Food, justice and the Bahá'í faith

Type:

Book

Author:

Paul Fieldhouse

Published:

2005

Publisher:

University of Manitoba

Through an examination of the phenomenon of food choice and in particular the relationship between food and justice, this thesis demonstrates the benefits of an inter- disciplinary approach in providing a more nuanced understanding of food.Rejecting a dichotomised view of food as either material or symbol, either culture or nature, either nutritional or social, it develops a concept of liminality that affords new insights into food choice, and argues for a liminal positioning of food between the empirical and ethical realms.Focusing on the Bah' faith, it reviews principles and teachings of this new world religion, whose vision of world unity places justice at the centre of its ethical worldview.The thesis tests the claim that food provides a practical way through which Bah's can articulate and achieve their ethical goals, helping them to cross the liminal divide between 'what is' and 'what could be' as they seek to live just lives.Using a dual methodological approach that combines hermeneutic strategies to examine sacred texts, together with qualitative interviews of believers, it examines food issues related to health and healing, hospitality, social development, and spiritual duty.While food does not at first appear to be a prominent issue in the Bah' tradition, findings indicate that there is a singular food discourse that evokes spiritual and social themes of simplicity, moderation, commensality and compassion, and which supports the claim that food is integral to, and…

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