A new 1,600-page book has been released that provides explanations of verses from all 66 books of the Bible, using local proverbs and idioms to make the teachings relevant to most Africans while remaining true to the scriptures.

More than a decade in the making, Africa Bible Commentary has been put together by 70 scholars and theologians from 25 countries, and represents a range of Protestant churches.

"Never before has there been a commentary like this written solely by Africans," said Tokunboh Adeyemo, the book's editor. "The Bible has global meaning but the interpretation needs to be local."

But there are contradictions between Christianity and age-old traditions and taboos, and it is these tensions that it seeks to address. In the Old Testament, for example, Ruth's decision to look for food on arriving in Bethlehem instead of waiting for assistance is explained by the Malawian saying "the one with diarrhea opens the door" - meaning that the one with a problem goes to seek help.

In the section on Genesis a Kenyan theologian says of female genital mutilation: "To abuse the body in a way that destroys the ability to appreciate one of God's gifts is an insult to his creation."

Widow inheritance, still common in many tribes, is deemed to "conflict with the Christian belief that death ends the marriage union"