Things Fall Apart: Christianity vs. Animism
Christianity vs. Animism
A major aspect of one’s society is religion. Without it, the way people hold themselves accountable would be nonexistent. In addition, many moral standards that exist today are values taken directly from religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Currently, there exists a feud between people who believe in a god, and of those who do not. Eventually those who believe in a higher power will fight against each other. In “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe brings to light the differences and similarities of Christianity and Animism in order to demonstrate the effects of religion upon one’s society, which is exemplified by Okonkwo and his people. This is noticed in the lives of the Ibo, the missionaries, and Okonkwo himself.
The differences and similarities between Animism and Christianity do not become evident until the arrival of the white men and the missionaries. Due to the differences, the Ibo and the missionaries eventually go from living together peacefully, to being on the brink of war with one another. One such difference is seen in Mr. Smith’s actions towards church members and the members of the clan:
Our Lord used the whip only once in His life –to drive the crowd away from His church. Within a few weeks of his arrival in Umuofia Mr. Smith suspended a young woman from the church for pouring new wine into old bottles. (184 – 185) In doing this, Mr. Smith showed the Ibo people that Christianity is a religion that is exclusive, and is only for an elite few. On the contrary, Animism is customary to the Ibo and is to be followed by all members of the clan. As a result, many of these half-heartedly committed members are held unaccountable for their actions and rely on precedents set by their ancestors and elders, unlike Christians whose laws are explained in the bible. Mr. Smith’s successor, Mr. Brown, also demonstrated a difference in that the God of Christians is to be proclaimed as a loving god who is to be feared only when
A major aspect of one’s society is religion. Without it, the way people hold themselves accountable would be nonexistent. In addition, many moral standards that exist today are values taken directly from religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Currently, there exists a feud between people who believe in a god, and of those who do not. Eventually those who believe in a higher power will fight against each other. In “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe brings to light the differences and similarities of Christianity and Animism in order to demonstrate the effects of religion upon one’s society, which is exemplified by Okonkwo and his people. This is noticed in the lives of the Ibo, the missionaries, and Okonkwo himself.
The differences and similarities between Animism and Christianity do not become evident until the arrival of the white men and the missionaries. Due to the differences, the Ibo and the missionaries eventually go from living together peacefully, to being on the brink of war with one another. One such difference is seen in Mr. Smith’s actions towards church members and the members of the clan:
Our Lord used the whip only once in His life –to drive the crowd away from His church. Within a few weeks of his arrival in Umuofia Mr. Smith suspended a young woman from the church for pouring new wine into old bottles. (184 – 185) In doing this, Mr. Smith showed the Ibo people that Christianity is a religion that is exclusive, and is only for an elite few. On the contrary, Animism is customary to the Ibo and is to be followed by all members of the clan. As a result, many of these half-heartedly committed members are held unaccountable for their actions and rely on precedents set by their ancestors and elders, unlike Christians whose laws are explained in the bible. Mr. Smith’s successor, Mr. Brown, also demonstrated a difference in that the God of Christians is to be proclaimed as a loving god who is to be feared only when