability". As he says, "Bible translation enabled Christianity to break the cultural filbuster of its Western domestication to create movements of resurgence and renewal that transformed the religion into a world faith." His final ascertation says that "attitudes (towards the South) must shift to acknowledge this new situation."
The most intriguing thread here, which is where the interviewer and interviewee spend most of their time going back and forth on, is that which wonders about how it is that we explain the West in the first place. Do we see the West, and more specifically Protestantism, as the culmination of an evolution of ideas? Evidence of the growth of the faith in a progressive sense? And if so, then do we see the West as necessarily needing to submit a percieved "educated" position back onto those in the South who are functioning on a lesser plain? Or do we see the South as having the freedom to function in the faith as they experience it? This becomes especially important when we consider that the supposed "educated" and evolutionary position is now the minority, and quickly becoming an increasing minority. Is this posing a threat to Christianity, or is this a sign of it's thriving on a global level in its ability to tranlsate into different cultures?
Important quesitons, and not entirely easy to answer. Here we find a little bit of help in recognizing that African Christianity is probably much closer to the early Church experessions than Western Protestantism. This is not an easy thing for Westerners to reconcile, as the West's devotion to a kind of "knowledge" is so firmly ingrained in our psyche. For that to be challenged feels likes it is ripping out our foundation of both society and Protestant faith. And yet it does give us an easier way into African Christianity.
There is a lot of interesting threads to be found in the less than ideal structure of the book, most of which revolve around how a society interacts with indigenous cultures. There is a section that navigates how Christianity travelled a different path than Muslim expansion with very different results that is very interesting. And very interesting thoughts on the role of language as well. One part talks about how one thing that sets Christianity apart is the idea that it is "the only world religion that is transmitted without the language or originating culture of its founder", a fact that leads into all sorts of unique aspects of the faith in terms of its defining diversity, particularly as we note the immense amount of examples we have in scripture alone of translations carrying forward indigenous names of God and practices.
A book I will likely revisit a few times, as there is lots to take away here in terms of the big idea. It's best taken in bits an pieces perhaps, a single conversation at a time.
But the content makes this one worthwile. Often a book like this will contrast the West with the East, or Western Protestantism with the views of the early Church. Sanneh takes a broader appraoch, suggesting that Christianities expansion througout history presupposes its diversity, and that this becomes important for us looking ahead to the shift from the West back to the South where Christianity has its roots. When we see the West as the culimination of a "true faith", this will present many challenges for those in the West as the dominant expression of the faith begins to emerge from the South. We have been far too dependent on old ideas of conquest and colonialism for too long, and even while we recognize the evils of these ideas, the West (in general) has tended to view Africa as a new mission field that needs to be Christianized by the West. This is not only dangerous, it's simply wrong. And when the West actually looks in on the South and the growing Christian majority, it tends to look confusing and even a bit scary to Western eyes, resulting in stereotypes and marginalization of the culture.
And yet this is Christianity's future. And so we would do well to understand that pluaralism in terms of Christianities different expressions is actually a good and positive thing. The author argues that this diversity is not the failure of the religion but the "triumph of its translatability". As he says, "Bible translation enabled Christianity to break the cultural filbuster of its Western domestication to create movements of resurgence and renewal that transformed the religion into a world faith." His final ascertation says that "attitudes (towards the South) must shift to acknowledge this new situation."
The most intriguing thread here, which is where the interviewer and interviewee spend most of their time going back and forth on, is that which wonders about how it is that we explain the West in the first place. Do we see the West, and more specifically Protestantism, as the culmination of an evolution of ideas? Evidence of the growth of the faith in a progressive sense? And if so, then do we see the West as necessarily needing to submit a percieved "educated" position back onto those in the South who are functioning on a lesser plain? Or do we see the South as having the freedom to function in the faith as they experience it? This becomes especially important when we consider that the supposed "educated" and evolutionary position is now the minority, and quickly becoming an increasing minority. Is this posing a threat to Christianity, or is this a sign of it's thriving on a global level in its ability to tranlsate into different cultures?
Important quesitons, and not entirely easy to answer. Here we find a little bit of help in recognizing that African Christianity is probably much closer to the early Church experessions than Western Protestantism. This is not an easy thing for Westerners to reconcile, as the West's devotion to a kind of "knowledge" is so firmly ingrained in our psyche. For that to be challenged feels likes it is ripping out our foundation of both society and Protestant faith. And yet it does give us an easier way into African Christianity.
