The Spirit of Soul Food: Race, Faith, and Food Justice

"This project explores the relationship between and among religion, food, and cultural identity among African American Christians by examining the food system in the U. S. and the impact that current policies and practices have on black people. The central thesis of "The Spirit of Soul Food" is that African American Christians ought to promote food justice as a constitutive element of liberation from both structural and ideological oppression. Carter shows that food justice, while an emerging social justice issue within the black community, is often overlooked within African American Christianity. However, "The Spirit of Soul Food" argues that how African American Christians eat is interrelated to how they practice their faith. As such thinking theologically about food, resisting, and reforming oppressive culinary traditions should be seen as liberatory practices for the black community in general and the African American Christian community specifically. Carter's method, historical analysis, and engagement with a variety of texts will add a much-needed perspective on the intersections of critical race, justice, food, and religion studies"--