By the Waters of Babylon: Ethiopian Orthodox Enculturation in a Rastafari Context, 1965–1980

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Postcolonial Jamaica provided a surprising new avenue for mission for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. A new religion, Rastafari, refocused its practitioners not only away from England but also sought to chart a cultural course independent of Cold War competitors. Many Rastafari sought connection with the 'Zion' they identified with Ethiopia. As Caribbean Rastafari interacted with the Ethiopian Church, Rastafari were challenged by finding an Ethiopian Church that did not accord with their expectations. The Ethiopian Church, especially through Archbishop Yesehaq (Mandefro) struggled to navigate a foreign context with little institutional or financial support. Yesehaq's interactions with Rastafari (and most curiously with his spiritual son, Reggae artist Bob Marley) demonstrates the complexities of mission in a specific context. The Orthodox-Rastafari interaction challenged the limits of what Orthodoxy could assimilate. It also challenged Orthodoxy's new Caribbean members who could not simply cast away the tight web of relationships and culture in which they lived. Thus, demonstrating that mission rarely implicates doctrine and institutional forms alone, but also involves a web of social and cultural contacts. Navigating this web often benefits from the presence of empathetic and energetic pastors such as Archbishop Yesehaq and suffers in their absence.