Rastafari: A Very Short Introduction A Very Short Introduction

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 centres and many outposts of the world. 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, and its far-reaching influence on cultural and artistic production in the Caribbean and beyond. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

1 - Movement of Jah people: the history of Rastafari in Jamica
2 - 'Rastatology' and 'livity': the principles and practices of Rastafari
3 - Grounding, houses, and mansions: social formation of Rastafari
4 - Rastafari international: the making of a global movement
5 - Kingmen, queens, and dawtas: gender issues in Rastafari
5 - 'The Head Corner Stone': Rastafari and Caribbean culture

Ennis B. Edmonds is Assistant Professor of African-American Religions and American Religions at Kenyon College, Ohio. His areas of expertise are African Diaspora Religions, Religion in America, and Sociology of Religion. His research has focused primarily on Rastafari, leading to the recently published Rastafari: From Outcasts to Culture Bearers (OUP, 2003).