Rastafarianism

Ras·ta·far·i·an·ism  (räst-fär--nzm, rst-fâr-)

n.

A religious and political movement originating in Jamaica in the 1930s that bases its doctrine on selections from the Bible and regards Ethiopia as the Promised Land and Haile Selassie as a messiah, with many members advocating nonviolence and rejecting materialism.

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[After Ras Tafari Makonnen, former name of Haile Selassie, proclaimed a divine being by adherents : Amharic ras, head, prince; see r in Semitic roots + Amharic täfäri, to be feared, participle of täfärra, to be feared, derived stem of färra, to fear, respect; see prh in Semitic roots.]

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Rastafarianism

the religious beliefs of a West Indian sect who worship the late Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie (given name: Ras Tafari), and who believe that black people are the chosen of God, and that their promised land is Africa. Their use of marijuana in rituals was widely publicized.

See also: Religion

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Rastafarianism - a religious cult based on a belief that Ras Tafari (Haile Selassie) is the Messiah and that Africa (especially Ethiopia) is the Promised Land cultus, religious cult, cult - a system of religious beliefs and rituals; "devoted to the cultus of the Blessed Virgin"