A New Day: Essays on World Christianity in Honor of Lamin Sanneh- Foreword by Andrew F. Walls

The unprecedented resurgence, renewal, and rebirth of twenty-first century Christianity in postcolonial societies, such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America, calls for new insights, methodologies, and paradigms since the West can no longer be regarded as the sole citadel and cradle of the Christian faith. The Christian message has been reshaped and reappropriated in different contexts and cultures and, through this cross-cultural transmission and transformation, it has become a world religion. Contextualizing the Christian faith also entails decolonizing its theology, precepts, and dogma. These efforts continue to engender new initiatives and efforts in the intercultural, interconfessional, intercontinental, and interreligious dimensions of world Christianity. A New Day is a collection of essays in honor of Lamin Sanneh, one of the most adamant advocates and apostles of the radical change in the face of Christianity in the twenty-first century. The essays in this book by recognized scholars deal with issues, themes, and perspectives that are important for understanding Christianity as a world religious movement.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Andrew F. Walls: Foreword – A Salute to Lamin Sanneh – Akintunde E. Akinade: Introduction: The Grandeur of Faith: Exploring World Christianity’s Multiple Trajectories – Andrew F. Walls: World Christianity and the Early Church – Namsoon Kang: Whose/Which World in World Christianity?: Toward World Christianity as Christianity of Worldly-Responsibility – Amos Yong: The Church and Mission Theology in a Post-Constantinian Era: Soundings from the Anglo-American Frontier – Luis N. Rivera-Pagán: A Prophetic Challenge to the Church: The Last Word of Bartolomé de las Casas – Dale T. Irvin: Theological Education in a Transnational Context: Learning from the Center for World Christianity at New York Theological Seminary – Kevin Ward: Christianity, Revival and the Rwandan Genocide – Philomena Njeri Mwaura: A Spirituality of Resistance and Hope: African Instituted Churches’ Response to Poverty – Gay L. Byron: Redrawing the Boundaries of Early Christianity: The Case of the Axumite Empire and its Sources – J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu: ‘Touch Not the Lord’s Anointed’: Leadership in Ghana’s New Charismatic Communities – Elias K. Bongmba: Visions and Dreams in an African Initiated Church – Deidre Helen Crumbley: On Both Sides of the Atlantic: Independent Church Movements (ICMs) in Africa and the African Diaspora – Arun Jones: Playing with Fire – Leo D. Lefebure: The Lord’s Prayer in Interreligious Perspective – Klaus Hock: Rashîd Ridâ’s «Mission Seminary» Between Tradition, Islamic Reform, and Political Islam – Yushau Sodiq: Muslims and Christians in Yorubaland: Unavoidable Neighbors – Grace Ji-Sun Kim: Exploring Holy Spirit, Chi and the Other – Terry C. Muck: Teaching Religion in Theological Schools: A Pedagogical Proposal – Peter C. Phan: Appendix – A Review of Lamin Sanneh’s Disciples of All Nations: Pillars of World Christianity.

About the Author :
The Editor: Akintunde E. Akinade serves on the Editorial Board of The Muslim World, The Living Pulpit, Religions, and The Journal of World Christianity. He also serves on the Committee for The Status of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession within the American Academy of Religion. He received his PhD in ecumenical theology at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, and is now teaching theology at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar. He is the co-editor with Dale T. Irvin of The Agitated Mind of God: The Theology of Kosuke Koyama.

Review :
«A volume to honor Lamin Sanneh and his work could not be more appropriate than this. Internationally renowned for his writings on what is now referred to as world Christianity, Sanneh puts us all in his debt for reminding us that Christianity has always been a ‘world religion’ and that mission has never been unidirectional, from the West to the rest of the globe, but rather multidirectional. The historical scholarship and theological depth of the essays collected here are consistently high, and the themes discussed reflect the long-standing interests of the scholar they honor. I most strongly recommend this book for courses in church history and missiology.» (Peter C. Phan, The Ignacio Ellacuria Chair of Catholic Social Thought, Georgetown University)
«Written to honor the wide range of Lamin Sanneh’s scholarship, this volume of contributions by a number of prominent scholars navigates contemporary global Christian movements and encapsulates the inner strength and vitality of the Church in our generation. Informed and informing, theologians, educators, and practitioners will be challenged by this book to exercise their faith and religious conviction with courage and confidence. A must read for missiologists!» (Caleb O. Oladipo, Duke K. McCall Professor of Mission and World Christianity, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Virginia)
«This splendid book honors the life and work of Lamin Sanneh, scholar ‘extraordinaire’ of the interaction of Christianity and Islam in Africa and the exposition of Christianity as a worldwide religion. Contributors to the volume provide original essays in fields such as postcolonial missiology, the understanding of Western and non-Western cultures and societies, the expression of multiple dimensions of Christianity, and the examination of interreligious perspectives, reflecting the many interests of their colleague and friend. The result is a fine tribute to an outstanding scholar and a fascinating representation of the many fields that have crossed in Sanneh’s own history of scholarly pursuit.» (Jane I. Smith, Harvard Divinity School)