What is Rastafarianism?

Rastafari, also known as Rastafarianism, is an Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. Scholars of religion and related fields have classified it as both a new religious movement and a social movement.

What is Jah in Rastafari?

The term “Jah” is a shortened version of “Jehovah”, the name of God in English translations of the Old Testament. As well as regarding Jah as a deity, Rastas also believe that Jah is inherent within each human individual. This belief is reflected in the aphorism, often cited by Rastas, that “God is man and man is God”.

Do Rastas believe in Jah as a deity?

As well as regarding Jah as a deity, Rastas also believe that Jah is inherent within each human individual. This belief is reflected in the aphorism, often cited by Rastas, that “God is man and man is God”.

Was Jesus a Rastafarian?

Jesus of Nazareth is an important figure in Rastafari. However, practitioners reject the traditional Christian view of Jesus, particularly the depiction of him as a white European, believing that this is a perversion of the truth. They believe that Jesus was a black African and that he was a Rasta.

What is the Rastafari symbol?

It combines the conquering lion of Judah, symbol of the Ethiopian monarchy, with green, gold, and red. Rastafari, also known as the Rastafari movement or Rastafarianism, is a 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.

What is the creed of Rastafari?

There is no formal Rastafari creed and there are slight differences in the views of different groups. The most definitive list is found in the 1977 book The Rastafarians, The Dreadlocks of Jamaica by scholar Leonard Barrett who lists what he regards as the six basic principles of Rastafari.

What is the first Rastafarian book?

Rastafari Women: Subordination in the Midst of Liberation Theology. Durham: Carolina Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-89089-836-9. Lee, Hélène (2004). First Rasta: Leonard Howell and the Rise of Rastafarianism. Chicago: Chicago Review Press.