There is a lot of interesting threads to be found in the less than ideal structure of the book, most of which revolve around how a society interacts with indigenous cultures. There is a section that navigates how Christianity travelled a different path than Muslim expansion with very different results that is very interesting. And very interesting thoughts on the role of language as well. One part talks about how one thing that sets Christianity apart is the idea that it is "the only world religion that is transmitted without the language or originating culture of its founder", a fact that leads into all sorts of unique aspects of the faith in terms of its defining diversity, particularly as we note the immense amount of examples we have in scripture alone of translations carrying forward indigenous names of God and practices.
A book I will likely revisit a few times, as there is lots to take away here in terms of the big idea. It's best taken in bits an pieces perhaps, a single conversation at a time.
May 1, 2020
Great information. Would have been better if the author was less technical. Enough parts of this were so academic that I can say that this book isn’t for the lay person.
But the late Lamin Sanneh did do a good job of making the case for World Christianity, as opposed to Global Christianity, the latter he defines basically as a relic of Christendom or Christianity as advanced by the state; the former being Christianity from the bottom up from indigenous people.
He goes over Christianity’s surge in Africa after colonialism, which is counterintuitive to the secularist because to them one of the only ways Christianity advances is through state propagation and mandates. But rather the case in Africa was that Christianity flourished without and after colonialism.
There was an antagonist in this Q&A style discussion.
I’m not sure who the antagonist really was. His objections were really good at times and Sanneh’s answers were sometimes unsatisfying, but the antagonist’s questions got really ridiculous at the end, but they were ridiculous in the sense that this person is really spiritually blind — not that the questions were stupid. It was very agitating at times.
One of the most unsatisfying answers from Sanneh was his response to the question that went to the effect of, what good is Christianity if it doesn’t stop brutal (White and Black) African regimes (p.38)? Sanneh responded by basically saying that isn’t good news but in the wake of those crises and in the “search for healing and wholeness, Christianity remained a potent force in the lives of Africans.”
He added: “[A]nd the churches as major social institutions have an effect far out of proportion to the resources that they command.” He cited the Church’s involvement in the AIDS crisis, “mediation efforts in Rwanda and Burundi,” and the Church’s “prominent part” in challenging apartheid.
This is not what I found unsatisfying. It’s what he said next.
He says that both World War I and World War II were led by Christian Europe. Fair enough. And then he says “Christianity did not prevent the cold war and the nuclear proliferation that came with it.”
It looks like Christianity doesn’t have much stopping power—does it?—when it comes to preventing evil.
Oh but it does.
Reformed Christianity has a great tradition of statesmanship and politics. But the Reformed Tradition has largely been ignored if not intentionally relegated to the place where all dusty books go. Old Testament law — even the “moral law” — as some put it, has not been put to good use when analyzing wars. How world-changing would Christianity be if instead of asking, “Is this Just War?” it asked “If the premises of the war pass the Exodus Test? “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor?”
If those kind of standards were in place, the world would be a better place and the positive Christian influence on society and public morality would be obvious.
Sanneh does go on to say that he doesn’t know “what conclusion” to draw from Christianity not being able to stop the Cold War or the adjacent nuclear proliferation, “except that the story of Christianity is still unfolding” and that there is “little evidence that Christian Africa will repeat the disasters of Christian Europe.” I believe that.
He also says that “African Christianity has not been bitterly fought” like in Europe (“ecclesiastical courts condemning unbelievers...no bloody battles of doctrine and polity...no...public condemnations of doctrinal difference or dissent.”
Christianity is much more peaceful there in Africa.
It seems to have always been.
But the late Lamin Sanneh did do a good job of making the case for World Christianity, as opposed to Global Christianity, the latter he defines basically as a relic of Christendom or Christianity as advanced by the state; the former being Christianity from the bottom up from indigenous people.
He goes over Christianity’s surge in Africa after colonialism, which is counterintuitive to the secularist because to them one of the only ways Christianity advances is through state propagation and mandates. But rather the case in Africa was that Christianity flourished without and after colonialism.
There was an antagonist in this Q&A style discussion.
I’m not sure who the antagonist really was. His objections were really good at times and Sanneh’s answers were sometimes unsatisfying, but the antagonist’s questions got really ridiculous at the end, but they were ridiculous in the sense that this person is really spiritually blind — not that the questions were stupid. It was very agitating at times.
One of the most unsatisfying answers from Sanneh was his response to the question that went to the effect of, what good is Christianity if it doesn’t stop brutal (White and Black) African regimes (p.38)? Sanneh responded by basically saying that isn’t good news but in the wake of those crises and in the “search for healing and wholeness, Christianity remained a potent force in the lives of Africans.”
