Rastafarian | Religious Education

Rastafarianism

During the 18th century a religious force had developed in the USA which looked to the biblical references to Ethiopia as a means of challenging the myth that blacks were destined to be ‘beasts of burden’. These blacks were part of the Ethiopian movement. (Campbell, 1993, p. 47). This Ethiopian movement laid the ideological background for the development of Pan-Africanism, and in turn the New World religion known as Rastafarianism. Under the leadership of Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey (circa.1930’s), Afro-Caribbean people began taking pride in their ancestral culture, and to resist white colonial domination. Through the preach of a black liberation theology, many young unemployed blacks, yielded to the call. As such the movement took on a religious momentum of its own. By 1950 Rastafarianism, had developed into a spiritual doctrine, which perpetuated a political agenda of resistance!

Reference: http://www.capesociology.org/origins-of-caribbean-religions

Rastafari at a glance
Rastafari is a young, Africa-centred religion which developed in Jamaica in the 1930s, following the coronation of Haile Selassie I as King of Ethiopia in 1930.
Rastafarians believe Haile Selassie is God and that he will return to Africa members of the black community who are living in exile as the result of colonisation and the slave trade.
Rastafari theology developed from the ideas of Marcus Garvey, a political activist who wanted to improve the status of fellow blacks.
There are approximately one million world wide adherents of Rastafari as a faith. The 2001 census found 5,000 Rastafarians living in England and Wales.
Followers of Rastafari are known by a variety of names: Rastafarians, Rastas, Sufferers, Locksmen, Dreads or Dreadlocks.
It spread globally following the success of Bob Marley and his music in the 1970s
Rastafarians believe that blacks are the chosen people of God, but that through colonisation and the slave trade their role has been suppressed
The movement's greatest concerns are the repatriation of blacks to their homeland, Africa, and the reinstatement of blacks' position in society
It is an exocentric religion - as Haile Selassie, whom adherents consider as God, is outside the religion
Rastafari religious ceremonies consist of chanting, drumming and meditating in order to reach a state of heightened spirituality
Rastafarian religious practice includes the ritual inhalation of marijuana, to increase their spiritual awareness
Rastafarians follow strict dietary laws and abstain from alcohol.
Rastafarians follow a number of Old Testament Laws
There is a separate code of religious practice for women in Rastafari
Rastafarians believe reincarnation follows death and that life is eternal
Rastafarians are forbidden to cut their hair; instead, they grow it and twist it into dreadlocks
Rastafarians eat clean and natural produce, such as fruit and vegetables
Rastafarians try to refrain from the consumption of meat, especially pork
Rastafarians are opposed to abortion and contraception

Rastafarian colours

The Rastafarian colours are red, green and gold. Sometimes black is added. These colours are chosen because:
Red signifies the blood of those killed for the cause of the black community, throughout Jamaican history
Green represents Jamaica's vegetation and hope for the eradication of suppression
Gold symbolises the wealth of Ethiopia
Black signifies the colour of the Africans who initiated Rastafari

The Rastafarian symbol

The lion is the symbol of Rastafari.
This lion represents Haile Selassie I, who is referred to as the 'Conquering Lion of Judah'. Rastafarians' dreadlocks represent the lion's mane.

Rastafarianism in the Caribbean

Although the Caribbean has been, since the earliest days of European conquest, nominally Christian, the black power movements of the early 1900s helped launch a completely different kind of religion. Based on Christianity and the King James Bible, Rastafarian beliefs also include the worship of Ras (meaning Prince) Tafari of Ethiopia.

This movement began in Jamaica, though it has since spread throughout the Caribbean, in fact, practitioners can be found around the globe. It began in 1932 when Ras Tafari became Emperor of Ethiopia. Crowned Haile Selassie, the religious movement begun by Marcus Garvey still bears his princely name.
Selassie, however, was not just any man. He claimed lineage from biblical times, saying he was the descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. But Garvey's followers believed he was even more. Having proclaimed Garvey a prophet, his followers concluded that Selassie was the messiah that Garvey had foretold.

Although most beliefs are considered Christian, the Rastafarian movement associates Africa with heaven. Believers are said to return to Africa after their death, though the precise manner in which this occurs is not stated - some see it as a spiritual movement, while others feel it is almost like reincarnation. However, the Rastafarian movement also draws from Creolized Jamaican beliefs in Obeah and Myal, spiritual practices that associate the world of the living with the world of the dead.

