Program Unit Online June Annual Meeting 2025

Religion and Food Unit

Call for Proposals

For potential participation in the summer online meeting, we will consider proposals on any topic related to religion and food.

Statement of Purpose

This Unit provides an opportunity for scholars to engage the intersection of religion and food, foodways, and food ethics. We are interested in examining these topics across religious traditions, geographical areas, and historical eras. We encourage critical reflection regarding:

• The relationships of religious commitments to food (production, preparation, consumption, and invention)
• Diet and sustainability
• Issues of food (in)justice, which may include food availability or insecurity, commitment to wellness, access to healthy foods, food deserts, etc.
• Environmental/ecological issues, e.g. desertification, flood, fire, and climate related food ethics issues
• Theological, spiritual, and religious interrelationships as expressed in food commitments or confluences
• The cross-cultural applicability of the categories of “religion” and “food” themselves

We seek to develop ongoing investigations into practices and beliefs related to food, drink, fasting, the production of food, the ethics of production and consumption, or on any aspect of religiously influenced foodways.

Chair Mail Dates
Aldea Mulhern mulherna@brandonu.ca - View
William Schanbacher william48@usf.edu - View
Steering Member Mail Dates
Rachel Brown, University of Victoria racheldianeb@gmail.com - View
Benjamin Zeller zeller@lakeforest.edu - View
Yudit K. Greenberg, Rollins College ygreenberg@rollins.edu - View
Kathleen M. Self kself@stlawu.edu - View
Sarah Robinson sarahrobinson.prof@gmail… - View
Derek Hicks hicksds@wfu.edu - View
Review Process: Participant names are visible to chairs but anonymous to steering committee members until after final acceptance/rejection