I came across this today, “Eating Mercifully” a 26 minute documentary that explores Christian perspectives on factory farming. A 7 minute preview is also available on youtube:

Now there are some problems with some of the arguments and rhetoric here which are unhelpful but still, one statement that really struck me was:

“Today Christians consume what tastes good to them, just like the average American.”

In what ways does the Christian’s eating look distinctive because we have chosen to “In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord”  (1 Peter 3: 15a) so that we live a ‘life that demands an explanation’ such that we need to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3: 15b)?

Are there any bloggers willing to take up a challenge to think about a theology of eating?

I’m guessing some would take the creation / fall / redemption / consummation structure. God’s law has some stuff to say, as has the Jersualem Council (Acts 15) – food has close ties with ideas about fellowship and holiness. We’d probably want to do some thinking about the Creation Mandate, ideas of stewardship and the covenants God makes with animals (for example Genesis 9:16). I think we’d also want to bring in the idea of Peter’s vision (Acts 10:9-16) and missionary principles of eating or not eating certain things for the spread of the gospel. Also, has any heard a sermon on gluttony recently, “their god is their stomach” stuff (Philippians 3:19)? Or bulimia or anorexia? In trying to avoid biocentrism and argue for the unique place humanity has in God’s creation is there a danger that we play off care for humans over/against care for creation because we know that one really is more important to God than the other?

Could you take up the challenge or in the comments link to someone who already has?