From Christafari to Christafarianism to Christafarian, what you will find in this heavily documented and footnoted essay is that this carefully created culture turns out to be an Evangelical caricature of Rastafarian culture which puts Evangelical and Rastafarian Christians in a totally unnecessary state of war with each other and amongst themselves.
A MUST READ for Rastafarians, Evangelicals and Christafarians!
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The writer explores "Rastafarian Christology", by analyzing many reggae songs, interviewing many known and lesser known Rastafarians, and studying the history of Rastafari.
He finds out, that there are two main streams within Rastafari, one is inspired by Hindu and esoterically teachings, while the other group is heading towards Christianity more and more, even to such an extend that brother William describes the possibility of a "Selassian Church", as a denomination next to Lutheran and the like.
Well documented and thoroughly investigated, this book is blessed to be a good source for forming your own opinion.
I would recommend it especially for those Christians that always were told, that all Rastafarians believe in Selassie as God, as it explains the various interpretations about Yesus Kristos that exist within the movement.
Dread Jesus also contains a testimony from sistren Judy Mowatt, former member of Bob Marley & the Wailer's backing trio "the I-Threes". You can read how she described the process in her life that made her come to the conclusion that Selassie is not Yesus Kristos, and some struggles and blessings that she has experienced during these times.
This is one of the first Christian publications on Rastafari that does not contain the bias prejudice that you find so rampant in the Christian World. It's not yet another cheap description of a movement supposedly existing of weird herb smokers with long uncombed hair.
Haile Selassie's Christianity is described and studied. His relationship with the evangelical world, where well known Christian Evangelist Billy Graham invited His Majesty to open a congress in Berlin in 1966, an invitation accepted by Haile Selassie.
You can read portions of the speech that HIM held in front of 1000's of evangelical Christians, a speech not often quoted.
Good for reading, good for studying, good for meditation, good for having as resource, I want to big up this book for it can be a blessing for all Jesus Dreads worldwide.
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William David Spencer is one of the few Christian writers I know with an objective view on Rastafari. His book "Dread Jesus" has become a must read for all those who are interested in Rastafari and Christianity. Simply because of the valuable interviews and analyses it contains.
Chanting Down Babylon is arguably even more relevant.
Where Spencer wrote his book Dread Jesus all by himself, in this one he is editor and contributor. Several writers from different backgrounds all contributed to what can surely be called a standard work on Rastafari.
For example: it contains original Rastafarian books. They have never been made available for a large audience before, in spite of their absolute essentiality. Chanting Down Babylon will introduce the reader to these writings, such as "The Promised Key". And with that, of course, provides the reader with some of the meditations that gave birth to this movement.
But it goes beyond that.
As said, there are several contributors to this work. The variety of their perspectives guarantees an objective picture for the reader, who is introduced to a dynamic culture.
The book explains why, in the words of Rasta group Culture, "Babylon can't study the Rastaman". Indeed, Babylon will never be able to overstand. But there is simply too much sense in Chanting Down Babylon for all others to be ignored.
So forget about all these so called "Christian Studies" about Rastafari. Forget about the anthropological and psychological "analyses". None of them truly describe Rastafari. They only make the Rastaman sing that Culture song once again.
Chanting down Babylon gives a true perspective on the movement. Because all the words in this 467 page book are written by people who know the movement inside out and some have even been there when it all started.
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