This history of the theology and rituals of Rastafarianism features the reggae rhythms of Bob Marley and the teachings and philosophy of Marcus Garvey, the black nationalist who motivated many of his fellow Jamaicans to embrace their African ancestral roots. Marley is the best known and most articulate exponent of the themes of race consciousness that provide the core of Rasta hermeneutics. Noel Leo Erskine - a trained theologian who was raised in the Jamaican village in which the Rastafarian faith originated - isolates and defines the main tenets of Rastafarianism, which emerged toward the end of the 20th century as a way of life and as a new international religion. He includes biographical descriptions of the key players in the development of Rastafari theology, provides details of its organization and ethos, and discusses the role of women in the religion. He also discusses the significance of Ethiopia to the faith, examines the religion's relationship to Christianity, and shows how members of the faith connect their struggle for dignity and solidarity in Jamaican society with the struggle of the oppressed Israelites.
