RELI 282 - Feasting, Fasting, Farming: Religion and Food

1 unit(s)

Food is central to religious life, from rituals of worship, to social and environmental ethics, to the transmission of cultures and traditions. Food practices and prohibitions have been used to define religious boundaries and to articulate moral and spiritual understandings of the human body. Sharing food as an act of service and sociability has structured religious institutions around the world. This experiential intensive explores world religions and the analytical categories of religious studies through the role of food – growing it, preparing it, eating it, abstaining from it, and sharing it with others. The readings and site visits primarily cover Islam, Judaism, Christianity, South Asian religions, and indigenous religions of the Americas. Students develop independent research projects on religions and foodways of their choice. The course includes visits to farms and other sites in the Hudson Valley, and hands-on experience researching, preparing, and sharing food. Kirsten Wesselhoeft.

Prerequisite(s): One Religion course or permission of the instructor.

One 3-hour period.

Not offered in 2021-22.

Course Format: INT