Joseph Owens (Jesuit)

Joseph Owens, S.J. (Father Joseph Owens) is a Roman Catholic priest, social worker, and educator who has worked for many years in the Caribbean and Central America. He is the author of "Dread, The Rastafarians of Jamaica" (1974), written from 1970 to 1972 while working and living with members of the Rastafari movement in Kingston, Jamaica, during which period he discussed theological and philosophical issues with them in order to write a book examining their beliefs in relation to Judaism, Christianity and the Bible. In the book he attempts to allow the Rasta to explain their doctrines in their own words, examining all key doctrines in different chapters. The book is a rich and unique source of material about Rastafarian beliefs in the developmental stage of the religion.

The back cover of the 1995 reprint of the 1976 Sangster edition of his book states that Fr Owens "S.J., M.A., M.Div., ... studied philosophy at Boston College, Mass., USA, and divinity at Weston College School of Theology, Cambridge, Mass." It further notes that under the aegis of the Social Action Center of St. Andrew "... he worked and lived in West Kingston from 1970 to 1972 ..." and that since "... 1972 his pastoral work ... centered on Lionel Town, Clarendon" where he helped "... to organize sugar workers' co-operatives a project of the Social Action Centre." At the present time, Fr Owens has worked for many years in the Jesuit colleges of Central America in Managua, Nicaragua. He is the translator of the recently published work "The Gospel of Faith and Justice" by Antonio Gonzalez.

Published works

* Literature on the Rastafari (1975), 1955-1974 Savacou 11-12:86-115. [Republished in New Community 6:1/2, 1977/78.]
* "Dread, The Rastafarians of Jamaica" (1974) ISBN 0-435-98650-3
* "The Gospel of Faith and Justice" (2005), auth. Antonio Gonzalez, transl. Joseph Owens ISBN 978-1570756115

External links

* [http://ca.geocities.com/bthomson100/rasta_christ_and_marx.html Caribbean Contact Article "Rasta, Christ and Marx" (1978) by Joseph Owens briefly presenting the themes in his Rastafari book]
* [http://debate.uvm.edu/dreadlibrary/dvorin.html Article (1998) on Rastafarian citing Fr. Owens]
* [http://www.jesuit.org/images/docs/81teWA.pdf National Jesuit News, April/May 2005, article by Fr. Joseph V. Owens, S.J.]
* [https://www.wjst.edu/File/Spring06_Light_Life.pdf Light and Life (The Magazine of the Weston Jesuit School of Theology), Spring 2006, p. 13, note showing Fr Joseph Owens, S.J. as having worked in Jamaica and Central America for 26 years]
* [http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0522-03.htm Letter (2006) protesting Boston College's awarding an honorary doctorate to Secretary of State Rice, signed by several Jesuit Fathers including Fr. Joseph V. Owens, S.J.]