Former Muslim delivers Sprunt Lectures at Union Seminary By C. Powell Sykes The Presbyterian Layman Friday, March 26, 1999 Lamin Sanneh The 1999 Sprunt Lectures, held Jan. 25-27 at Union Theological Seminary, marked a return to orthodoxy, as Yale Divinity School’s Lamin Sanneh spoke on the missionary movement in Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries, with an emphasis on American attempts to deal with the problems of slavery, that institution so opposed to the ideals of the American Revolution. The 1998 lecturer was radical feminist Rosemary Radford Reuther. Humor and modesty Born in Gambia, West Africa, to an influential Muslim family, Dr. Sanneh converted to Christianity as a young adult. He received his M.A. from the University of Birmingham (England), and his Ph.D. in history from the University of London. Since 1989 he has held the D. Willis James Chair as Professor of Missions and World Christianity at Yale, and he is the author of several books on the history of missions in Africa. Currently he is writing The American Factor in West African Christianity: 1770-1890: A Study in Antislavery and Antistructure, which served as a source for the lectures. Sanneh’s sense of humor and modesty were displayed at Union-PSCE. From his opening remarks about being the exception to the rule of distinguished speakers at the Sprunt lectures, clever comments and sly observations often brought laughter to the lecture hall, while exciting and often forgotten tales of the efforts of godly people to find a solution to the problem of slavery held the listeners’ attention. Following each lecture he welcomed one-on-one questions from the gathered pastors, professors, and students. Two worship services accompany the Sprunt Lectures each year. This year’s preacher was Dr. Syngman Rhee, visiting professor of evangelism and mission at Union-PSCE and director of its Asian-American Ministry and Mission Center. He is a former president of the National Council of Churches, and delegate to the World Council of Churches. A highlight of these services was the presentation of music by a chorus of Korean students, who sang both in their native tongue and English. C. Powell Sykes is pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Burlington, NC.

The Presbyterian Layman March/April 1999

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