Describe the differences between Christianity and the religion of the Igbo community in Things Fall Apart.

Well, given the massive differences between the Christian
religion and the tribal religion, it is clear that the arrival of Christianity would
greatly impact traditional religious norms. In Chapter 16 we are given a very clear
explanation of the differences between the two different religions. As the missionary
talks to the tribe through an interpreter, he answers their questions about his faith.
Two questions in particular come up that show the differences, firstly focussing on the
monotheistic (having only one god) element of
Christianity:

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At this point an old man said he had a question.
"Which is this god of yours," he asked, "the goddess of the earth, the god of the sky,
Amadiora of the thunderbolt or
what?"

The missionary
responds that the plethora of gods the tribe has are not gods at all, and there is only
one true God: the God of Christianity. The next question deals with the worship of
ancestors, as another member of the tribe asks how they will be protected from the wrath
of these neglected deities and the ancestors if they worship this new god. Note how the
missionary responds:

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"Your gods are not alive and cannot do you any
harm," replied the white man. "They are pieces of wood and
stone."

This is greeted by
hilarious laughter by the tribe, as to them their gods are definitely not harmless.
However, these two central issues become incredibly important when we think about the
impact of Christianity upon tribal religion, as we can see the massive gulf in
understanding that exists between the two groups. The missionaries, by trying to impose
Christianity, set themselves up against beliefs that go to the very core of the tribal
religion and therefore create massive conflict.