Ipoti Religion In Nigeria

Christianity is a very broad subject with a very interesting history. How and why did christianity become so popular? There are many factors we can look into. In the following paper we will explore the history of christianity, the bible, Jesus Christ and the evolution of christianity over time. It traces its history to Jesus of Nazareth, an itinerant preacher in the area around Jerusalem during the period of Roman occupation, in the early 30s of the Common Era. Its members congregate in a communion of churches headed by bishops, whose role originated with the disciples of Jesus. Over a period of some decades after Jesus ' life, death, and resurrection, the bishops spread out across the world to form a "universal" church, with the bishop

Following Nwoye’s departure from Okonkwo’s Mbanta compound to become a Christian, Okonkwo sits in his hut and ponders the state of himself and the state of his son, where he has a temporary reminiscence of an old powerful nickname. Achebe tells us,

Hello my Christian friends, welcome to my father Okonkwo funeral for the converts of the church. I will not stand here in front of you today in a Christian church and tell you of the man the ibo people of Umoufia saw. Yes, I will tell you that my father had a prosperous life, but I will mainly tell you of the man I saw who killed good people before killing himself. I was told to write about the great Okonkwo’s life, and I will tell you nothing but the truth through my eyes.

Starting with the first effect of imperialism, the introduction of Christianity in Umuofia, Okonkwo’s fatherland. Four years into Okonkwo’s exile, his good friend Obierika payed him a visit, informing Okonkwo of the arrival of missionaries in Umuofia. The Christian followers had to come to Umuofia to build a church and to convert locals into their anomalous religion. Most importantly, “what moved Obierika to visit Okonkwo was the sudden appearance of the latter’s son, Nwoye, among the missionaries in Umuofia.” (Achebe 143) The introduction of Christianity was one of the many effects set upon the African villages. Locals were becoming

    The Ibo culture in Things Fall Apart began to experience colonization, all after Okonkwo was exiled. He was sent away for seven years for killing a clansman. As soon as Okonkwo had left, Umuofia was greeted by Christian missionaries. They were there to convert the villagers to Christianity, to build churches, schools, and hospitals for them. When Okonkwo was exiled, Nwoye snuck off to be among the Christians. He enjoyed being around them and examined their religious views. But, Okonkwo was not happy about Nwoye’s decisions. Okonkwo chokes him by the neck, and demands Nwoye to tell him where he has been. “I don’t know, he is not my father.” (Achebe 137) Being almost killed by his own father really encouraged Nwoye to disassociate himself from his father completely and to head back home to Umuofia. Nwoye was drawn to Christianity because it made him feel welcomed, rather than when he was apart of his native religion.

-After Nwoye is lured into the Christian religion and abandons his culture and family, Okonkwo is ashamed and states, "you have all see the great abomination of your brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will hold his head up among my people" (172). Nwoye's father disowns him only because he chooses a path untraditional to his culture. The serious, frustrated, and unhappy mood that is created in Okonkwo's statement gives the reader an idea of how much the Ibo culture values tradition, choice, and family.

The Christian religion began around 2000 years ago in Judea, which is now Israel. Christianity began with Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples. Jesus traveled from village to village, teaching in the synagogues, and healing those who were sick and suffering. He challenged the authorities to

How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity By Thomas C. Oden Downers Grove, Ill: Intervarsity Press, 2008, 204 pp, $ 19.00 hardcover. Thomas Oden, an accomplished scholar in systematic and historical theology, and retired professor at Drew University, has offered a compelling and positively provocative work in How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind. A work of scholarly repentance, he ably repudiates the posture of western theologians and historians (i.e. Harnack, Bauer, Schleiermacher) toward Africa’s theological legacy (pp. 57-59). His present work is the fruit of thirty years of reading the early African fathers, and in the last fourteen, he has served as the general editor of the

Christianity started as a religion in first century AD and spread through Roman empires. It is said that the religion itself started in Palestine. The stories of Jesus and his disciples is depicted in a book called the Bible. The Christian religion gives us stories from the Bible, pertaining to how we ought to treat others and bases for how we should live our lives. All of these bases are given and as a reward of following those bases you are promised a place up in heaven. If you sin and don't expect your sins you go to

In 1710 a small group of people went to Francis le Jau and asked him to admit them to the Holy Communion. Most of Africans rejected Anglicanism and Christianity during the eighteenth century. Many “assume is one in which Africans collectively and individually struggled to preserve a religious identity grounded in indigenous beliefs”. (198) Olwell had visions in servile respects first was only a small number converted and accepted baptism but had to get permission from their masters. Second was when slaves adopted Anglicanism they became isolated from other people. Which he “implies that slaves were still more likely to reject then adopt Christianity.”(199) Many West Central Africans did not reject Christianity because of Kongo and the Kongolese

When Nwoye first heard the missionaries speak he thought that they were false, but by the end of their sermon he was amazed as it stated on page 147 “But there was a young lad who had been captivated. His name was Nwoye” (Achebe 147). It was not the bible or the one god that captivated Nwoye but it was the brothers who sat in darkness that gave him relief and comfort after Ikemefuna’s death. “The hymn about brothers who sat in darkness and fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question … and the question ok

One example of the impact of Christianity on traditional religions is the state of Nigeria. In the state of Nigeria, its native religion is Yoruba. Islam is also the second largest religion that came to Nigeria from the middle east by trading between merchants. With the emergence of Christianity, Yoruba and Islam felt threatened by the number of people who were either forces or convinced in converting to Christianity. Leaders of these two religions did not stand still toward the issue.They put in a lot of efforts in order to stop Christianity from spreading across the country. However, These efforts seemed to be futile against the cooperation between colonial governments and missionaries, who used their superiority in military power to keep the rebellious African chiefs in their place. Christianity seemed to be used as a tool for the colonial government to show off their superiority of their own religious point of view compared to the traditional religion of native people. Christianity was not used for the sake of spreading religion like its earlier purpose before the colonial

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.

Nigeria’s population is 40% Christian, but it was not always this way. After a little persuading by European missionaries and British imperialism, more began to believe in Christianity. Many say Nigeria is the creation of European imperialism. Europeans also brought Christianity to Nigeria with them. As a “British invasion” started up in Africa, Nigeria was revolutionized. European colonies began to scramble for Nigeria and take control. These colonies did succeed in bringing their religion with them. Many tribes struggles to let go of their ethnic religions, but soon began to accept Christianity and it expanded throughout Africa. It all began in the 1800s when Roman Catholic missionaries returned to Nigeria after coming

There are major biblical records that give account of several contract of inception of Christianity in Africa. The child Jesus was taken to Egypt for safety as recorded in Matthews’ gospel, Simon who was compelled to carry Jesus cross was from Cyrene (Libya), there where visitors from Egypt and Cyrene during the Pentecost and where responsible for the founding of the church in Antioch the Ethiopia Eunuch in Acts 8. According to Elizabeth Isichei, while every day in the west, roughly 7500 people in effect stop being Christians everyday in Africa roughly double that number become Christians. The expansion of Christianity in the twentieth century African has been so dramatic that it has been called the fourth great age of Christian expansion” right from the inception in Africa, Africans has played a vital role for the growth of Christianity. “Christianity in Africa is of global significance, and the direction it takes is of importance to Christians everywhere. In the past, foreign missionaries Christianized Africa. Today the Christians of Africa are invited to Africanize Christianity” . Thomas C. Oden noted,. “Western Christian dogma was formed with precision in Africa before it became ecumenically received world wide” .