The Rastafarians

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 306 pages
• Published by: Beacon Press
• Edition: 1st Edition December 12, 1997
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0807010391
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0807010396
• Book Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 11.4 ounces

Product Description
The twentieth anniversary edition of the classic study of the culture, religion, history, ideology, and influence of the Rastafarians of Jamaica.


"Barrett offers the most comprehensive study to date of the Rastafarians."

—Bulletin of the Center for the Study of World Religions
"The most thorough, careful consideration of the Rasta phenomenon available to the general reader."


— The Boston Phoenix

About The Author
Leonard E. Barrett, Sr., is graduate professor of religion at Temple University, and author of Soul-Force.

Reader Reviews
As I have an interest in studying various sects, and had not yet spent much time learning about Rastafarianism, I bought this book for an introduction to that faith. I will say that there is much valuable content in it regarding the history of Jamaica and Jamaican slavery and the beliefs and rituals of various Rastafarian groups, and even an interesting though slim aside on the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. On the other hand, the writing is amateurish and repetitive. Perhaps each chapter began life initially as an individual paper and Barrett later compiled separate papers into his book, without removing repetitive, overlapping information. However, this does not explain the overall fair, and sometimes poor, quality of the writing in general. Additionally, while often bending over backward to apologize for questionable aspects of Rastafarian history, he seems to treat other religious traditions on the island with an attitude of judgmental disdain. Though I learned a good deal of history, I did not feel that I was reading a scholarly work.