Dread Jesus

by William David Spencer

'Dread Jesus' explores the black, dreadlocked Jesus taken from Christianity by the teachings of Rastafari. Is Rastafari simply a bizarre Christian cult, destined to fade if the Emperor Haile Selassie never reappears? Or could it become a vibrant two-thirds world reform movement, recalling Christianity to its original, non-oppressing gospel for all people? Rigorously researched, William David Spencer's unique and compelling study - which includes exclusive interviews with major Rastafarian thinkers and close analysis of the lyrics of many reggae songs - will prove genuinely accessible to anyone who wishes to learn more about Rastafari and its significance for global Christianity.

Genres: Religion

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 1999

Reviews

[Jason Comely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dread Jesus is like an unraveling mystery. There's a constant tension throughout the book (at least there was for me) as it created an information gap then revealed the answer in the next few pages. Again and again. It kept me reading.

I do have an issue with this book however. While Spencer exhaustively showed the evolution of Rastafarian Christianity or 'Rootsman Christianity' to the present day, he didn't do the same service for LDS Mormonism and therefore misrepresented the current LDS doctrine. I took a star off for that.

I talk more about the book and Rastafari religion on Jesus in Books: http://jesusinbooks.com/black-jesus-r...

[Aree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. A very in-depth study of the diverse Christologies within the Rastafari movement. Many authors have tried to write about Rastafari, but Spencer succeeds where others do not. Unlike other authors, Spencer's research is not sterile and distant. He dialogues with several important figures and communities within the varying branches of Rastafari. He definitely did his homework.

See also: Chanting Down Babylon by William H. Spencer