JAMAICA
Religion

Religion

First Reformed Church Jamaica_{Photo: Jim Hendrson in the public domain}

Jamaica has no state religion and there is complete religious freedom. The majority of Jamaicans are Protestant. However, this Protestant community is divided among many denominations. The largest societies are Baptists (18%), Church of God (17%), Anglicans (15%), Methodists (6%) and Presbyterians (5%).

Approx. 7% of the population is Catholic, often Chinese. Furthermore, there are still small groups of Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Seventh-day Adventists, the Pentecostal church and supporters of Revivalism, a typical Jamaican religion, which originated at the beginning of the 19th century and which contains Christian and many African animistic elements. The core idea is that living persons can be possessed and influenced by spirits from the afterlife. Some revivalist cults are pocomania enkumina.

Rastafarianism is disorganized religion and is more of a faith, not a real church.

Rastafarianism has no official doctrine or dogmatic hierarchy and is a collection of social and spiritual doctrines that can be interpreted in any way by any Rastafarian. For example, not all rastafarians have dreadlocks or smoking ganja (marijuana). They all assume that Africa is the spiritual home of the blacks to which they all eventually return.

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Sources

Baker, C. / Jamaica
Lonely Planet

Baker, C. / Jamaica
Kosmos-Z&K

Bayer, M. / Jamaica
Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen/Novib

Helm, R. van der / Jamaica
Elmar

Jamaica
Cambium

Wilkins, F./ Jamaica
Chelsea House Publishers

CIA - World Factbook

BBC - Country Profiles

Last updated March 2024
Copyright: Team The World of Info