Food For Thought: Food & Faith – Dr. Michael Stephens

On TUESDAY, December 20, we'll gather to hear Dr. Michael Stephens, Professor from Johnson & Wales discuss Food & Faith. 

Food is more than nutrition. It is also, as Roland Barthes says, a form of communication. It's not surprising, then, that religions communicate their beliefs through food. The Chosen People ate manna in the wilderness; Jesus fed the five thousand with fish and bread; Prince Sattva, a previous incarnation of Gautama Buddha, allowed a starving tiger to eat his body. Like a mother feeding her baby, giving sustenance to another is a universal expression of love. Food preferences also communicate ethical beliefs and differentiate followers of religions. The Kashrut forbids the consumption of pork and the mixing of meat and dairy.  Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism share the value of ahimsa, which is practiced through vegetarianism. The Holy Quaran forbids alcohol consumption. Other religions, such as the Native America Church and…