Jesus Dub: Theology, Music And Social Change

Dub is an act of deconstruction, where a reggae musician takes apart the key elements of a music track, and repositions them, transforming the original, enabling new ways of hearing and understanding. Dub is not neutral, it enriches music with political, spiritual and cultural influences, challenging the establishment.
"Jesus Dub "is Robert Beckford's exploration of the dialogue between two central institutions in African Caribbean life: the church and the dancehall. Beckford shows how Dub, one of the central features of dancehall culture, can be mobilized as a framework for re-evaluating theology, taking apart doctrine and reconstructing it under the influence of a guiding theme. Engaging with the social and cultural heritage which informs Christian African Caribbean culture, including the influence of slavery, Revival Christianity and working class Jamaican life; Black theology; and music ranging from post-war Sound System to American Hip Hop, "Jesus Dub "is an exploration of how throughout history, music and faith have been transformed in response to racialism oppression. Finally, Beckford demonstrates that dub style appears in the teachings of Jesus, and that dub is a tool which can provide new ways of envisaging and practicing spiritual gifts, financial giving and family life, proposing a more inclusive theology for everyone.