Sacredness and Religious Fanaticism

Abstract The authors examine how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel Purple Hibiscus portrays the conflicts between Igbo indigenous culture, Roman Catholic missionary culture, and inculturated Catholicism, and how these conflicts lead to religious fanaticism. This article focuses on the characters’ interactions with their respective cultures and religions, and juxtaposes the extreme devotion of Eugene Achike’s abusive Catholicism with the flexible understanding of the oneness of God in Papa Nnukwu’s traditional religious practices. The authors underscore the value of cultural diversity and the importance of tolerance and understanding while cautioning against the dangers of strict adherence to religious dogma.