Effects Of Christianity To The Igbo

If a wife had been separated from her husband for some time and were then to be re-united with him, this ceremony would be held to ascertain that she had not been unfaithful to him during the time of their separation.” (211, A Glossary of Ibo Words and Phrases, Things Fall Apart), currency systems; such as cowries, and cultivation of their resources. When the whites arrived they brought many new things and ideas, however these ended up destroying the Ibo culture rather than improving it. Towards the end of the book, the white men had gained a lot of influence over the Ibo people. Things started to fall apart because only some of the Ibo people had been converted to Christianity. “‘Does the white man understand about our custom about land?’ ‘How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up this religion also say that our own customs are bad.’” (176, Things Fall Apart). Once they started to turn against each other this is when the white people had really won. Once there was a point of weakness, the Ibo people no longer stood together, but rather they started to fight within

There are many religions throughout the world today. Although there are several different religions, many individuals are not educated about the other beliefs besides there own. Religions today do have differences but are also very much the same. This is demonstrated between the religion of Yoruba, and Christianity. The Gods that the people in these religions worship are different but have the same purpose throughout the lives of each individual. Each individual’s purpose and goal in these religions also display similarities. Furthermore the rituals that are done throughout these religions are done for directions and to improve the relationship between the individual and their god. There are various differences and similarities between

Missionaries have had a profound and resounding effect on southeastern Nigeria that remains today, missionaries still playing a significant role in the culture of the Igbo. Although missionaries were initially synonymous with colonization, European coloniasts enforcing Christian ideals on the ‘save’ natives in an effort to civilize them, missionaries remained in Nigeria even after it gained its independence on October 1, 1960 through a series of constitutions legislated by the British government. Despite the abolition of British colonial forces, missionaries remained, exerting extensive influence on local culture. Missionaries promoted western education, which was widely popular among the Igbo and viewed as a method to move up the social ladder.

Assimilation transpires in Things Fall Apart. The definition of assimilation is the process where a minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of a dominant culture. Since the Igbo are a tribal society the most important factor is the harmony of the members of the tribe and their complete compliance to the ruling of their elders. They must also be compliant to the gods and goddesses. Later on compliance becomes absent when some of the members of the tribe accept distinct morals brought to them by the missionaries. Once these missionaries came they tried to change some of the tribe members over to their religion and while this was taking place the old members were curious of the loyalty of the other

In the book, on page 207, Achebe wrote, “‘It is against our custom,’ said one of the men. ‘It is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offense against the Earth, and a mean who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen…’” Notably, Achebe showed that even though Christianity was spread throughout the tribe, the tribe member still knew the traditions and customs of the Igbo religion. In addition, Destin from the video said that he was able to learn the new bike, but was still able to learn the old-fashioned way later. He pointed out that change you are not used to can affect what you do, but your brain is attached to the old change and you still know to act or do that old change; also, the old change doesn’t go away completely no matter what. Another example is on page 180 when Achebe wrote, “ We make sacrifices to the little gods, but when they fail and there is no one else to turn to we go to Chukwu… We approach a great man through his servants… We pay greater attention to the little gods but that is not so… Chukwu is Supreme.’” By all means the Igbo tradition is not gone forever; there are some people in the tribe that still believe in the Igbo traditions, for example, worshipping an Igbo god, and those people demonstrated that change may affect the outside, but on the inside, it is made of steel. In conclusion, change doesn’t affect your prior knowledge on things and it doesn’t wipe it away, as shown in the video and in the book, people can still be able to retouch their old roots even though the outside is something

In Things Fall Apart the Igbo tribe and Christianity bring about a yin-yang concept in that there is an unbalance and then balance between inequality and equality. When the first reverend comes he brings balance and equality while showing that Christianity has the capability to bring calm in the midst of chaos. The second reverend, Reverend Smith shows that Christianity is capable of bringing destruction and inequality. The two opposite reverends bring about a balance and created a whole.

In the book Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, we are able to read about the social changes the white missionaries had on an African tribe. Mr. Achebe describes the way of life before the missionaries arrived and then records some of the changes, which occurred due to the changed belief system introduced by these missionaries.

