| Bedwardism | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Classification | Afro-Jamaican |
| Origin | 1889 Jamaica |
| Other name(s) | Jamaica Native Baptist Free Church |
Bedwardism, more properly theJamaica Native Baptist Free Church, was a religious movement ofJamaica.
Bedwardism was founded inAugust Town,Saint Andrew Parish, in 1889 by Harrison "Shakespeare" Woods, anAfrican-American emigrant to Jamaica, and named forAlexander Bedward (1848–1930[1]), who was referred to as "That Prophet" and "Shepherd."
It was one of the most popular Afro-Jamaican politico-religious movements from the 1890s to the 1920s. Bedwardism attracted tens of thousands of followers with a call forsocial justice, as well associoeconomic programs for the lower classes.
Bedwardian literature describes Bedwardism as a new religion, the successor to Christianity and Judaism. Its actual teachings differ little from those of most Christian denominations, stressing the importance of recognizingJesus Christ as both God and man in part of theTrinity, as well as frequent fasting. Even so, because the movement likened the ruling classes to thePharisees, it met with disapproval and even suppression by them. One of the few unique concepts of Bedwardism is the belief that August Town, Jamaica corresponds toJerusalem for the Western world.[2][3][4][5]
Bedward himself claimed at times to be the reincarnation of prophets includingMoses,Jonah andJohn the Baptist, and was ruled insane by courts on two occasions.[6]
The movement lost steam in 1921 after Bedward and hundreds of his followers marched into Kingston, where he failed to deliver on his claim to ascend into Heaven, and many were arrested. In 1930, Bedward died in his cell of natural causes.[7]
Many of his followers became Garveyites andRastafarians, bringing with them the experience of resisting the system and demanding changes of the colonial oppression and the white oppression. Rastafari castsMarcus Garvey as a Messiah, while also casting Bedward in the role ofJohn the Baptist.
 | This article aboutAfro-American religion is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |