A wind turbine rotor blade includes a plurality of lightning receptors configured along either or both of the pressure side or suction side of the blade. At least one looped lightning conductive circuit is provided, with the lightning receptors configured in communication with a respective lightning conductive circuit. The lightning conductive circuit has terminal ends that extend through the root for connection of each terminal end with a grounding system within the wind turbine. The looped lightning conductive circuit provides a redundant path to each lightning receptor for conducting a lightning strike to ground.