CHINUA ACHEBE’S ARROW OF GOD

This study examines the exercise and consequences of religious power in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God, with particular focus on the character of Ezeulu, the chief priest of Ulu. It explores how Achebe uses Ezeulu’s leadership crisis to critique the dangers of absolute spiritual authority and its effects on communal stability within a traditional Igbo society undergoing colonial disruption. The research employs qualitative textual analysis, guided by Postcolonial Theory and Michel Foucault’s Power Theory, to interrogate how religious leadership intersects with issues of pride, resistance, and social change. Findings reveal that Achebe presents Ezeulu as a tragic figure whose rigid adherence to divine instruction and unwillingness to adapt to colonial and communal pressures ultimately lead to his downfall and the disintegration of traditional religious order. The study also demonstrates that colonial interference and the rise of Christianity exacerbate the collapse of indigenous authority, signalling the broader cultural shifts from traditionalism to modernity. By highlighting the intersection between religion, power, and politics, the research concludes that Achebe’s Arrow of God is a profound commentary on leadership, spiritual absolutism, and the fragility of traditional institutions when confronted by internal rigidity and external domination.