{"product_id":"9781934170946","title":"Holy Food","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDoes God have a recipe?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHoly Food \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eis a titanic feat of research and a fascinating exploration of American faith and culinary rites. Christina Ward is the perfect guide – generous, wise, and ecumenical.\" — \u003cstrong\u003eAdam Chandler, author of \u003cem\u003eDrive-Thru Dreams\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Holy Food doesn't just trace the influence that preachers, gurus, and cult leaders have had on American cuisine. It offers a unique look at the ways spirituality\u003cspan\u003e—whether in the form of fringe cults or major religions\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—has shaped our culture. Christina Ward has gone spelunking into some very odd corners of American history to unearth this fascinating collection of stories and recipes.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e— \u003cb\u003eJonathan Kauffmann, author of \u003ci\u003eHippie Food: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Ea\u003c\/i\u003et\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"An engaging book that shares everything from little-known facts to illuminating profiles of historical figures. Best of all, Ward shares recipes from historic religious communities, updated to reflect modern cooking technology. A must-have for food historians, religious historians, or just the curious and hungry folks in your life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e— \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Julia Skinner, author of \u003ci\u003eOur Fermented Lives\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndependent food historian Christina Ward’s highly anticipated \u003cem\u003eHoly Food\u003c\/em\u003e explores the influence of mainstream to fringe religious beliefs on modern American food culture. Author Christina Ward unravels the numerous ways religious beliefs intersect with politics and economics and, of course, food to tell a different story of America. It's the story of true believers and charlatans, of idealists and visionaries, and of the everyday people who followed them—often at their peril. \u003cem\u003eHoly Food\u003c\/em\u003e explains how faith pioneers used societal woes and cultural trends to create new pathways of belief and reveals the interconnectivity between sects and their leaders.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReligious beliefs have been the source of food \"rules\" since Pythagoras told his followers not to eat beans (they contain souls), Kosher and Halal rules forbade the shrimp cocktail (shellfish are scavengers, or maybe G-d just said \"no\"). A long-ago Pope forbade Catholics from eating meat on Fridays (fasting to atone for committed sins). Rules about eating are present in nearly every American belief, from high-control groups that ban everything except air to the infamous strawberry shortcake that sated visitors to the Oneida Community in the late 1800s. Only in the United States\u003cspan\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewhere the freedom to worship the God of your choice and sometimes of your own making\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ecould people embrace new ideas about religion. It is in this over-stirred pot of liberation, revolution, and mysticism that we discover God cares about what you put in your mouth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHoly Food\u003c\/em\u003e looks at how the explosion of religious movements since the Great Awakenings (the nationwide religious revivals in the 1730s-40s and 1795-1835) birthed a cottage industry of food fads that gained mainstream acceptance. And at the obscure sects and communities of the 20th Century who dabbled in vague spirituality that used food to both entice and control followers. Ward skillfully navigates between academic studies, interviews, cookbooks, and religious texts to make sharp observations with new insights into American history in this highly readable journey through the American kitchen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHoly Food features over 75 recipes from religious and communal groups tested and updated for modern cooks. Also includes over 100 historic black-and-white images.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Ward uses deep-dive research on religious history, and an equally deep knowledge of food, to show us how the two are intimately connected.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNot only do we eat and drink within our religious rituals, but religion informs what and how we eat as well (and what and how we eat informs religion, too).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e An engaging book that shares everything from little-known facts to illuminating profiles of historical figures. Best of all, Ward shares recipes from historic religious communities, updated to reflect modern cooking technology. A must-have for food historians, religious historians, or just the curious and hungry folks in your life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \" --Dr. Julia Skinner, author of \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eOur Fermented Lives\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Christina Ward","offers":[{"title":"Process |  Paperback \/ softback | Trade paperback (US) |  2023-10-06","offer_id":44230080463103,"sku":"9781934170946","price":49.95,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0329\/9075\/7001\/files\/BNCImageAPI_5e556d75-f6d2-4dc1-885b-2abd2342b130.jpg?v=1693001801","url":"https:\/\/riverbookshop.com\/products\/9781934170946","provider":"River Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}