Rastafari is an Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of the movement and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as Rastafari, Rastafarians, or Rastas.
Rastafari beliefs are based on an interpretation of the Christian Bible. Central to the religion is a monotheistic belief in a single God, referred to as Jah, who partially resides within each individual. Rastas accord key importance to Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia between 1930 and 1974. Many see him as the Second Coming of Jesus and Jah incarnate; others deem him a human prophet. Rastafari is Afrocentric and focuses attention on the African diaspora, which it believes is oppressed within "Babylon", meaning Western capitalist society. Many Rastas call for this diaspora's resettlement in Africa, a continent they consider "Zion", the Promised Land. Rastas refer to their practices as "livity", which includes adhering to Ital dietary requirements, wearing their hair in dreadlocks, and following patriarchal gender roles. Communal meetings are known as "groundations", and are typified by music, chanting, discussions, and the smoking of cannabis, the latter regarded as a sacrament with beneficial properties.
Rastafari originated among impoverished and socially disenfranchised Afro-Jamaican communities in 1930s Jamaica. A reaction against Jamaica's then-dominant British colonial culture, it was influenced by both Ethiopianism and the Back-to-Africa movement promoted by black nationalist figures such as Marcus Garvey. The religion developed after several Protestant Christian clergymen, most notably Leonard Howell, proclaimed that Haile Selassie's 1930 crowning as Emperor of Ethiopia fulfilled a biblical prophecy. By the 1950s, Rastafari's countercultural stance had brought the movement into conflict with wider Jamaican society, including violent clashes with law enforcement. Early Rastafari often espoused black supremacy as a form of opposition to white supremacy, but this has gradually become less common since the 1970s. In the 1960s and 1970s, it gained increased respectability within Jamaica and greater visibility abroad through the popularity of Rastafari-inspired reggae musicians, most notably Bob Marley. Enthusiasm for Rastafari declined in the 1980s following the deaths of Selassie and Marley, but the movement has survived and maintains a presence in many parts of the world.
The Rastafari movement is decentralised and organised on a largely sectarian basis. There are several denominations, or "Mansions of Rastafari", the most prominent of which are the Nyabinghi, Bobo Ashanti, and the Twelve Tribes of Israel, each offering a different interpretation of Rastafari belief. There is an estimated 700,000 to 1 million Rastafari worldwide. The largest population is in Jamaica, although small communities can be found in most of the world's major population centres. Most Rastafari are of African descent, and some groups accept only black members, but non-black groups have also emerged.
Definition
Rastafari is a religion, meeting many of the proposed definitions for what constitutes a religion, and is legally recognised as such in various countries. Some scholars of religion have labelled it an Abrahamic religion, while other scholars have also classified it as a new religious movement, a sect, a cult, and a revitalisation movement. Having arisen in Jamaica, it has been described as an Afro-Jamaican religion, and more broadly an Afro-Caribbean religion.
Although Rastafari emphasises Africa as a source of identity, it is a product of creolisation processes in the Americas, described by the Hispanic studies scholars Margarite Fernández Olmos and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert as "a Creole religion, rooted in African, European, and Indian practices and beliefs". The scholar Ennis B. Edmonds also suggested that Rastafari was "emerging" as a world religion, not because of the number of its adherents, but because of its global spread. Many Rastas nevertheless reject descriptions of Rastafari as a religion, instead referring to it as a "way of life", a "philosophy", or a "spirituality".
Given its political support of African nationalism and pan-Africanism, some academics have characterised Rastafari as a political movement, a "politico-religious" movement, or a protest movement. It has alternatively been labelled a social movement, or more specifically as a new social movement, and a cultural movement. Many Rastas or Rastafarians—as practitioners are known—nevertheless dislike the labelling of Rastafari as a "movement". In 1989, a British Industrial Tribunal concluded that, for the purposes of the Race Relations Act 1976, Rastafarians could be considered an ethnic group because they have a long, shared heritage which distinguished them from other groups, their own cultural traditions, a common language, and a common religion.
Rastafari has continuously changed and developed. It is not a unified movement, and there has never been a single leader followed by all Rastafari. Different Rasta groups exist, each promoting different variations on its basic teachings. It is thus difficult to make broad generalisations about the movement without obscuring the complexities within it. The scholar of religion Darren J. N. Middleton suggested that it was appropriate to speak of "a plethora of Rasta spiritualities" rather than a single phenomenon.
The term "Rastafari" derives from "Ras Tafari Makonnen", the pre-regnal title of Haile Selassie, the former Ethiopian emperor who occupies a central role in Rasta belief. The term "Ras" is a title of nobility equivalent to a duke or prince in the Ethiopian Semitic languages; "Tafari Makonnen" was Selassie's personal name. It is unknown why the early Rastas adopted this form of Haile Selassie's name as the basis of the term for their religion. As well as being the religion's name, "Rastafari" is also used for the religion's practitioners themselves.
