Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe - Essay Example

Things fall apart How was Ibo traditional religion the same or different from the new Christian religion being brought in by missionaries? Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe provides an insight into how religion played a significant part in the lives of people in Nigeria. He explains how missionaries influenced Ibo’s religion by bringing in a new religion – Christianity. The influence of missionaries on the religion of Ibo during the pre-colonial period was seen to invoke a sharp resistance from the Ibo people. The Ibos were already rich with religion and traditions before the coming of the missionaries. Therefore, two religions contrasted each other when the missionaries went to spread the word of God to the Ibo community. The differences and similarities between the two religions of Ibo and Christianity are seen through the conversation between Mr. Brown, the missionary and Akunna, one of the Ibo’s religious elders. When Mr. Brown entered the village of Umuofia to spread the word of God, he met with Akunna.1 They then engaged in a conversation that demonstrates the differences that exist between the religion of Ibo clan and Christianity that was professed by the missionaries like Mr. Brown. One of the key differences between the two religions is that Ibo clan’s religion practiced polytheism while Christianity practiced monotheism. The main similarity is that both religions believed in a supernatural being. The traditional religion of the Ibo and the Christian religion brought by missionaries were different in some ways and similar in other ways. Both religions believe in a supernatural being. They both believe in their supernatural beings and respect them. They believe that the supernatural being could help them in their troubles and give them good things. In fact, the defenders of Ibo religion believed that their god was almighty, just as Christians viewed their God. Therefore, the two religions shared one similarity – that there is a supernatural being who protects them; one who needs to be respected by human beings. The differences of the two religions are many, especially in terms of how the two religions carry out their religious practices. First, Christians referred their supernatural beings as God, while the Ibo religion believed in an all-mighty God referred to as Chukwu.2 Ibo practiced polytheism – the belief in more than one deity, while Christian missionaries believed in monotheism – believe in one deity. In other words, polytheism of the Ibo involves the belief in more than one God while the monotheism of the missionaries (Christians) involves the belief in one God. The one God of the Christian missionaries was God, the creator of the universe. The second difference between Ibo’s religion and Christianity is that the Ibos believed in animated Gods while Christians believed in inanimate gods. Christians believed that their God is eternal. Ibo’s gods were alive and could be seen. The differences between the two religions were evident in the conversation between the Christian missionary Mr. Brown and the Ibo religious practitioner Akunna.3 While the conversation was going on, Mr. Brown noted and condemned a wooden-carved idol hanging on the wall. This shows that the Ibo also practiced idolatry. In this case, they represented their gods in terms of idols. This is strongly opposed by Christianity. The Christian missionaries did not believe in idolatry; they considered it a sin to represent God in different forms because God is not like any other idol. Akunna explained that Ibo used idols to represent their gods because they do not wish to disturb Chukwu. According to the Ibos, Chukwu commanded respect and greatness, so they were not required to disturb him.4 Instead, they should approach him through subordinate gods just the same way that a person approaches a powerful master through his servants. Another difference between Ibo religion and Christian religion of the missionaries is that the religious perspective of the Ibo is applied everywhere, every time, and in all occasions. This is referred by westerners as a barbaric and uncivilized way of living. In the religion, a mask is used to draw the spirits of the gods into a person’s body. It is a great mistake, an equivalent of sin in Christianity, for an Ibo to unmask because it was like showing disrespect to the immortality of egwugwu, an ancestral spirit.5 On the other hand, the religion of Christian missionaries did not practice such rituals or ceremonies which seem like idolatry. Instead, they showed respect for their God by doing his will, e.g. by helping people, praying and singing for him. The Ibo clan believes that their supreme god, Chucku made the world. However, other gods did not make the world. They also worship carved woods. Akunna suggests that the worship of carved woods was necessary because the wood came from trees made by Chukwu. Furthermore, the supreme God of the Ibo also made other minor gods. On the other hand, God of the Christian missionaries created the universe, but he did not create other gods; neither does he approve the worship of other gods. Apart from the carved gods, Ibos also worshipped the Oracle of the hills and the cave. The Ibos believed that they ought to do everything that the Oracle of the hills and the caves says. If people in the clan failed to do what the Oracle says, they would be punished. For example, when a woman from the clan was killed people of the clan decided that they could negotiate with the Mbaino clan and if they didn’t agree they would consult the oracle of the hills to know if it is just for them to go into war with Mbaino. In the religion of the Ibos, human sacrifices were also common. For example, when a woman from umuofia was killed by people from the clan of Mbaino, human sacrifice was given. Ikemefuna was given by Mbaino clan to Umuofia as human sacrifice in order to settle the differences between the two clans. In Christianity, the only sacrifice was the sacrifice of people’s resources such as harvests, money and wealth in form of tithes and offerings. Human sacrifice was not acceptable in the Christian religion. In fact, it was considered as a sin because it involved murder. Bibliography Achebe, Chinua. 1994. Things fall apart. New York: Anchor Books. Read More