WHITEBREAD PROTESTANTS Food and Religion in American Culture Daniel Sack palgrave
* WHITEBREAD PROTESTANT S Co pyright Daniel Sack, 2000. All rights reserved. No part of this boo k may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. First published in hardcover in 20 00 by St. Martin's Press First PALGRAVE I ~ paperback l edition: December 200 1 175 Fifth Avenu e, New York, N.Y. 10010 and Hou ndmills, Basingstoke, England RG21 6XS Companies and represent atives thro ugho ut the world. I'ALG RAVE is the new global pub lishing imp rint ofst. Mart in's Press LLC Scholarly and Reference Division and Palgrave Publishers Ltd (formerly Macmillan Press Ltd). ISBN 978-0-312-29442-7 ISBN 978-1-137-06170-6 (ebook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-137-06170-6 Lib rary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sack, Daniel Whitebread Protestants: food and religion in American culture / Da niel Sack. p. ern. Included index. Food--Religious aspecrs-christianiry- Hisrory of docrrines-vlsrh cent ury. 2. Protestants--United States--Hisrory-- 19tb cent ury. 3. United States-- Church hi srory-vlsrh century. 4. Food --Religiousaspects--Christianiry--His tory ofdocrrines--20t h century. 5. Protestants-- United States--H isrory--20th century. 6. Uni ted States--C hurch hisrory--20th century. I. Title. BR115.N 87 S23 2000 26 1--dc21 00-03089 9 CII' Design by planerrheo.com First paperback edition : Decembe r 2001 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Tran sferred to digital printi ng 2005
For William: brother in faith, colleague in kitchen, partner in life
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CONTENTS Acknowledgments ix Introduction.................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE Liturgical Food: Communion Elements and Conflict..... 9 CHAPTER TWO Social Food: Potlucks and Coffee Hours 61 CHAPTER THREE Emergency Food: The Development ofsoup Kitchens 99 CHAPTER FOUR Global Food: Hunger Politics 137 CHAPTER FIVE Moral Food: Eating as a Christian Should 185 Conclusion................................... 221 Notes 225 Index 249
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS WHEN PEOPLE I MEET SOCIALLY LEARN THAT I AM AN ACADEMIC, they politely ask what I'm working on and prepare themselves to be bored. When I tell them that I'm studying religion and food, however, their boredom disappears as they tell me stories-stories about the church they grew up in, or about their grandmother's potluck recipe. Everyone, it seems, enjoys talking about food. AsI've worked on this book, I have benefited from lots ofinteresting conversations about food-often at coffee hours or over dinners. Members of the project team of the Material History ofamerican Religion Project-Marie Griffith, James Hudnut-Beurnler, Colleen McDannell, Robert Orsi, Leigh Schmidt, David Watt, Judith Weisenfeld, and Diane Winston-have made valuable comments and asked great questions over the last four years. Marie Griffith, a fellow foodie, read almost the entire manuscript and was particularly helpful. I also appreciate the help of Courtney Bender, Carolyn Gifford, and Lynn Japinga and the rest ofthe Hope College religion faculty, who commented on various sections. As usual, the final responsibility for ignoring their good advice is mine. This book has allowed me to pursue research in some interesting and varied places. Thomas Henry and the staff at St. Pauls United Church of Christ gave me unfettered access to the congregation's files. Jackie Carlson and the rest of the staffat Church World Service set me loose in their attic. William Beatty at the Frances Willard Library of the Women's Christian Temperance Union pointed me in some helpful directions. The staff members, volunteers, and clients of the feeding mini stries discussed in chapter 3 answered my questions and let me lurk in their corners.
x III11HUIlUIl "1l0 TEST\\TS In addition to these expeditions, I also spent a good deal of time in college and seminary libraries. I appreciate the help of these libraries, some of whom didn 't know I was there: Woodruff and Pitts libraries at Emory Universiry; Van Wylen Library at Hope College; Oesterle Library at North Central College; Brimson Grow Library at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary; Beardslee Library at Western Theological Seminary; and the Buswelland Graham libraries at Wheaton College. Above all, I am grateful for the help and enthusiasm ofclay Hulet and the rest of the folks at the Campbell Library of Columbia Theological Seminary. Along the way I've incurred other debts. I appreciate the help and support of James Hudnut-Beumler, who directed the Material History of American Religion Project; not only did he hire me and approve the topic, he also suggested the title. Jim has been a friend as well as a colleague. The Lilly Endowment, Inc., in its financial support of the project, made my research possible. Tommy Smith provided some crucial research, and Randy Tyndall helped with some of the illustrations. Stoncil Boyette pulled me out of several computer snafus-a few of my own making. Hope College-particularly Allen Verhey and the rest of the religion department-provided a good place to complete the manuscript. Michael Flamini and Amanda Johnson ofst. Martin's Press have been enthusiastic and patient. Finally, some personal thanks. I am grateful to my parents for their support over the years. I am sorry my mother-who taught me a lot about both faith and food-cannot see the final product. And I appreciate the assistance of my partner, William Tweedley. He helped develop the idea over supper one night. Since then he has listened as I talked about the book, he has read every chapter, and he has provided important distractions. Like the rest of these people, he has made the book possible.