Rastafarians are members of a movement that sees their past, present, and future in a distinct way, drawing from Old Testament stories, especially that of Exodus. They believe that people of African descent in the Americas and around the world are “exiles in Babylon” and are being tested by Jah (God) through slavery and the existence of economic injustice and racial “downpression” (rather than oppression) . Here are some of the key beliefs of Rastafarians:

• Monotheism: Central to the religion is a monotheistic belief in a single God, referred to as Jah, who is seen as the creator of the universe.

• Haile Selassie: Many Rastafarians believe that the Ethiopian emperor, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, crowned in 1930, is the Second Coming of Christ who returned to redeem all Black people. The movement takes its name from the emperor’s precoronation name, Ras Tafari.

• Old Testament: Rastafarians follow a number of Old Testament Laws and identify themselves with the ancient Israelites—Gods chosen people in the Old Testament—and believe that black Africans broadly or Rastas more specifically are either the descendants or the reincarnations of this ancient people.

• Livity: Rastafari “livity,” or the principle of balanced lifestyle, includes the wearing of long hair locked in its natural, uncombed state, dressing in the colors of red, green, gold, and black (which symbolize the life force of blood, herbs, royalty, and Africanness), and eating an “I-tal” (natural, vegetarian) diet. Religious rituals include prayer services, the smoking of ganja (marijuana) to increase spiritual awareness, and drumming and meditating in order to reach a state of heightened spirituality.

• Repatriation: The movements greatest concerns are the repatriation of blacks to their homeland, Africa, and the reinstatement of blacks position in society. Repatriation would be symbolized with seven miles of ships leaving from darkness and hellfire. In the emerging movement, this took a particular racial form that black people will be saved because they are special to God. In later formulations, Zion and Babylon are understood symbolically as states of being, which can be cultivated by people regardless of race.

Rastafarians believe in living close to nature, growing their own food, and abstaining from smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. The movement is not unified, and there has never been a single leader followed by all Rastafarians. It is thus difficult to make broad generalizations about the movement without obscuring the complexities within it.