“Food (Not) from a Truck”

Abstract

This article charts the major concepts, theoretical and methodological models, and approaches used by teachers and scholars of religion and food, with a focus on how such concepts may be embedded within courses on religion and nature. The article first introduces central topics such as foodways, the food cycle, and some key concepts within the cultural study of religion, nature, and food. Second, it notes how the study of religion, nature, and food requires drawing from the tools of food studies, religious studies, diet/nutritional studies, and cultural studies, among others. Finally, the article offers some best practices in terms of how to teach the topic, focusing on active learning strategies. The article proposes that because everyone eats, the topic of religion, nature, and food is a unique way to engage students, helping them think critically about an otherwise unexamined but pervasive aspect of life.