What Are the Differences between Ibo Religion and Christianity? After reading, Things Fall Apart, we
might ask what are the differences between the religions that the Ibo Clan practice, compared to a
highly practiced religion, Christianity. Some of the differences are how the Ibo religion practice p
olytheism, belief in more then one God, and the Christians practice monotheism, belief in only one G
od, the creator of Heaven and Earth, his name is God. Others are, how they believe in animated Gods,
which are alive and there Gods can be seen, and Christianity believes in inanimate gods, which thei
r God is eternal. There is a huge difference between the Ibo Clan religion and Christianity, it will
be shown. When Mr. Brown, the missionary, comes to the village of Umuofia to spread the word of God
to the Ibo Clan, he met Akunna. Mr. Brown and Akunna has a conversation about their differences in
religion, Akunna telling Mr. Brown that the Ibo Clan believes in one supreme God but had others tha
t they worship, the name of their God is Chucku, because "he made all the world and not other Gods."
Akunna also mentions to Mr. Brown that they also worship carved wood, "they tree from which it came
was made by Chukwu, as indeed other minor God were" Akunna tells Mr. Brown that the Ibo religion "m
ake sacrifices to the little gods, but when all else fails there is no one to turn to they go to Chu
ckw." (180) Another God, besides the carved wood, that the Ibo worship, is the Oracle of the Hills a
nd Caves. The Ibo believe that they must do whatever the Oracle of the Hills says, if the don't the
people of the village will be punished. An example of this is when the Oracle of the Hills pronounce
s that Ikemefuma, the boy living with Okonkwo, need to be killed. Since the Oracle of the Hills and
Caves says that it must be done, "the men of Umuofia took the boy outside the village and killed him
" (57). The Ibo religion is very different from Christianity. Since Christianity only believes in on
e God, they don't have all of these other Gods as the people of Umuofia believed in, such as the car
ved wood, and the Oracle of the Hills and Caves. Sometimes thinking that the Ibo religion would only
have one or two gods, but they didn't. Included with the other Gods that they worship, there was an
other which was the snake known as the sacred python. When the Christian missionaries come to the vi
llage, the son of the snake priest says that he "ate and killed the sacred python" (185). The son of
the snake priest was named Enoch, he did eat the sacred python, when he decided to convert to Chris
tianity. This is one huge difference between the Ibo Clan and Christianity, of how and what they wor
ship. However there are some differences between Ibo and Christianity is the belief in animate Gods,
and inanimate Gods. Christians have an inanimate God, which means that He cannot be seen, and Chris
tians also believe that God is eternal. Unlike Christianity, the Ibo believe in animated Gods, which
are alive and their Gods can be seen, such as the spirits. When the Ibo Clan would talk to their sp
irits, as when the egwugwu had emerged once again from their underground home, they saluted on anoth
er and then reappeared on the ilo (92). The Ibo Clan Gods' emerged from underground, and that they s
peak to them just as humans would. Comparing that to the Christians way, is different. Christians do
n't believe of having spirits rise from the dead, or from the underground to come and solve problems
. Christians just believe that God is number one, and that they pray to God for helping them solve p
roblems, but not face to face as the Ibo Clan claims to do with their Gods. Another contrast between
the two religions is the practice of polygamy compared to monogamy. Polygamy is what the Ibo Clan p
ractice, which is having many wives at one time. In Umuofia, the more wives a man had, the better, j
ust like Okonkwo, he had three wives, and "another man in the village was a wealthy man who had thre
e barns and nine wives with thirty children" (18). But this is all common practice for the men in Um
uofia to have more then one wife. Each wife and her children would live in different huts, and the m
an lives by himself in his obi. In contrast, Christians practice monogamy and that's being married
to one wife at a time, Christians believe that when a man and women become united in Christ, they be
come one. In conclusion, Things Fall Apart portrays, social, culture, and religious aspects of Afric
a. Christianity and Ibo are both types of religions, but they are practiced in very different ways.
A difference was the practice of polytheism, which would be the believe in more then one God and mon
otheism, belief in one God which is practiced by the Christians. The second difference was the Ibo w
orship animate Gods, unlike the Christians who worship inanimate God. In addition is that the Christ
ians practice monogamy, being married to only one wife, and the Ibo practice polygamy, more then one
wife. Here were two very different religions and practices but each had the choice of which one the
y wanted to follow, some stayed with the Ibo Clan religion, but others converted to Christianity, it
's their choice.
what differences between religion christianity after reading things fall apart mig
ht what differences between religions that clan practice compared highly practiced religion christia
nity some differences religion practice polytheism belief more then christians practice monotheism b
elief only creator heaven earth name others they believe animated gods which alive there gods seen c
hristianity believes inanimate gods which their eternal there huge difference between clan will show
n when brown missionary comes village umuofia spread word clan akunna brown akunna conversation abou
t their akunna telling brown that believes supreme others that they worship name their chucku becaus
e made world other also mentions they also worship carved wood tree from which came made chukwu inde
ed other minor were tells make sacrifices little when else fails there turn chuckw another besides c
arved wood worship oracle hills caves believe must whatever oracle hills says people village will pu
nished example this when oracle hills pronounces ikemefuma living with okonkwo need killed since cav
es says must done umuofia took outside village killed very different from since only believes have t
hese other people umuofia believed such carved wood caves sometimes thinking would only have didn in
cluded with another snake known sacred python christian missionaries come snake priest says killed s
acred python snake priest named enoch sacred python decided convert this huge difference what howeve
r some belief animate inanimate christians have inanimate means cannot seen christians also believe
eternal unlike animated alive seen such spirits would talk spirits egwugwu emerged once again from u
nderground home saluted another then reappeared emerged underground speak them just humans would com
paring different having spirits rise dead underground come solve problems just number pray helping t
hem solve problems face face claims with contrast religions polygamy compared monogamy polygamy havi
ng many wives time more wives better just like okonkwo three wives wealthy three barns nine thirty c
hildren this common more then wife each wife children live different huts lives himself contrast mon
ogamy being married wife time women become united christ become conclusion things fall apart portray
s social culture religious aspects africa both types religions practiced very ways difference polyth
eism monotheism practiced second animate unlike addition monogamy being married polygamy here were v
ery practices each choice wanted follow some stayed others converted choiceEssay, essays, termpaper,
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