9 Great Books on Food and Faith
In case we’ve never met, hi – I’m Kendall, a baker and writer whose best thinking occurs as I work dough between my hands; I scribble down thoughts on pieces of parchment dusted in flour, until I can parse them out later before my keyboard. When I embarked on a career as a pastry chef, I found that my love of bread transformed the ways I read Scripture. Fascinated by God’s use of food throughout the arc of the Gospel, I merged my work in the kitchen with academic study of food and theology.
Food and faith are beautifully intertwined — but these topics aren’t without difficulty. Many of us have complex relationships with food, our bodies, and the church. If you’re looking for resources that delve into the complexity and the beauty of food and faith, you’re in just the right place. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite reads on the topic!
Accessible Reads
These are great titles for any reader, no matter how well-versed you may already be (or not be!) in the food and faith conversation.
The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon — Capon is a chef and a priest, which makes for fascinating food and faith commentary, indeed!
Soil and Sacrament by Fred Bahnson — This author found God in a garden, and this is his memoir about people connecting with food and one another.
Good Soil by Jeff Chu — Jeff left a fast-paced NYC lifestyle behind to enroll in the “Farminary” at Princeton. What follows: a revelation about identity and what the earth can teach us when we slow down enough to listen.
By Bread Alone by Kendall Vanderslice — My latest book reveals that there is no food more spiritually significant than bread--whether we’re eating, baking, sharing, or breaking it with others around the table. (This book also features discussion questions that serve as great book club prompts, if you want to dig into food and faith in your community.)
We Will Feast by Kendall Vanderslice — In my first book, I unpack a new way of thinking about dinner, worship, and community, because I truly believe life around the table transforms us.
Take This Bread by Sara Miles — Miles was an open atheist… until wandering into a church one morning and letting communion change everything. This is a memoir you won’t soon forget. (This book also features discussion questions that serve as great book club prompts, if you want to dig into food and faith in your community.)
Academic Deep Dives
If you’re looking for an even deeper dive into the theology of food, these three titles are a great place to feast.
Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture by Ellen Davis — This book delves into the relationship between industrial agriculture of today and reading the Bible with an agrarian lens. There’s plenty of food for thought on both history and ethics.
The Theology of Food by Angel Mendez-Montoya — This title encompasses more than just Christian tradition, exploring the role food has played in multiple historic faiths around the world.
Food and Faith by Norman Wirzba — This classic food and faith book uses “ecological, agrarian, cultural, biblical, and theological analyses to draw a picture of eating that cares for creatures and that honors God.”
Happy reading, friends! As you begin to study food and faith, you might find that you don’t want to do it alone. I’d suggest that your desire to discuss life around the table with people around the table is a good one indeed — and I created a curriculum designed to help you do it. Worship at the Table is a six-week guide to meals and conversations, designed to help Christians understand, reclaim, and enjoy the spiritually formative, socially profound experience of sharing meals with one another. Gather your community and pull up a seat together! Get your Worship at the Table guide here.
