Rastafari

Beliefs and Practices:

• Rastafari follows Rastalogy, which lacks a formal creed and emphasizes personal experience and intuitive understanding.
• Rastafari beliefs are fluid and open, with no central authority to declare orthodoxy, influenced by Judeo-Christian religion.
• Practices include using the Ethiopian Royal Standard flag, interpreting the Bible in a monotheistic context, and using cannabis sacramentally.
• Rastafari embraces mysticism for communion with divinity, believing in the immanence of God within each individual.
• Rastas worship a singular God called Jah, reject traditional depictions of Jesus, and view Haile Selassie as central to their faith.

Origins and Legacy:

• Rastafari emerged in 1930s Jamaica, influenced by Ethiopianism and the Back-to-Africa movement.
• Leonard Howell proclaimed Haile Selassie’s crowning as fulfilling a Biblical prophecy, leading to conflicts with Jamaican society.
• The movement gained respectability through reggae musicians like Bob Marley in the 1960s and 1970s.
• Haile Selassie’s overthrow and death in 1975 caused a crisis of faith among Rastas, with varying interpretations of his divinity.
• Rastafari began in Jamaica to reclaim African heritage, focusing on purging beliefs of black inferiority and endorsing Pan-Africanism.

Organizations and Global Spread:

• The Rastafari movement is decentralized, organized into denominations like Nyahbinghi, Bobo Ashanti, and Twelve Tribes of Israel.
• Estimates suggest 700,000 to one million Rastafari worldwide, with the largest population in Jamaica.
• Small Rastafari communities exist globally, primarily of black African descent, with some groups accepting only black members.
• Rastafari has no single leader, with doctrinal variations among practitioners.
• The movement has spread globally, influencing popular culture, music, art, fashion, and inspiring social movements for equality and justice.

Afrocentrism and Views on Race:

• Rastafari equates blackness with the African continent, endorsing Pan-Africanism and identifying with ancient Israelites.
• Some Rastas believe in black supremacy, while others reject racism within the movement.
• Rastas view the black African diaspora as exiles living in Babylon (Western society), seeking to delegitimize and destroy Babylon.
• Zion symbolizes an escape from Babylon, with historical emphasis on physical repatriation to Africa.
• Rastafari anticipates an apocalyptic end of the present age, believing in the Day of Judgment and a new age of peace and happiness in Africa.

Morality, Ethics, and Gender Roles:

• Rastas follow fundamental moral principles of love of God and neighbor, consulting Jah within themselves for guidance.
• They promote living naturally and in accordance with nature’s laws, criticizing modern capitalism and consumerism.
• Some Rastas engage in political activism for socio-political reform, while others await divine intervention for change.
• Rastafari promotes restoration of black manhood, with gender roles legitimized through Biblical citations.
• Rastas refer to their practices as livity, emphasizing equality without hierarchical structures and no professional priesthood.

Rastafari Data Sources