RELG335

Everyone eats, and every religion talks about eating. In this class, we sample from a rich menu of religious approaches to food, making use of scholarly articles, spirituality guides, cookbooks, and memoirs. From the Christian Communion to Jewish Kosher laws to the Buddhist mindful eating, the world's major religions use food to structure the lives, practices, and beliefs of their adherents. In this class we digest some of the symbolic meanings, self-definitions, and communal and individual identities that develop out of religion and food. Prerequisite: Any Religion course or permission of instructor.