Many commentators—including some academic sources and some practitioners—refer to the movement as "Rastafarianism". However, the term is disparaged by many Rastafari, who believe that the use of -ism implies religious doctrine and institutional organisation, things they wish to avoid.
Beliefs
Rastafari outlines a fairly cohesive worldview, with Rastas often calling these beliefs "Rastalogy". Attempts to summarise Rastafari teaching have never been accorded the status of a catechism or creed. Instead, Rasta beliefs are open to interpretation, with Rastas emphasising the idea that personal experience and intuitive understanding should be used to determine the truth or validity of a belief or practice. No Rasta, therefore, has the authority to declare which beliefs and practices are orthodox and which are heterodox. The conviction that Rastafari has no dogma "is so strong that it has itself become something of a dogma", according Peter B. Clarke, a scholar of the sociology of religion.
The scholar Michael Barnett called Rastafari "an Afrocentralized blend of Christianity and Judaism", with the religion being deeply influenced by Christian and Jewish thought. Some Rastas consider themselves Christian. Like Christianity, Rastafari treats the Bible as a holy book which is central to its belief system. Rastas often adopt a literalist interpretation of its contents, utilising it as a source book from which to form their own beliefs and practices. Contrary to scholarly understandings of the Bible's history, Rastas commonly believe the Bible was originally written on stone in the Ethiopian language of Amharic, maintaining that it is an authentic account of African history that explains the Africans' place as God's favoured people. They believe the Bible to be key to understanding both the past and the present and for predicting the future; the Bible's final book, the Book of Revelation, is often seen as being particularly important for understanding the world's present situation.
Rastas believe that the Bible's true meaning has been warped through mistranslation and by deliberate manipulation by those seeking to deny black Africans their history. They also regard the Bible as cryptographic, meaning that it has many hidden meanings. They believe that its true teachings can be revealed through intuition and meditation on the "book within" which allows them to commune with God. Because of what they regard as the corruption of the Bible, Rastas also turn to other sources that they believe shed light on African history, including Leonard Howell's 1935 work The Promised Key, Robert Athlyi Rogers' 1924 book Holy Piby, and Fitz Balintine Pettersburg's 1920s work, the Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy. Many Rastas also treat the Kebra Nagast, a 14th-century Ethiopian text, as a source through which to interpret the Bible.
Jah and Jesus Christ
Rastas are monotheists, worshipping a singular God whom they call Jah. The term "Jah" is a shortened version of "Jehovah", the name of God in English translations of the Old Testament. Rastas believe in the immanence of Jah, meaning that he is inherent within each individual. This is reflected in the common Rasta aphorism that "God is man and man is God", and Rastas speak of "knowing" Jah, rather than "believing" in him. This idea of divinity existing within each person differs from the spirit possession found in other African diaspora religions such as Kumina.
Jesus is an important figure in Rastafari. However, practitioners reject the traditional Christian view of Jesus and the common depiction of him as a white European. They believe Jesus was a black African, with white Jesus being a false god. Some Rastas believe that the God of white Christians is actually the Devil, and a recurring claim among Rastas is that the Pope is Satan or the Antichrist. Rastas often regard Christianity as the creation of the white man, a religion that has helped oppress the African diaspora, trapping them in a form of "mental enslavement". Many Rastas believe that the oppressors (white Europeans) and the oppressed (black Africans) cannot share the same God.
Haile Selassie
Rastafari is intrinsically linked with Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He is the central figure in Rastafari ideology, and all Rastas hold him in esteem, although precise interpretations of his identity differ.
Many Rastas believe that Haile Selassie was the Second Coming of Jesus, legitimising this by reference to their interpretation of the nineteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation. In viewing Haile Selassie as Jesus, these Rastas regard him as the messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, the manifestation of God in human form, and "the living God". Some perceive him as part of the Trinity, alongside God as Creator and the Holy Spirit, the latter called "the Breath within the temple". Rastas viewing Haile Selassie as Jesus argue that both descended from the royal line of the Biblical king David, further highlighting that Haile Selassie's Makonnen dynasty claimed descent from the Biblical figures Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
Other Rastas do not believe Selassie was Jesus, but think that he embodied Jesus' teachings and essence. For them, Selassie is a messenger of God rather than a manifestation of God himself. Members of the Twelve Tribes of Israel denomination, for instance, reject the idea that Selassie was the Second Coming, arguing that this event has yet to occur. Rastas holding to this view sometimes regard the deification of Haile Selassie as ignorant, in some cases thinking it as dangerous to worship a human being as God. Certain Rastas went from believing that Haile Selassie was Jesus and thus God incarnate to seeing him as a distinct entity.