Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator is a Jesuit priest from Nigeria who teaches theology and religious studies at Hekima College Jesuit School of Theology and Institute of Peace Studies in Nairobi, Kenya, where he is also rector. The author begins with a series of African proverbs which provide insight into the wisdom of African spirituality, which predates the advent of Christianity on the continent:
• "God is never in a hurry, but is always there at the right time." (Ethiopia).
• "God drives away flies from the back of a tailless cow." (Nigeria).
• *If God dishes you rice in a basket, do not wish to eat soup." (Sierra Leone)
• "We do not see God; we only see the works of God." (Ethiopia).
The African religious universe is populated with many gods, spirit beings, and ancestors. The sacred is present in every aspect and department of life, and the Divine can be experienced everywhere. As Orobator puts it: "Simply put, African spirituality is a spirituality of life; it is a celebration of life in all its dimensions." The author uses excerpts from Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, an account of the encounter between missionary Christianity and traditional African expressions and beliefs, to probe various components of Christian theology such as God, the Trinity, creation, grace and sin, Jesus Christ, the church, Mary, and the saints. Orobator also includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter and African prayers.
