The First Sin

Author:  Jerald F. Dirks
Publisher: Amana Publications
Pages:  172
Binding:  Softcover
ISBN:  978-1-59008-078-8

About the Book:  Both Jewish and Islamic sources relate the story of the first known sin in the universe, i.e., Satan refusing to obey God’s command to bow down to Adam. In the present volume, Dr. Dirks explores both Jewish and Islamic sources on the first sin, compares and contrasts them, and identifies the underlying root cause behind Satan’s refusal to bow down to Adam, which was arrogance.Given that arrogance was the character trait that caused Satan to sin, Dr. Dirks next examines what Jewish, Christian, and Islamic scripture and religious writings have had to say about arrogance, pride, and self-conceit. This latter analysis focuses not just upon arrogance in general terms, but also on two specific types of arrogance, i.e., racial arrogance and religious arrogance. The book then concludes with a survey of what Jewish, Christian, and Islamic scripture have had to say about past civilizations that have been destroyed precisely because of their arrogance.

About the Author: Dr. Dirks received his B.A. and M.Div. degrees from Harvard University and his M.A. and Psy.D. degrees from the University of Denver. He is the author or co-author of over 60 published articles in the behavioural sciences, over 140 published articles on the Arabian horse and its history, and over 220 published articles or formal presentations on religion and current affairs. He has lectured about religion nationally and internationally at 20 different universities and colleges, and he has been interviewed about religion on television or in the print media in six different countries. In 2011, he was the recipient of the Muhammad is the Messenger of God Award from the International Society of Science and Culture (Sweden). He is the author of seven previous books on religion and religious history.