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 genius 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 morality that is Rastafarian consciousness. The Rastas reverence for nature is influenced by the traditionalistic African religions which are still practiced in Jamaica and which squander also influenced Christianity on the island tremendously. Hinduism, too, has influenced many Rastafarian beliefs and practices. Through the Rastafarians calculated rejection of Western cultural norms they have come to realize capitalism and the environmental destruction it has caused as Babylon, a place of destruction and greed. In order to escape thisBabylon systema modus vivendi has been employed that is focused on a correlation between man and nature. This lifestyle is an environmentally sound ideal that others around the World are hardly now begi nning to strive for.The African TraditionIn order to understand the Rastafarian idealism relating to the environment we must first 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 slackly accepted as being West African in origin brought here by the Ashanti. These people above all others were taken for the slave raft because the British regarded them as an especially 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 World (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 Interpretive Sociological Account of Rastafarian Ethics (Metuc hen N.J., The American Theological depository library Ass. And Scarecrow 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 Race in Popular Struggles,The New Society(Trenton, Africa World Press, 1994)10) Witvliet, Theo A slur 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)