A review by missnicolerose
The Poor Christ of Bomba by Mongo Beti
4.0
A powerful portrayal of colonial influence in Cameroon and throughout Africa by Christian missionaries.
Told from the perspective of a young altar boy, Denis, who blindly follows the teachings of his white Catholic priest, the reader assumes it will be Denis facing an internal conflict and coming-of-age throughout the novel. However, it is more of a journey for Father Drumont as he begins questioning his teachings in Africa, and the very nature of colonization itself.
Father Drumont realizes that the Africans coming to his church and welcoming the teachings of God are only those who have been facing hardship, and as the hardships subside, so does their "faith" in his Christian ministry. The Father begins to stray from his previous hard-lined approach and realize that the people of Africa can successfully worship in their own way.
Told from the perspective of a young altar boy, Denis, who blindly follows the teachings of his white Catholic priest, the reader assumes it will be Denis facing an internal conflict and coming-of-age throughout the novel. However, it is more of a journey for Father Drumont as he begins questioning his teachings in Africa, and the very nature of colonization itself.
Father Drumont realizes that the Africans coming to his church and welcoming the teachings of God are only those who have been facing hardship, and as the hardships subside, so does their "faith" in his Christian ministry. The Father begins to stray from his previous hard-lined approach and realize that the people of Africa can successfully worship in their own way.