Whitebread Protestants : Food and Religion in American Culture

"At the beginning of Whitebread Protestants, Daniel Sack writes "When I was young, church meant food. Decades later, it's hard to point to particular events, but there are lots of tastes, smells, and memories such as the taste of dry cookies and punch from coffee hour - or that strange orange drink from vacation Bible school." And so he begins this fascinating look at the role food has played in the daily life of the white Protestant community in the United States. He looks at coffee hours, potluck dinners, ladies' afternoon teas, soup kitchens, communion elements, and a variety of other things. A blend of popular culture, religious history and the growing field of food studies, the book will reveal both conflict and vitality in unexpected places in American religious life."-- Provided by publisher "Americans love to eat. They are also deeply religious. So it's no surprise that food has an important place in Americans' religious lives. They eat in worship services. They drink coffee in church basements. They feed neighbors and strangers in the name of their god. For countless American Protestants, food and church are inseparable. From dry cookies and punch at coffee hour to potlucks and spaghetti dinners, Whitebread Protestants looks at the role food plays in the daily life of white mainline Protestant congregations."--BOOK JACKET. Americans love to eat. They are also deeply religious. So it's no surprise that food has an important place in the religious lives of Americans. They eat in worship services. They drink coffeein church basements. They feed neighbors and strangers in the name of their god. For countless American Protestants, food and church are inseparable. From dry cookies and punch at coffee hour to potlucks and spaghetti dinners, Whitebread Protestants looks at the role food plays in the daily life of white mainline Protestant congregations Front Matter....Pages iii-x Introduction....Pages 1-7 Liturgical Food: Communion Elements and Conflict....Pages 9-59 Social Food: Potlucks and Coffee Hours....Pages 61-97 Emergency Food: The Development of Soup Kitchens....Pages 99-136 Global Food: Hunger Politics....Pages 137-183 Moral Food: Eating as a Christian Should....Pages 185-219 Conclusion....Pages 221-223 Back Matter....Pages 225-262