Religious cults of liberation: an analysis of the Nation of Islam and the Ras Tafarian movements

[摘要] The emergence of Black religious cults like the Nation of Islam in the United States and the Ras Tafarian in Jamaica, derives from the comparatively meagre participation of the Black population of these countries in other institutions of society. This paper outlines the themes for understanding the emergence of these 'cults of liberation.' It is an examination and analysis of the desperate situations of lower class Blacks in urban areas. Religion is seen as offering a sense of group solidarity in situations of uncertainty and extreme privation; providing an 'identity' in opposition to the 'Negro' image, and overall, as performing a 'revitalizing' role in situations of subjection and denigration. The cults of liberation aim at turning the sense of dis-privilege, which arose from submission to dominant societal values and deprivation from material, cultural and moral advancement of Black people, into one of advantages.

[发布机构] University:University of Birmingham;Department:Department of Social Policy,Sociology and Criminology

[关键词] B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion;B Philosophy (General)