The Food Movement, Culture, and Religion

This book explores the cultural and religious politics of the contemporary food movement, starting from the example of Jewish foodies, their zeal for pig (forbidden by Jewish law), and their talk about why ignoring traditional precepts around food is desirable. Focusing on the work of Michael Pollan, Jonathan Schorsch questions the modernist, materialist, and rationalist worldview of many foodies and discusses their lack of attention to culture, tradition, and religion.

Explores the cultural and religious politics of the contemporary food movement. Employs knowledge from different fields. Written for anyone concerned about food, agriculture, the environment, cultural politics, religion and Judaism.

Autorentext
Jonathan Schorsch is Professor of Jewish Religious and Intellectual History at the Universität Potsdam and founder of the Jewish Activism Summer School, Germany.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Jews, Christians and Pigs: A Brief History.- 3. Jewish Foodies on Judaism.- 4. Pollan on Culture and Religion.- 5. Cosmological Cultures as Forms of Resistance.- 6. Back to Those Pesky Dietary Laws.- 7. Omnivory as a Universal Ideal.- 8. When Eco-Kosher Pigs Fly.- 9. Bibliography.