Robert Beckford is the most widely recognised theologian in Britain today. His many controversial TV documentaries have attracted large audiences. His views on reparations for the slave trade are uncompromising. His opinions of contemporary black Christianity are challenging.

Described by The Sunday Times as "an unorthodox theologian with dreadlocks", Robert Beckford grew up in Britain during the 1970s and 1980s. He became increasingly concerned at the reluctance of black churches to acknowledge the importance of the themes, language and attitudes of black popular culture. Now a leading academic in the field of British black theology, he believes the black church is still oppressed by the structures and conventions of white Christianity. An accomplished documentary filmmaker and radio presenter, his often controversial and always outspoken documentaries for Channel 4 include God Is Black, The Real Patron Saints, Who Wrote The Bible? and God Gave Rock and Roll to You; as a result he was nominated for a Royal Television Society award. He has written several books, mainly in his chief research areas, black theology, Rastafari, African American film, reggae, dub and hip-hop audio cultures. His work is a vibrant academic resource for students of black theology, Christology, sociology and cultural studies.

In 2005 Robert Beckford made The Empire Pays Back about reparations for the atrocities of slavery. Described by many as a ‘black holocaust’, slavery formed the economic base of many UK cities. Beckford says that the slave trade was about the size of the IT industry in the UK today, roughly five per cent of the economy. In the documentary, he estimated that Britain would have to pay £7.5 trillion in compensation to Caribbean descendents of slaves.

In The Secret Family of Jesus, Robert Beckford explored the historical evidence for claims that Jesus had an extended family that survived some 300 years after his death. He explains that the Bible mentions Jesus’ siblings in the Gospel of Matthew, where when Christ preaches at the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth, the citizens question his claim to be the new Messiah with the words "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us?" Beckford further supports his argument with a passage from the gospel of Mark in which Jesus’ family go searching for him one day when he is preaching. "A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, 'Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.' "

The future success of multicultural Britain will be grounded in a willingness to learn from the past. The lessons to be learned are commonplace. Anyone with a basic knowledge of colonial imagery in the Caribbean can see a correspondence between the demonisation of black men in colonial Jamaica and the negative images of Jamaicans as criminals or dangerous undesirables in the media today. Even my discipline is not exempt. Church leaders who call for reconciliation would do well to note that more books are written by theologians on being nice to animals than exploring colonialism or race and faith. Revisiting colonial history is one of the few leaps into the past that leads to real progress in the present. — Dr Robert Beckford

Jesus Dub — Theology, Music and Social Change: Robert Beckford Robert Beckford explores the dialogue between two central institutions in African Caribbean life: the church and the dancehall. He highlights 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 that 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 a detailed exploration of how throughout history, music and faith have been transformed in response to racialised 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 practising spiritual gifts and financial giving, proposing a more inclusive theology for everyone. USA UK Canada

Jesus Is Dread — Black Theology and Black Culture in Britain: Robert Beckford In this book Robert Beckford argues that the black church must develop its own theology, based on the powerful, political urgency of modern black culture, if it is to provide authentic meaning for a new generation of black Christians. Jesus is Dread is a series of reflections on the symbols, icons and systems within both the black church and black expressive cultures in Britain. The author explores perceptions of resistance, sexuality, womanist theology, art, music and prayer. He identifies dread culture as a concept with radical implications for the black Christian’s understanding of Christ. He ends by calling for further reflection beyond the dread analogy to develop new ways of talking about Christ and the work of God in black communities. Jesus is Dread, and the accounts therein, will resonate with the experiences of many black Christians worshipping in Britain today. USA UK Canada

God and the Gangs: Robert Beckford An urban toolkit for those who won’t be sold out, bought out or scared out. Accessibly written, God and the Gangs is essential reading for those seeking to resource themselves for urban work or ministry. ‘This book is a helpful “toolkit” for understanding and engaging with the underlying issues which shape our urban communities. We can only help when we understand, and then respond relevantly at all levels.’ Rev Les Isaac, Ascension Trust. ‘A bold and angry challenge to a community which has come to accept the inhuman consequences of individualism — always looking the other way.’ Rt Rev Dr John Sentamu, Bishop of Birmingham. Robert Beckford is Lecturer in Black Theology at the University of Birmingham. USA UK Canada

Dread and Pentecostal — A Political Theology for the Black Church in Britain: Robert Beckford In this authoritative and passionately argued book, Robert Beckford explores the future of black British Pentecostalism in a society where the notion of White supremacy — even in faith — is all too evident. Drawing on black, womanist and post-colonial theologies of liberation, he urges the black Church to regain its traditional prophetic role as part of its ministry. He suggests that the Caribbean's first liberation theology, Rastafari, has much to offer all Christians concerned with speaking prophetically into social and political life in Britain. Reflecting on aspects of Rastafari, black Pentecostalism and the meaning of Jesus in the world today, he develops a new model for a black political faith — a Dread Pentecostal theology. USA UK Canada

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