Middlebury

RELI 0226

Food in East Asian Religions

Food in East Asian Religions
One might think that food and eating have nothing to do with the lofty concerns of religious traditions. In fact, many religions bring their fundamental principles to bear on the questions of what, how, and with whom to eat; many also revolve around “feeding” gods and other spiritual beings. In this course, we will examine East Asian religions through the lens of eating practices. We will study Confucian feasting and fasting, various Chinese, Korean, and Japanese rituals offering food to ancestors and gods, Buddhist vegetarianism and its critics, unusual Taoist eating regimens, and the ancient cosmological ideas underlying traditional Chinese medical ideas of healthy eating. 3 hrs. lect.
Subject:
Religion
Department:
Religion
Division:
Humanities
Requirements Fulfilled:
AAL NOA PHL

Sections in Spring 2022

Spring 2022

RELI0226A-S22 Lecture (Morrison)