IGBO PRE-COLONIAL CULTURE AND THE CONFLICT WITH CHRISTIANITY.

ABSTRACT

This research examines the conflict between Christianity and the Igbo people on Widowhood Rites and the Osu Caste System. It examines the practices, its impacts and effects on the victims, all the traditional practices carried out, it processes and rules that follows the practices. It also examines the advent of Christianity in Igbo land. In addition to this, sources of different scholars and historians have been put together in this research work to help give the analysis and explanation of widowhood practices and the Osu caste system in general. In the light of customary law, Christianity brought about great changes in the regular traditional practices of the people of the Igbo communities. The changes which occurred among the people of Igbo at large is the evidence that the coming of Christianity had a tremendous and an unquantifiable influence and impact on the traditional practices in Nigeria. However, they are observable tensions and conflicts between the Christianity and the tradition of the Igbo people. The cause of the conflict stemmed from the fact that Christian religion with it cultures condemned most traditional art of the people. The traditional belief of the people which emanates their entire life was seen as evil and thus, any traditional practices by the people became a threat to the propaganda of the Christian 77 Faith. The traditionalist on the other hand see Christianity as disintegrating Force which would cut the wire that bind and identifies the people together.