Rastafarian: Dread Politic

There are few terms as divergent as the concept of "dread" in Rastafarianism and European existentialism. There are many reasons for this, but at the bottom of all these lie the fundamental differences in culture between the African and the European philosophical paradigm. While these both manifest themselves strongly in the multicultural environment of the United States, the differences remain clear. On the other hand, it is also possible to identify significant convergences between the connotations of the term from the different cultures. When the same terms are used in such divergent ways among cultures, it is interesting to investigate the dynamics of both the divergence and convergence in order to draw conclusions on how these cultures interact and relate with each other.

According to the Arrayed Roots Media (2002), the Rastafarian religion was founded by Marcus Garvey during the 1920s in the United States. This religion was a reaction to the white dominated Christian religion that was prevalent at the time. The religion appealed to many African-Americans, as they identified with the concept of the Israelite slaves. It is from this cultural paradigm that emerged the concept of "dread." This term was used as synonymous to "God-fearer," to describe the adherents to Rastafarianism. According to Rastafarian mysticism, JAH (God) was immediately present within each dread.

In European existentialism, the concept appears to be diametrically opposite to that within African philosophy. According to Steven Kreis (2006), for example, existential dread is the result of the perceived absence of God or indeed any spirituality or deeper meaning in life. Whereas the Rastafarian dread immerses the soul within the consciousness of God, the existentialist searches for meaning in the very lack and absence of God. Like Rastafarianism, however, the existentialist concept provides meaning within itself: human life is meaningful because it is meaningless: meaning is found within physical and perceived existence.

Sources

Arrayed Roots Media (2002). Rastafarian Cultural Page. http://www.geocities.com/arrayedroots/ARSCul.html

Kreis, Steven (2006). Lecture 12: The Existentialist Frame of Mind. The History Guide

http://www.historyguide.org/europe/lecture12.html