You cannot kill a tree by cutting off its branches; you need to dig down and cut off its roots.

In this book, Professor Yusufu Turaki uses the Holy Scriptures as spade and axe as he digs down to examine the roots of sin. His knowledge of traditional African beliefs an dvalues adds depth to his discussion of the origin, nature, effects and power of sin in our lives. He shows the relevance of each member of the Holy Trinity to our struggle against the root sins of self-centredness and pride, greed and lust, and anxiety and fear.

Many African Christians can't explain what sin is, how it affects people, or how it came into the world. The best they can offer is a mix of popular opinions, traditional views and guesswork---far from what Scripture teaches. Drawing on his understanding of Africa's traditional beliefs and social and spiritual values, Turaki will explain the Scriptural teaching about the origin, nature, effects and power of sin and God's solution in terms that make sense to Africans.