The Rastafari Movement: A North American and Caribbean Perspective

The Rastafari Movement: A North American and Caribbean Perspective provides a historical and ideological overview of the Rastafari movement in the context of its early beginnings in the island of Jamaica and its eventual establishment in other geographic locations. Building on previous scholarship and the author’s own fieldwork, the text goes on to provide a rich comparative analysis of the Rastafari movement with other Black theological movements, specifically the Nation of Islam and the Black Hebrew Israelites in the context of the United States. The text explores the following topics:

- Pan-Africanism, Black nationalism and Rastafari;

- gender dynamics;

- globalization;

- concepts and symbols;

- other Black theological movements.

This text is ideal for students of religious studies, sociology, anthropology, African Diaspora studies, African American studies, and Black studies who wish to gain an understanding of the history and beliefs of the Rastafari Movement.

Michael Barnett is presently a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work, University of West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica.