L. Shannon Jung is Professor of Town and Country Ministry, St. Paul School of Theology, Kansas City. He served for many years as Director of the Center for Theology and Land, a rural ministry program of the University of Dubuque and Wartburg Seminaries. He is the author of many books including Food for Life: The Spirituality and Ethics of Eating.
People's relationship with food has become a major challenge in our times. Millions are obese and constantly on one diet or another. At the same time, 35 million Americans describe themselves as "food insecure," and their number is growing. These facts are reasons to celebrate this edifying paperback on Christian eating practices, with sections on:
• Saying Grace
• Sharing and Hospitality
• Feasting in Community
• Preparing Food
• Fasting for Life
• Honoring the Body
• The Lord's Supper
Jung explains how these food practices encourage us to be good stewards of our bodies and alert to the presence of God in our lives, communities, and culture. Eating together is a rich Christian tradition, and it is amplified by saying grace and opening our hearts to others in the spiritual practice of hospitality. Jung makes a good case for the forgotten practice of preparing food and has many insightful things to say about both feasting and fasting.
In the chapter on "Honoring the Body," he talks about eating as a sensuous activity that sparks enjoyment, as something that connects us with the whole of the earth community, and as a practice that involves balance between extravagant pleasure and scrupulous management. Jung concludes with an overview of Holy Communion as "a master practice" and a summary of ways in which healthy Christian practices can be incorporated in church activities.
