Ritual Feasts explores the pervasive role of shared meals in religious traditions, highlighting how these feasts shape communal identity and reinforce belief systems. It examines how eating together transcends mere sustenance, becoming a powerful expression of faith. Consider, for example, how harvest festivals celebrate agricultural cycles or how specific foods acquire sacred meanings tied to creation myths. The book reveals that shared meals serve as potent symbolic acts, reinforcing religious doctrines and social hierarchies.
The book adopts a historical, anthropological, and theological lens to examine ritualized eating across diverse religions, from Judaism and Christianity to Islam and indigenous belief systems. It moves through theoretical frameworks, then explores specific examples like the Eucharist and the Seder meal, and culminates in a synthesis of findings on religious identity and social cohesion. By analyzing the foods consumed, participants involved, and gestures performed, the book uncovers the values and beliefs that shape religious communities.
