ABSTRACT
This chapter sheds light on the initial objectives and expectations of different missionary groups, namely, those of the British Protestant missionaries and the French Catholic missionaries. It draws attention to the factors such as technological, industrial (thus economic) and scientific developments in Europe and the weaknesses of the African native cultures that facilitated the progress of the early missionaries deep into Africa. The main argument of this chapter is that Christian missionaries have had an important role in the expansion of Western modernity in Africa, which in turn, produced African natives as embodied in the select novels by Achebe and Beti, who adopted Christianity along with commerce. Finally, it is demonstrated the critical position of both authors towards missionary activities and projects.
