Jamaican Culture
Rastafari Comparison to Christianity And Judaism
Published May 29, 2003| Rastafari | Christianity | Judaism | |
| Key Person (s) | His Imperial Majesty(HIM) Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (1888 - 1975) | Jesus | God and Abraham of the bible. |
| Founder | Founder - Joseph Hibbert, Leonard Percival Howell | Jesus Christ | Abraham of the bible. |
| Date | 1930 | A.D. 30-33 | 2000 B.C. |
| Location | Jamaica |
Middle East | Middle East |
| Key Writings | Bible (New and Old Testament), The Holy Piby, "The Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy". | The Bible (New and Old Testament) | The Tanakh (Old Testament). The first 5 books of the Old Testament called the Torah are especially important. |
| Who is God? | Haile Selassie is the
living God and black Messiah. |
God is Triune (One God in three Person, not three gods) | God is a spirit. |
| Who is Jesus? | He is the son of God.
Because there is no set Rastafarian Theology, there are varied
views on who Christ is. One thing that Rastafarians agree
on is that Christ was Black. Someone say he is a prophet.
He is called Eyesos Christos (Christ in Latin). Some say Emperor
Haile Selassie is the reincarnated Christ. |
Jesus is the second person of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and is coequal with them all. | To some Jesus is the false Messiah and to others he is a martyred Jewish Rabbi. Some say he never existed. |
| Who is the Holy Spirit? | Some say Emperor Emperor Haile Selassie is the Holy Spirit in flesh. | The third person of the Trinity. | Some Jews believe it is God's love and power. |
| Salvation | Believe in Emperor Emperor Haile Selassie. Follow most of Rastafarian version of Jewish Law. | Salvation is by God's grace once you believe in your heart the death and resurrection of Jesus. | Prayer, repentance and adherence to Jewish law. |
| What Happens After Death | Most Rastafarians believe that Ethiopia was Eden. After death you go to Heaven which will be the new Eden. | Physical Resurrection at the final judgment. Those who believe in Jesus will live with him forever. | Physical Resurrection for the obedient who will live forever with God. |
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Introduction An introduction to Rastafari & the goal of these series of articles.
The Origins Of Rastafari Learn about the origins of Rastafari and the environment that influenced its origins.
What Do Rastafarians Believe A brief overview to the basic belief system of Rastafari.
Rastafari Comparison to Christianity And Judaism A brief comparison to the religions of Rastafari to Christianity and Judaism.
Important Books In Rastafarian Theology An overview of the books, including the Holy Piby, that have shaped Rastafari.
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