Document Type
Article
Abstract
Lamin Sanneh, one of the most original and influential Christian thinkers of our time, presents his life story, ostensibly as a gift to his children. Its purpose is to explain, says his son in the foreword, how in the world this man ever made his way from a remote, up-river town in colonial West Africa to become a distinguished member of one of the world’s greatest universities. Professor Sanneh engages this story to make sense of his life in some larger terms as well. He writes to share how he has addressed some important questions about religious faith in human affairs. What is distinctive about West African Islam? How are we to understand the massive movement toward Jesus Christ that has happened in Africa? And indeed, what does that movement tell us about Christianity through the ages? Throughout this story we see, as his son puts it, “the curiosity and restlessness that propelled my father out of the Gambia, and have propelled him ever since”(x). That questing spirit, it becomes clear, is both intellectual and deeply spiritual.
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/239693931303700107
Publication Date
1-1-2013
Recommended Citation
Carpenter, Joel, "The Long Journey Home: A Review Essay" (2013). University Faculty Publications and Creative Works. 1130.
https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/calvin_facultypubs/1130