He added: “[A]nd the churches as major social institutions have an effect far out of proportion to the resources that they command.” He cited the Church’s involvement in the AIDS crisis, “mediation efforts in Rwanda and Burundi,” and the Church’s “prominent part” in challenging apartheid.
This is not what I found unsatisfying. It’s what he said next.
He says that both World War I and World War II were led by Christian Europe. Fair enough. And then he says “Christianity did not prevent the cold war and the nuclear proliferation that came with it.”
It looks like Christianity doesn’t have much stopping power—does it?—when it comes to preventing evil.
Oh but it does.
Reformed Christianity has a great tradition of statesmanship and politics. But the Reformed Tradition has largely been ignored if not intentionally relegated to the place where all dusty books go. Old Testament law — even the “moral law” — as some put it, has not been put to good use when analyzing wars. How world-changing would Christianity be if instead of asking, “Is this Just War?” it asked “If the premises of the war pass the Exodus Test? “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor?”
If those kind of standards were in place, the world would be a better place and the positive Christian influence on society and public morality would be obvious.
Sanneh does go on to say that he doesn’t know “what conclusion” to draw from Christianity not being able to stop the Cold War or the adjacent nuclear proliferation, “except that the story of Christianity is still unfolding” and that there is “little evidence that Christian Africa will repeat the disasters of Christian Europe.” I believe that.
He also says that “African Christianity has not been bitterly fought” like in Europe (“ecclesiastical courts condemning unbelievers...no bloody battles of doctrine and polity...no...public condemnations of doctrinal difference or dissent.”
Christianity is much more peaceful there in Africa.
It seems to have always been.
April 14, 2021
There was so much good information and insightful commentary in this book. Sanneh gave a fantastic apologetic for the value of native language Bible translation. I found the book helpful and encouraging because of its focus not on the decline of Christianity in the West, but on the hope found in Christianity's massive growth in the rest of the world. These are contemporary trends, and I was thankful for the positive perspective on the state of Christianity in the world today. God is still at work. I would have given this book 5 stars, but the question and answer format was a little awkward and clunky at times. There were so many good quotes:
"People sensed in their hearts that Jesus did not mock their respect for the sacred or their clamor for an invincible Savior, and so they beat their sacred drums for him until the stars skipped and danced in the skies. After that dance the stars weren't little anymore. Christianity helped Africans to become renewed Africans, not remade Europeans."
"...the language of Christianity is the language of the people, whoever they happen to be. The Chinese, therefore do not have to renounce their language or their culture to embrace Christianity."
"In the history of Christianity, Bible translation represents a revolutionary conception of religion as something translatable and ambi-cultural..."
"People sensed in their hearts that Jesus did not mock their respect for the sacred or their clamor for an invincible Savior, and so they beat their sacred drums for him until the stars skipped and danced in the skies. After that dance the stars weren't little anymore. Christianity helped Africans to become renewed Africans, not remade Europeans."
"...the language of Christianity is the language of the people, whoever they happen to be. The Chinese, therefore do not have to renounce their language or their culture to embrace Christianity."
"In the history of Christianity, Bible translation represents a revolutionary conception of religion as something translatable and ambi-cultural..."
January 12, 2020
Most definitely one of the best books I've read in my lifetime. I expected Lamin to center his argument on the evidence of Christianity societies pre-Christendom era, but it was not really that. Rather this approach of embracing and accepting the colonial and slavery aspect of Christendom, then within it distinguishing it from world Christianity, I found to be a much better defense and logical explanation. Moreover, it just adds more intensity that this is grounded in empirical and experiential evidence. The dialectical approach of this book reminds me of the last days of Socrates and Lamin is an intellectual hors-pairs. I've always been part of those who strongly believe that the European experience of Christianity and the African one while having a fundamental similarity (being theocentric) they have stringent superficial differences that should not be discounted and Lamin provides both, the evidence and rational argument as to why not only Christianity is not a white men religion (has never been and more then ever currently isn't) but also why African embraced of Christianity is at best only fractionally the result of European imperialism.
January 6, 2020
I’ll start by saying I’m a lay woman and not a religious academic, like my husband. So perhaps there was much I wasn’t understanding about all this. I really enjoyed reading the first part of the book, even though the interview format seemed a bit odd. Soon, it felt like the “interviewer” was quite abrasive, colonialist and racist...until I remembered that both the questions and answers were written by the author, Lamin Sanneh, a native of Gambia. Ha. So he’s posing these questions as objections that people have to the movement of Christianity happening in Africa...*after* its decolonization and without the “help” of white Christian missionaries.
