Most African writers have been brought up as Christians. But some of them publicly rebelled against Christianity by dropping their Christian names: Chinua Achebe (formerly Albert C. Achebe), Kofi Awoonor of Ghana (formerly George Awoonor-Williams), Ama Ata Aidoo of Ghana (formerly Christiana Aidoo), Ngugi Wa Thiong'o of Kenya (formerly James Ngugi), and Okogbule Wonodi of Nigeria (formerly Glory Wonodi). The dropping of Christian names does not mean that their literatures discredit Christianity in favour of African traditional religions. This paper shows that against all expectations, most African writers who read Western Christian-oriented literature (Okere, 2009, p. 303) during their education, especially Chinua Achebe with Things fall apart, Kenjo Jumbam with The white man of God and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie with Purple hibiscus tried to coin their own styles, mixing orality and literacy when they started their literary career, presenting in this way inculturation as an innovation in literary style and a solution to religious conflict. This paper focuses on the three novels by the three African writers in a comparative approach around suggested aspects of inculturation and shows the evolution of inculturation of Christianity as a novelty throughout these literatures.

Achebe; Jumbam; Adichie; conflict; Christianity; African traditional religion; orality; inculturation