Revisiting Lamin Sanneh’s “Western Guilt Complex” from a Grassroots Perspective

Abstract

In his critique of the so-called Western guilt complex, the late Lamin Sanneh challenged scholars and Christians to consider the transmission of Christianity beyond the scope of Western perspectives. This article revisits Sanneh’s seminal work to discuss the ways the Western guilt complex undermines our ability to understand indigenous knowledge systems, which inform and stimulate religious sensibilities. In examining postcolonial reflections on Christian transmissions, this article considers grassroot perspectives as critical in interpreting Christianizing processes that are outside ecclesiastical authority and leadership.