The book was intensely interesting in the beginning and generally devolved as it went on, in my opinion. He begins to focus on bible translation and a defense of it and that wasn’t what I was looking for in this particular title.
I had a few great (and big!) takeaways and I’m glad I read it, in the end. Good bibliography to mine for further reading. Cumbersome format, but still plenty to be gained in wading through it.
The book was intensely interesting in the beginning and generally devolved as it went on, in my opinion. He begins to focus on bible translation and a defense of it and that wasn’t what I was looking for in this particular title.
I had a few great (and big!) takeaways and I’m glad I read it, in the end. Good bibliography to mine for further reading. Cumbersome format, but still plenty to be gained in wading through it.
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August 7, 2019For the content of this book, I am not and would never be qualified to comment. However, I have much to say about some other issues this book has.
The FORMAT of this book is not flattering and not helpful at all. Especially when a question goes back to a previous question, (pretty much ask the same question again) it is hard to follow in structure or logic.
The VOCABULARY of this book is not inviting and accessible. I rolled my eyes several times when I read it coz I could think of many ways to make the writing way clearer and easier to understand.
The AUDIENCE of this book is assumed to be "White" or "Western" and also has to have some historical theological background/understanding. (In an over simplified way, I would say this is a book written by an African with perspective for a white to read. )
Overall the reading experience is not enjoyable at the best. I do NOT recommend this book.
The FORMAT of this book is not flattering and not helpful at all. Especially when a question goes back to a previous question, (pretty much ask the same question again) it is hard to follow in structure or logic.
The VOCABULARY of this book is not inviting and accessible. I rolled my eyes several times when I read it coz I could think of many ways to make the writing way clearer and easier to understand.
The AUDIENCE of this book is assumed to be "White" or "Western" and also has to have some historical theological background/understanding. (In an over simplified way, I would say this is a book written by an African with perspective for a white to read. )
Overall the reading experience is not enjoyable at the best. I do NOT recommend this book.
February 7, 2022
In Whose Religion is Christianity? The Gospel beyond the West Sanneh uses student questions “to relate religion to secularism in an interactive, question-and-answer style.”(4) Divided in three sections, an introduction, and two chapters, Sanneh incorporates personal knowledge with his passion for the gospel to answer questions. The two chapters are sub-divided with poetic titles which add to the intrigue of the book, but not the clarity of his answers. Sanneh’s thesis is “to have the reader participate in a nuanced conversation about the discovery of Christianity beyond the well-trodden paths of the West.” (12)
“Christianity Uncovered” sets up Christianity’s worldwide resurgence while lacking Western organizational structures. (3) Sanneh addresses this head-on. The section ends addressing the reader, reminding them of the conversational style to follow, encouraging “diverse perspectives” and asking permission for “field practice rather than theory.”(12)
“Christianity as a World Religion” shows Christianity is not owned by any section of the globe. Rather than being defined by national preference or identity, Sanneh argues for local theology. World Christianity has grown because of “mother tongue mediation and local response.” (85)
“The Bible and its Mother Tongue Variations” sets up the final section. Sanneh suggests scripture as a culture’s communicator. (96-97) The remainder of the section uses questions to lead to translation of scripture’s gospel message as worthy and “indispensable.”(106)
“Christianity Uncovered” sets up Christianity’s worldwide resurgence while lacking Western organizational structures. (3) Sanneh addresses this head-on. The section ends addressing the reader, reminding them of the conversational style to follow, encouraging “diverse perspectives” and asking permission for “field practice rather than theory.”(12)
“Christianity as a World Religion” shows Christianity is not owned by any section of the globe. Rather than being defined by national preference or identity, Sanneh argues for local theology. World Christianity has grown because of “mother tongue mediation and local response.” (85)
“The Bible and its Mother Tongue Variations” sets up the final section. Sanneh suggests scripture as a culture’s communicator. (96-97) The remainder of the section uses questions to lead to translation of scripture’s gospel message as worthy and “indispensable.”(106)
August 25, 2022
Do not give too much weight to my rating, instead hear me out: The contents within this book are, at the very least, provocative. I agree with and appreciate many (if not all) of the conclusions Sanneh draws in this short work. He provides provocative insight into the ever-changing DNA of Christianity. It is not, and was never meant to be, a Western (American) religion, but rather it is a WORLD religion.
