Honorable Mention, 2019 Barbara T. Christian Literary Award, given by the Caribbean Studies Association Winner, 2017 Clifford Geertz Prize in the Anthropology of Religion, presented by the Society for the Anthropology of Religion section of the American Anthropological Association Finalist, 2017 Albert J. Raboteau Prize for the Best Book in Africana Religions presented by the Journal of Africana Religions An examination of the religious importance of food among Caribbean and Latin American communities Before honey can be offered to the Afro-Cuban deity Ochún, it must be tasted, to prove to her that it is good. In African-inspired religions throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States, such gestures instill the attitudes that turn participants into practitioners. Acquiring deep knowledge of the diets of the gods and ancestors constructs adherents’ identities; to learn to fix the gods’ favorite dishes is to be “seasoned” into their service. In this innovative work, Elizabeth Pérez reveals how seemingly trivial "micropractices" such as the preparation of sacred foods, are complex rituals in their own right. Drawing on years of ethnographic research in Chicago among practitioners of Lucumí, the transnational tradition popularly known as Santería, Pérez focuses on the behind-the-scenes work of the primarily women and gay men responsible for feeding the gods. She reveals how cooking and talking around the kitchen table have played vital socializing roles in Black Atlantic religions. Entering the world of divine desires and the varied flavors that speak to them, this volume takes a fresh approach to the anthropology of religion. Its richly textured portrait of a predominantly African-American Lucumí community reconceptualizes race, gender, sexuality, and affect in the formation of religious identity, proposing that every religion coalesces and sustains itself through its own secret recipe of micropractices.

Mary Mann, the wife of Horace Mann and one of the famed Peabody sisters, published this 1858 cook book to show how to prepare foods which are healthful, nutritious, and luscious to the Christian appetite.

God reaches out to where you are. He isnt cooped up in church, glued to the pews, detached from what matters most to you. Hes bustling through your crowded schedule, flagging you down, waving until you take notice and give pause. He speaks even while youre in the middle of a vegetable-slicing, dinner-prepping, multi-tasking moment. The God who is interested in your comings and goings, weaves through your routines to grab your attention. He has invaded your kitchen space and is cooking up a feast for you. Whats on the menu? Generous helpings of love and mercy, seasoned to perfection with His grace. Hes ready to serve you a platter of patience and integrity, but not until theyre roasted through suffering. He has bowls of sweet comfort for the grief-stricken and stillness for the frazzled. God is in the Kitchen invites you to a serendipitous discovery to broaden your awareness of Gods not-so-hidden intervention in the ordinary. Dont watch out for big miracles alone. God peppers even the most drab, yawn-inducing day with little surprises. You only need eyes of faith to spot them. God is busy in the kitchen. Guess what Hes whipping up for you?

Explores the practice of eating together as Christian worship The gospel story is filled with meals. It opens in a garden and ends in a feast. Records of the early church suggest that believers met for worship primarily through eating meals. Over time, though, churches have lost focus on the centrality of food— and with it a powerful tool for unifying Christ’s diverse body. But today a new movement is under way, bringing Christians of every denomination, age, race, and sexual orientation together around dinner tables. Men and women nervous about stepping through church doors are finding God in new ways as they eat together. Kendall Vanderslice shares stories of churches worshiping around the table, introducing readers to the rising contem­porary dinner-church movement. We Will Feast provides vision and inspiration to readers longing to experience community in a real, physical way.

A comprehensive theological framework for assessing the significance of eating, demonstrating that eating is of profound economic, moral and theological significance.

A boy's efforts to create an icon to please the family's new maid helps him to make new friends and discover an artistic talent.

A collection of recipes for eighteen meals described in the Bible. Each chapter contains a menu, an explanation of the significance of the meal and the foods served, and recipes for each menu item.