Eating and drinking are base requirements of human life, yet they are also an expression – if not the source of – social, cultural and religious identities. Food unites us and food divides us. Table manners and religious dietary rules define and bond social and faith communities. Additionally, globalisation has brought a new dimension to these cultural traditions of eating and drinking with a plethora of personal dietary lifestyles. However, even in predominantly secular societies, the fundamental link between food and religion remains.
This issue explores religious and cultural contexts and the central role food and drink play in creating and expressing meaning in our personal as well as collective lives.
Published: 2021-11-12