Question

Referring closely to the events, answer the following:

How is the Church established and what is the role of the white men in establishing it?

Answer 1

In the context of Things Fall Apart, here is how the Church is established:

1. The Arrival of the Missionaries: The Church is established through the arrival of white missionaries in Umuofia and Mbanta. They do not use force initially; instead, they use persuasion and logic. They claim the Igbo gods are “gods of deceit” made of wood and stone, and they offer a new, singular deity.
2. The Role of the “White Men” (The Missionaries): The white men, led initially by Mr. Brown, play a strategic and administrative role:
   • Providing Education and Healthcare: Mr. Brown builds a school and a little hospital. He convinces the villagers that if their children do not learn to read and write, the future “white commissioners” will take over their land.
   • Targeting the Marginalized: The white men intentionally recruit the efulefu (worthless men) and the osu (outcasts). By giving these social pariahs a sense of dignity and equality, they create a loyal foundational membership for the Church.
   • Patience and Diplomacy: Unlike his successor (the uncompromising Mr. Smith), Mr. Brown takes time to learn about the Igbo religion to better dismantle it through debate.
3. The Use of Land (The Evil Forest): A turning point in establishing the Church occurs when the elders of Mbanta give the missionaries land in the “Evil Forest,” expecting them to die at the hands of the spirits. When the white men survive and thrive on this cursed land, many villagers see it as proof that the white man’s God is more powerful than their own ancestors.
4. The Shield of Government: The Church is not established in a vacuum. The white men bring a civil government (the District Commissioner and court messengers) to protect the converts. This ensures that any indigenous justice against the Church is met with colonial legal repercussions, effectively anchoring the Church into the soil of the clan.