From its obscure beginnings in Jamaica in the early 1930s, Rastafari has
grown into an international socio-religious movement. It is estimated
that 700,000 to 1 million people worldwide have embraced Rastafari, and
adherents of the movement can be found in most of the major population
centers and many outposts of the world. Most believers worship Haile
Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia (ruled 1930-1974), as God incarnate.
They often embrace the spiritual use of cannabis and reject western
society, called Babylon. Believers proclaim Africa (also "Zion") as the
original birthplace of mankind, and the call to repatriation to Africa
is a key tenet. Rastafari: A Very Short Introduction provides an
account of this widespread but often poorly understood movement. Ennis
B. Edmonds looks at the essential history of Rastafari, including its
principles and practices and its internal character and configuration.
He examines its global spread, its far-reaching influence on cultural
and artistic
production in the Caribbean and beyond, and its handling of gender
issues.