In a Zoom program Sharon Sheffield discusses the intersection of food and Western Christianity and how the two have always been intimately connected. What one eats or doesn’t eat, how food is eaten (and with whom), feasting and fasting—all are or have been markers of religious community and the intersection of food and religion. But what specifically has it meant when Christians ask for “our daily bread”? Sharon leads a guided tour of the historical high points of food and Western Christianity, with brief excursions into food customs, folklore, and fasting as an expression of faith. Hear how beer fasts, soul cakes, sin eaters and the Great Leavened/Unleavened Bread Debate are all part of how faith has shaped the way some people look at food—and how these customs still have currency today.

The Reverend Sharon Sheffield is Vicar of St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Long Beach, CA. Sharon holds degrees in divinity and linguistics and anthropology, with an emphasis on how myth and folk tales shape society and vice versa. In her free time, Sharon enjoys using music, drama, historical reenactment, and handicrafts (particularly weaving and knitting) to help people learn about the nooks and crannies of religious and social history.