The First Sin

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.

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 behavioral 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. He is the author of six previous books on religion and religious history.