Jenna Wang March 10, 2012 Period 3 Question #8: Christianity vs.

Ibo Religion Essay During Okonkwos fourth year of exile, Obierika informs him of the white settlers that have invaded Umuofia and brought a Christian religion with them. Obierika tells him that they had built a church, won a handful of converts, and were already sending evangelists to surrounding towns and villages (Achebe 119). The new religion had brought sorrow to the leaders of the clan, while it brought happiness to the efulefu, the worthless, empty men of the tribe who were men of no titles. The villagers of Umuofia are caught between resisting the Christian religion or embracing it and, therefore, abandoning the Ibo religion. The Ibo religion is Africas most dominant religion. This religion includes the belief of many different gods and the fact that not all people were accepted in the eyes of their gods. All of the clan members respect their gods and goddesses. The most important god of all is Ani, the goddess of the earth and the source of all fertility, for the Ibo people value farming and the land. The Ibo people always honor their gods words and they celebrate the gods during ceremonies and festivals (Achebe 32). When the missionaries arrive in Africa, they preach the Holy Trinity, God is the Creator, and that those who worshipped the true God lived forever in His kingdom (Achebe 120). The Christians aimed to convert the Ibo people to the Christian faith. Mr. Kiaga, an interpreter for the missionaries, tells the villagers that their gods are false (Achebe 121)and that worshipping more than one God is idolatrous. Mr. Kiaga accepts everyone into the church, even the outcasts of the village. One example is when they accepted the two osu, outcasts that could not attend an assembly of the free-born and had long, dirty, tangled hair to mark his forbidden caste. Mr. Kiaga had invited them to join the Christians on one condition, to shave their heads and leave the heathen curse (Achebe 131). Another example is when His caring actions encourage many villagers to attend the church and convert their faiths. Overtime, many of the villagers gradually begin to understand the new religion and many convert their faiths.