Things Fall apart was written by Chinua Achebe and takes place in the 1800s. It is about the fall of a leader, Okonkwo, and the Igbo society. Okonkwo is a well respected and powerful tribe member in the Igbo village of Umuofia in eastern Nigeria. He first procures individual notoriety and refinement, and conveys honor to his town when he beats Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling tournament. Okonkwo decides to collect titles for himself and turn into a capable and affluent man despite his father's shortcomings. And throughout the book it shows how a religion can result in a bad way for a society or can positively impact it.

The other major effect because of colonialism is the change it had on the Igbo people’s lives. Some of the Igbo people did not like the white man's influence on their community, so they set up trading posts and money was flowing into the village. Mr. Brown then decides to build a hospital and a school and beg the villagers to send their children to school. He warns them that if they do not, strangers who can read and write will come to rule them. Because of the white man, the Igbo people have to send their school against their will.

In the village of Umuofia, the Igbo people worship a religion of many deities. Their polytheistic religion consists of gods related to nature such as rain, sun, etc. The most important deity is the goddess of the Earth; Igbo people frain from committing sins against the goddess of the Earth in fear of complete genocide. The European missionaries introduce Umuofia to a monotheistic religion, Christianity. The Igbo people fear what they can’t understand, such as medicine. Igbo people feared the “white man”, however, missionaries successfully convert some Igbo people into Christian, causing them to be shamed by the hierarchy of men in the village. The conversion caused changes in Igbo culture and influenced the Igbo people to behave in a way that was unheard of before the European missionaries arrived. Enoch, a recently converted Christian, committed one of the worst crimes in

Mr. Brown didn’t agree and started to tell Akunna about Christianity and how there was only one god. Mr. Brown started talking about how god was the head of his church because Akunna said that the piece of carved wood was their god, because tree’s come from Chukwu, again Mr. Brown said that what he said was ridiculous and asked how could a piece of wood be their god. And Mr.Brown says his God is the only God(179). This character’s action symbolizes change because Christianity was talked about, but people like Nwoye was already converted which means Christianity can cause cultural change to the African society because people are not worshipping their original god they’re changing into to Christians

Change impacts everyday life, to the big picture in people's lives. People have dealt with change for ages. It is a challenge that people must face at some time in our lives. In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, he shows the effects of change on a civilization of people and their ways of dealing with it. It shows the story of the Igbo people and their story of change from colonization. From the arrival of Christian missionaries, things began to change for these people, they had to learn to deal with a new culture, turbulent results followed. Achebe portrays a positive change through constructive institutions and a peaceful religion, however with negative tradeoffs such as racist hierarchical problems.

Furthermore, the Igbo society parallels agrarian societies of a lesser developed world before colonialism unlike British’s religion that has developed into a society of education through urbanization. The novel shows how the Igbo peoples are uneducated on the common understanding of humanity. For example, in Things fall Apart Umuofians believes that the killing of children, specifically twins is ethically right, believing that twins are a work of the devil. When the white man comes they learn the basis of fifth commandment which teaches that God is the decider of who lives and who dies. For this reason, a pregnant woman named Nneka had watched her twin children get killed multiple times. Her family had made her feel as if she has failed to fulfill her womanly duty so she converted to Christianity and found an accepting family. As Achebe states, “Nneka had had four previous pregnancies and childbirths. But each time she had borne twins, and they had been immediately thrown away. Her husband and his family were already becoming highly critical of such a woman and were not unduly perturbed when they found she had fled to join the Christians.” (Chinua Achebe 1958) This example really show how their religion could be deemed as uneducated because their society killed innocent children due to the fact that they were twins whereas in a Christian society they were

If a culture refuses to be open-minded to change they will have to deal with consequences which is indeed shown through the book Things Fall Apart, the apartheid in South Africa, and through the colonization of the Native Americans in the New World. The Igbo culture and the missionaries in Achebe’s text refuse to adapt to change which

Christianity in Africa is not a recent happening nor is it a product of colonialism if we go back to the very time of the apostle. Christianity in most area was confronted during the centuries after the struggle by Islam, the Christian religion suffered in some measure, but did not disappear. Christianity has been flourishing on the northern part of this continent for years before Islam was born. Christianity in North African seemed to have been well founded deeply entrenched and firmly led.