The many faces of Rasta: Doctrinal Diversity within the Rastafari Movement

Abstract

Of recent much has been written about the Rastafari movement in general, especially since the publication of the University of the West Indies Report on the movement in 1960. Overwhelmingly however, the view that is presented is that of a monolithic, homogeneous movement. This paper seeks to challenge this popular misconception by speaking to the matter of the existence of the many doctrinal, theological and even ideological differences between the various mansions of Rastafari. (Of course there are commonalities between the mansions, but in reality there are very few.) Any serious consideration of the movement should address the ideological and theological perspectives of each mansion, rather than attempting to generalize for the movement as a whole. The three primary mansions of the movement that are considered in this paper are: the Nyahbinghi mansion, the Boboshante mansion and the Twelve Tribes of Israel mansion. In addition there will be limited consideration of a mansion that is generally considered as being marginal to the Rastafari movement, namely that of the Ethiopian Coptic Church.