However, the formatting Sanneh chose for this book (an odd Q&A format I have not encountered elsewhere), leaves the reader needing to draw out such conclusions at times. That is the reason for my rating. I would easily give this 4 stars has Sanneh taking a more conventional approach to formatting his work.
Regardless, anyone interested in Missions, World or African Christianity should give this book a read.
However, the formatting Sanneh chose for this book (an odd Q&A format I have not encountered elsewhere), leaves the reader needing to draw out such conclusions at times. That is the reason for my rating. I would easily give this 4 stars has Sanneh taking a more conventional approach to formatting his work.
Regardless, anyone interested in Missions, World or African Christianity should give this book a read.
January 12, 2022
Literary critic Hugh Kenner said, of one of Williams's poems, that it "performs in pure abstraction a gesture of as-if signifying": a marvelous phrase, but one suited better to a poem than to theological or socio-ethical reasoning. And that, uncomfortably, is what it feels like is going on here: Sanneh splits himself into two warring factions, one a liberal-leaning Christian celebrating Christian expansion into the third world for humanitarian reasons, one a liberal-leaning skeptic who is cynical about all Christian enterprise. He then has a conversation which is remarkable for its erudition but which does not convey much of substance to the uninitiated reader.
A whole lot of mental effort for this little book, and not a lot of repayment. Or so it seems.
A whole lot of mental effort for this little book, and not a lot of repayment. Or so it seems.
January 15, 2021
Utilising the form of essay and question & answer, Lamin Sanneh's answer to the question presented in the title seems to insinuate that Christianity is the people's. Perhaps it is best to quote him on the final page, "...the theological insight that the God we celebrate in the Christmas and Easter stories is available without hesitation or qualification in a language that is the people's own" (130). I concede that from a purely cultural perspective, Christianity truly belongs to the people rather than to any singular culture or "race" of people. However, Sanneh overlooks one vital fact: Christianity belongs to Christ, as the very etymology of the word inherently suggests.
January 8, 2020
This book is in many ways an argument that Bible translation is a key to empowering people of all cultures. Regardless of whether the missionaries intended this, by translating the Bible into people's mother tongue, they showed that the Christian God valued their culture and sitatution. This book is largely in a Q&A format which I find helpful. Sanneh's writing is lofty so much of it is hard to follow, but there are some beautiful moments where he contrasted Christianity and secularism.
January 9, 2020
"Christianity seems unique in being the only world religion that is transmitted without the language or originating culture of its founder."
I picked up this book for two reasons, 1) to seek out voices from more diverse backgrounds and 2) to encounter more opinions and beliefs that differ from my own. I would criticize this book in that I found a significant chunk to be laborious, though the final third (where the above quote is from) held significantly more of my interest.
I picked up this book for two reasons, 1) to seek out voices from more diverse backgrounds and 2) to encounter more opinions and beliefs that differ from my own. I would criticize this book in that I found a significant chunk to be laborious, though the final third (where the above quote is from) held significantly more of my interest.
December 26, 2025
Topic: 5/5
Format: 3/5
The interview style makes this easier to read, but it’s fairly distracting, and honestly, annoying. But as Sanneh intends, the reader can easily engage with her or her own opinions and ideas as they read. So overall it’s good and very helpful for the Christian whose worldview is formed almost entirely by the West, but I still don’t blame you if you find this hard to finish.
This book did expand my worldview and hope for the Gospel across the globe!
Format: 3/5
The interview style makes this easier to read, but it’s fairly distracting, and honestly, annoying. But as Sanneh intends, the reader can easily engage with her or her own opinions and ideas as they read. So overall it’s good and very helpful for the Christian whose worldview is formed almost entirely by the West, but I still don’t blame you if you find this hard to finish.
This book did expand my worldview and hope for the Gospel across the globe!
December 26, 2018
Look, the format of this book is... not great. Mostly because it’s hard to get over the fact that the reader knows the questioner is also the respondent. However. Dr. Sanneh’s clear and powerful defense of Christianity as something other than a carrier of Western culture is impressive and important. I really enjoyed this strange little book. I’ll look for more from him.
October 28, 2020
While I personally found the book a bit hard to follow, I think the point is critical. What I took away from this important work is that Christianity is not a "white-man's religion" spread by the imperialist West, but belongs to all people because the Jesus translates Himself to all people in the language of their own hearts and souls. Christianity belongs to no one culture.
July 15, 2025
The topic is very interesting but the approach taken by the author made it very difficult and confusing to read. The author was responsible for both the assertions and rebuttals being made which leaves the reader confused as to which opinions are those actually held by the author. This approach also leaves a lot of holes in the assertions being made because there is no external review.
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