Rastafari Movement (mainstream)
Jamaican Afrocentric religious-political movement (1930s+) venerating Haile Selassie I as God incarnate. Distinctive dietary (Ital), dreadlocks, ritual cannabis use. Mostly low-control with strong cultural identity.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — Jamaican Afrocentric religious-political movement; mostly low-control with distinctive practices.
In context
Rastafari emerged in 1930s Jamaica venerating Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I as God incarnate (Jah Rastafari). Distinctive practices include Ital diet, dreadlocks, ritual cannabis (ganja) use, and rejection of 'Babylon' (Western political-economic system). Multiple internal Mansions (Bobo Shanti, Nyahbinghi, Twelve Tribes of Israel). Mostly low-control mainstream movement.
Key control doctrines
- Haile Selassie as God incarnate
- Ital diet
- Rejection of Babylon
Legal cases & controversies
- Historical Jamaican persecution
Timeline
- 1930Haile Selassie crowned; Rastafari emerges
- 1975Selassie dies
Sources
- Barry Chevannes, 'Rastafari: Roots and Ideology' (1994)
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Search the source title plus the group name to find the original.