Christina Ward is an author, editor, and seeker. She is also the Vice President and Editor of Feral House, a publisher noted for their books on outré topics. Christina can trace her Milwaukee and Wisconsin roots to the early 1800s. Her love of history comes from her father, who instilled the idea that we are all manifestations of our ancestors. Her interest in cooking began out of childhood necessity to feed herself and her siblings while her father worked in a factory. She prides herself on having a hungry mind interested in learning about people, the foods they eat, and the stories that arise from that convergence.
Her latest book is "Holy Food: Recipes and Foodways from Cults, Communes, and New Religious Movements." About Holy Food: Religious beliefs have been the source of food "rules" since Pythagoras told his followers not to eat beans (they contain souls), Kosher and Halal rules forbade the shrimp cocktail (shellfish are scavengers, or maybe God just said "no"). A long-ago Pope forbade Catholics from eating meat on Fridays (fasting to atone for committed sins). Rules about eating are present in nearly every American belief, from high-control groups that ban everything except air to the infamous strawberry shortcake that sated visitors to the Oneida Community in the late 1800s. Only in the United States—where the freedom to worship the God of your choice and sometimes of your own making—could people embrace new ideas about religion. It is in this over-stirred pot of liberation, revolution, and mysticism that we discover that God cares a lot about what you put in your mouth.
"Holy Food" investigates the explosion of religious movements since the Great Awakenings that birthed a cottage industry of food fads and cookbooks. Ward uncovers the interconnectivity between obscure sects and communities of the 20th Century who dabbled in vague spirituality and used food to both entice and control followers. Holy Food cites everything from academic studies, interviews, cookbooks, and religious texts to make sharp insights into American history in this highly readable journey through the American kitchen.
The book features over 75 recipes from religious and communal groups tested and updated for modern cooks. (Dough Gods! Funeral Potatoes! Yogi Tea! Mother F*cker Beans! The Source Family’s infamous Aware Inn Salad!) Also includes over 100 historic black and white images.
Her website: christinaward.net
Cohost this week: Tim Swartz.
Recording Date (including After The Paracast):
Thursday, January 4 at at 3:00 PM Mountain (5:00 PM Eastern)
Post your questions or comments for discussion below:
To Download After The Paracast: Please Subscribe to The Paracast Plus
Broadcast and Streaming Date:
January 7, 2024
Her latest book is "Holy Food: Recipes and Foodways from Cults, Communes, and New Religious Movements." About Holy Food: Religious beliefs have been the source of food "rules" since Pythagoras told his followers not to eat beans (they contain souls), Kosher and Halal rules forbade the shrimp cocktail (shellfish are scavengers, or maybe God just said "no"). A long-ago Pope forbade Catholics from eating meat on Fridays (fasting to atone for committed sins). Rules about eating are present in nearly every American belief, from high-control groups that ban everything except air to the infamous strawberry shortcake that sated visitors to the Oneida Community in the late 1800s. Only in the United States—where the freedom to worship the God of your choice and sometimes of your own making—could people embrace new ideas about religion. It is in this over-stirred pot of liberation, revolution, and mysticism that we discover that God cares a lot about what you put in your mouth.
"Holy Food" investigates the explosion of religious movements since the Great Awakenings that birthed a cottage industry of food fads and cookbooks. Ward uncovers the interconnectivity between obscure sects and communities of the 20th Century who dabbled in vague spirituality and used food to both entice and control followers. Holy Food cites everything from academic studies, interviews, cookbooks, and religious texts to make sharp insights into American history in this highly readable journey through the American kitchen.
The book features over 75 recipes from religious and communal groups tested and updated for modern cooks. (Dough Gods! Funeral Potatoes! Yogi Tea! Mother F*cker Beans! The Source Family’s infamous Aware Inn Salad!) Also includes over 100 historic black and white images.
Her website: christinaward.net
Cohost this week: Tim Swartz.
Recording Date (including After The Paracast):
Thursday, January 4 at at 3:00 PM Mountain (5:00 PM Eastern)
Post your questions or comments for discussion below:
To Download After The Paracast: Please Subscribe to The Paracast Plus
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Broadcast and Streaming Date:
January 7, 2024