Friday 30 August 2013

The Bible in Transmission (Summer 2013) on Food


The latest issue of the excellent publication, The Bible in Transmission, from Bible Society, is available online here, offering a collection of articles on ‘Food Matters’.


In our modern consumer-orientated world, food has become little more than a commodity that we mindlessly consume. We fail to perceive the mystery of food. Here are some theological insights to help us receive food as a precious gift and sign of God’s sustaining care.

Food is important and eating implies transformation at multiple levels. In this article Ángel Méndez-Montoya considers some of the transformations we meet in the Eucharist, where God’s love becomes food to eat and share with others.

An outline of the deep-seated relationship between food and identity in the Old Testament. Food has a central role in ancient Jewish identity and is frequently mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures.

A discussion of how one UK secular commercial slimming group has been resourced in various ways and to various degrees by Christian motifs and theological logic.

Inappropriate modern industrial agriculture practices are failing us. We ought to be able to feed everyone and look after the Earth, but we’re not. Christianity has a powerful agrarian tradition and moral framework that can help reform farming and help us overcome the major problems the world is facing.

Gordon Gatward offers some scientific and biblical insights on the sustainability of farming and food production today.

The food system is failing the poorest people: the balance of power is tipped towards global companies – rather than families trying to put food on the table.

Chris Sunderland briefly outlines some of the ways Bristol is responding to the challenge of providing an adequate and secure food supply across the city.

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