In the dawn of the new African Millennium, the Rastafari movement has achieved unheralded growth and visibility since its inception more than eighty years ago. Moving beyond a pure spiritual movement, its aesthetic component has influenced cultures of the Caribbean, the United States, and others across the globe. Locating the Rastafari movement at a literal and figurative crossroad, Barnett sets out to consider the possible paths the movement will chart.

Rastafari in the New Millennium covers a wide range of perspectives, focusing not only on the movement's nuanced and complex religious ideology but also on its political philosophy, cosmology, and unique epistemology. Barry Chevannes's essay addresses the concerns of death and repatriation, highlighting the transformative challenges these issues pose to Rastafari. Essays by Ian Boxill, Edward Te Kohu Douglas, Erin MacLeod, and Janet L. DeCosmo, among others, offer rich accounts of the globalisation of Rastafari from New Zealand to Ethiopia, from Brazil to Zimbabwe. Drawing on new research and global developments, the contributors, many of whom are leading scholars in the field, reinvigorate the critical dialogue on the current state and future direction of the Rastafari movement.

About the Author
Michael Barnett is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology, and Social Work at the University of West Indies at Mona. His articles have appeared in such publications as Caribbean Quarterly, the Journal of Caribbean Studies, and the Journal of Black Studies.


Book Information
ISBN 9780815632832
Author Michael Barnett
Format Hardback
Page Count 312
Imprint Syracuse University Press
Publisher Syracuse University Press
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 161mm * 28mm