Prof. John Azumah – Executive Director

Dr. John Azumah is originally from Northern Ghana in West Africa. He pursued his studies at Trinity Theological Seminary with the University of Ghana, Legon, and his graduate studies at the University of Birmingham, UK, where he obtained a Masters with Distinction in Christian-Muslim Relations and a PhD in the history of Islam in Africa. In addition to serving his denomination in various capacities for a number of years, John served as the Director of the Presbyterian Lay Training Centre in Tamale in northern Ghana, Research Fellow at the Akrofi-Christaller Institute, and as a visiting lecturer to a number of Theological Institutions in Ghana, including the Pentecost University College, Accra and the George Whitefield College in Cape Town, South Africa.

Dr. Azumah worked as a Research Fellow at the Henry Martyn Institute in Hyderabad, Lecturer at the Union Biblical Seminary in Pune and as visiting lecturer to the South Asian Institute of Advanced Studies in Bangalore, all in India. In September 2008 he took up the position of Senior Lecturer in Missions and Islam, and Director for the Centre of Islamic Studies at the London School of Theology in the United Kingdom. He joined Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia in August 2011 where he served as Professor of World Christianity and Islam and Director of International Programs. He led a feasibility study project on “Engaging the Mosque and the Church in West Africa” which resulted in the formation of The Sanneh Institute.

Dr. Azumah served on the World Council of Churches Interfaith Unit, and as a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury Building Bridges Seminars. Currently he serves as Visiting Professor at Yale Divinity School and Presidential Visiting Fellow at Yale University. He has convened, facilitated and presented papers at several international interfaith and academic seminars and conferences. Publications include The Legacy of Arab-Islam in Africa: A Quest for Inter-Religious Dialogue (2001); My Neighbour’s Faith: Islam Explained for Christians (2008); co-editor with Lamin Sanneh, The African Christian and Islam (2013); co-editor with Peter Riddell, Islam and Christianity on the Edge (2013); and several articles and book chapters on Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations in various academic journals.

Dr. Azumah is the Founding Executive Director of The Sanneh Institute.