Political Leanings

The Rastafarian movement in Jamaica, like most movements on the island, became linked with politics. Rastas would refuse to pay taxes to the British crown, claiming that the island was not British, but instead Ethiopian. These rebellious believers were sentenced to years of labor, or committed to asylums.

In 1958, one leader, Emmanuel Edwards, "took" Kingston, and followers waited with him for ships to appear to return them to Ethiopia. They were, inevitably, disappointed. However, some such disappointed Rastas began preparing for a guerrilla attack and planned to invite Cuba's Fidel Castro to take over the island.

However, "yard" Rastas were the more radical sect. They wore their hair in dreadlocks, and wore the colors of Rastafarianism: red for the blood to be shed for their redemption and freedom, green for the vegetation of the motherland, black for their race, and gold. They also smoked "ganja" (marijuana), also called "wisdom weed" as part of their religious practice. I-talk, a particular manner of speech common to Rastafarians, and the association with Reggae music also came during this time.
Acts of Faith
The King James Bible is read with the Kebra Nagast (Glory of the Kings) of Ethiopia in the forefront of one's mind. It focuses on the child born of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, who is said to have founded the Ethiopian dynasty. However, in more recent years the Holy Piby, a newer version of the Bible compiled by Anguillan Robert Rogers is their main text.
This newer Bible inspired "reasonings," informal gatherings where Rastas (usually men) gather to smoke marijuana and have discussions about the meanings of the text and how they relate to their religion and life. There is no distinct dogma because of this, and one's own interpretations play a large role in the life of a Rastafarian.
Cultural Expressions
Jamaica's Maroon communities, with distinctively African-influenced social structures, played an important role in designing Rastafarian Houses. Communal meetings, called Nyabinghi or Binghi, are an integral part of the culture. During these meetings, there is often ritual smoking of marijuana, drum music, and "reasoning."

Nyabinghi was originally the name for a cultural movement calling for the death of black and white oppressors. This was important because it recognized the role of blacks in the oppression of other blacks. Such community meetings now are held on important occasions, including the life and death of Selassie and Garvey. Vestiges of Creole Obeah ceremonies are still present in these meetings, while the belief in magic certainly wavers.

Drums also play an important role in Rastafarian ceremonies. The bass drum is struck on the first and third of four beats, but muffled on the third; funde drum plays a steady beat in one-two format; and the akete or kete is improvised. The bass is played with a covered stick, but the funde and akete are played with bare hands. These are adapted Zion Revivalist drums, which were modified from Myal practices. Buru and Kumina drumming traditions are also modified.

Although age, income, and other social factors have no bearing on the hierarchy in Rastafarianism, women hold a distinctly lower place in the community. Women are not prohibited from taking part in Rastafarian rituals, but their role is one of submission, particularly outside the home.

Women are considered to be inferior beings and receive full divine knowledge through their husband, or king-man. Conservative Jewish practices are similar to the codes under which Rastafarian women must live: ankle-length dresses must be worn in public, dreadlocks must be covered during ritual events, and they are not allowed to cook while menstruating. The women may also be placed in seclusion in certain circumstances. Since the 1980s, a movement for more women's rights has been taking hold, though this has not increased their religious role.

Controversial Culture

Dreadlocks are the subject of much curiosity but simply began based on their shock value. Dreadlocks were seen as emblematic of Rastafarian beliefs, and the style follows biblical admonitions against cutting hair or becoming bald. Therefore, it is also an easy way to tell how long a Rasta has followed in the tradition.

Marijuana, called ganja, is considered to be the Bible's "holy herb" and is taken as sacrament by many Rastas. This is against many laws, even in Jamaica, but the practice is said to be the key to understanding the universe and God. It was brought to Jamaica by indentured servants from the East Indies.

Though these cultural standards are agreed to by many Rastafarians, it should be noted that not every Rasta will have dreadlocks, while some do not follow Ital eating, and others do not smoke marijuana. Much like the belief system, the decision to incorporate these items into a lifestyle varies by individual.

Refereneces:

http://caribya.com/caribbean/religion/rastafarian/

The Spiritual Baptists believe that their religion comes from John the Baptist and their name from the practice of immersing their practitioners in water as a means of baptizing them into the faith (Henry 36-39). Rituals are characterized by bell ringing, mourning, shouting and visits from the Holy Spirit.