Prophet of Dub: Dub as a Heuristic for Theological Reflection

This essay is a theological reflection on the reggae concept and practice of ‘dub’. Dub is a form of deconstruction and reconstruction for the sake of embellishment. Under Rasta hegemony, dub is associated with a coded politicized genre geared towards Black conciousness and Black liberation. ‘Dubbing’ can, on one level, be read as a process of transformation. The concept of dub is challenged and reworked by comparing its trajectory with Jesus’ encounter with women in St John. Through this comparison, dub is restructured so as to offer a more holistic transformation consistent with the liberating message of the gospel. Finally, this transformed understanding is offered as a new way of doing theology amongst Black Pentecostals that is critical, engaged, situated and contemporaneous with the existential concerns of working class and working poor Black British.