Beyond the Gods
A white missionary, Father Jones, in his priestly journey from the neighbouring Ụkwa village, advances his cause further, into Amaokwe, a land comfortable in the traditional ways of worship. Jones and one of his earliest converts, Brother Peter, take their audacious Christian teachings to the unbelieving villagers, declaring that only those who embrace the new faith and renounce the old ways would be saved. Their evangelistic efforts meet stiff opposition from staunch adherents of the traditional religion.
The ensuing religio-cultural impasse throws the people of Amaokwe into a dilemma: to continue with the worship of their ancestors and the gods or to serve the Christian god?
Ụwakwe, like a few others in Amaokwe, becomes a nominal Christian. He suddenly grows circumspect of the new faith and lives, afterwards, in godlessness to the strong disapproval of his unbelieving friend, Ibeku, and to the disgust of his Christian wife, Ugomma.
Undeterred by the hate for him and the bickering between his converts and the rest of the villagers, Jones plants a new mission in Amaokwe and his activities gather momentum to the chagrin of the unbelieving townsfolk.
As the conundrum persists, a plague befalls Amaokwe. The powers of the gods are impatiently tested as the roles and influence of divinity in the affairs of the village are impetuously questioned. During the plague, the land of Amaokwe witnesses a time when pagans and Christians speak with one voice and look up to one of their own as their saviour.
Chinwendu_Chukwu_7123 · History
