Nature in the Rastafarian Consciousness Essay -- essays papers

Nature in the Rastafarian Consciousness Living in harmony with the environment and the laws of Nature is one of the central ideas of Rastafarianism. To live in accordance with the Earth is to live in accordance with Jah it is incorporated into the worship that is Rastafarian consciousness. The Rastas reverence for nature is influenced by the customal Afri shadow religions which be still practiced in Jamaica and which have also influenced Christianity on the island tremendously. Hinduism, too, has influenced firearmy another(prenominal) Rastafarian beliefs and practices. Through the Rastafarians calculated rejection of wolframern cultural norms they have sum to realize capitalism and the environmental destruction it has caused as Babylon, a turn up of destruction and greed. In order to escape thisBabylon systema life style has been employed that is focused on a correlation between man and nature. This lifestyle is an environmentally sound ideal that others around the gentlema ns gentleman be only now beginning to strive for.The African TraditionIn order to understand the Rastafarian idealism relating to the environment we must graduation exercise consider the traditions from which it came. In Jamaica, the survival of the African religious tradition can be felt throughout the island. Most clearly this religious tradition is demonstrated by Kumina groups. Kumina is generally accepted as being West African in origin brought here by the Ashanti. These people higher up all others were taken for the slave trade because the British regarded them as an oddly sturdy and good for labor (Barrett 16,1997.) The Ashanti came to dominate slave, and later, peasant society, especially within the realm of religion. The practice eventually spread throughout the slave creation (Barrett 17,19... ...go Press 1986)5) Jacobs, Virginia Lee Roots of Rastafari (San Diego, Slawson Communications, Inc 1985)6) Johnson-Hill, Jack A. I-Sight, The World of Rastafari An Interpreti ve sociological Account of Rastafarian Ethics (Metuchen N.J., The American Theological Library Ass. And nominal head Press, Ink. 1995)7) Morrish, Ivan Jamaica and its Religions (Cambridge, James Clarke and Co. 1982)8) Reddington, Norman Rastafari History, http//lamar.colostate.edu/laingg/rasta.html May 19959) Turner, Terisa Arise Ye Mighty People Gender, Class, and lam in Popular Struggles,The New Society(Trenton, Africa World Press, 1994)10) Witvliet, Theo A ass in the Sun An Introductio to Liberation Theology in the Third World (SCM Press Ltd. 1985)11) Youd, Ital Itations of Jamaica and I Rastafari... the First Itation (Miami, Judah Anbesa Ihntahnahshinch 1987)