Jamaican Resistance through the Influence of Religion and Rastafarianism Central Ideology

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Jamaican Resistance and the Influence of Religion
Understanding the dynamics of religion and society is essential for understanding history. Throughout history, religion played one of the most significant factors when it comes to the development of civilization. Accordingly, one of the notable instances when religion had an effect on a society’s development, was during the Jamaican Resistance towards colonization during the 1930s. Specifically, history records would show that the Rastafari Movement, or Rastafarianism, had become very dominant in Jamaica and other parts of the world. Such movement espoused various cultural symbols that are felt until today, whether it be in beliefs, ideologies, music, or art, among others. All in all, it is my belief that the development of Rastafarianism has become one of the main reasons why Jamaica has evaded colonization during the 1930s.
Rastafarianism and Colonization
One of the main reasons why Rastafari helped in the resistance against colonization is because of its central ideology. One of the main tenets of this religious belief is resistance and struggle against all oppression, which includes racism, exploitation, and poverty, among others CITATION BBC09 \l 1033 (BBC.Com). In fact, this ‘liberal’ outlook is why cultural symbols emanated from this religious belief have shown a relaxed, free-going, or liberal attitude towards life. Nonetheless, during the 1930s, this outlook is also why this religion acted as a buffer against the colonial movements of Christian groups. It must be noted that throughout history, Christianity has been characterized as a religion that believes in strict tenets, which determines who would b...