Stephen Neill: A Colonial Scholar in an Independent Kenya (1969–1973)

Abstract

This article focuses on Bishop Stephen Neill’s years (1969–1973) as the founding chairman of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Nairobi. While he succeeded in his goal of establishing a fine academic program, almost nobody lamented his departure. While chiefly about Neill, the article touches upon larger issues related to Anglicanism and colonialism in a newly independent Kenya. It features a summary of interviews with Professor Jesse Mugambi, a longtime professor at the university, who worked with Neill during this era. It also includes a brief assessment of Neill’s time in Nairobi from the missionary-demographer David Barrett. A shorter version of this article was given in January 2023 to the American Society of Church History.