Stations of the Banquet Faith Foundations for Food Justice

. . . will nourish communal study, public worship and personal meditation.

How refreshing it is to read a book that brings together social concerns, biblical and pastoral theology, spirituality, mission, and liturgy. Such good joined-up Christian thinking is to be greatly welcomed.

Campbell's book will be an invaluable reflection tool for all those who labor in the kitchen and at the table. It would be perfect for parishes as readings for a Lenten meager meals program. It is a tasty morsel and a bracing Christian antidote to the not-yet-dead but discredited theories of Malthus. Indeed, Christians involved in food ministry at all levels will be nourished by these reflections and delighted to join in the dance of Mary and Martha.

. . . the work is successful in showing how the language of faith can inspire and transform commitments, reshape imaginations and sustain constructive action.

Here is a feast for soul and intellect. Stations of the Banquet is a richly textured, poetically written reflection on the Christian story and its significance for the world food crisis. This is biblical theology at its best—calling for a radical transformation both of ourselves and our society. Cathy Campbell reclaims the public meaning of ancient texts from a merely privatized spirituality.

Campbell's Stations of the Banquet invites us to rebuild a sense of connectedness through food-centered spirituality, and in so doing, to build a foundation for food justice in the world. Stations of the Banquet is an invitation—to us all—to move out of our professional affiliations and to connect at a deeper level. Rather than remaining stuck in polarized positions, we can collectively move towards a new dimension of food justice, facilitated by the journey of reflection and ritual that Campbell offers us in her book.

Food activists sometimes burn out and contemplatives are often content with inner journeys. Cathy Campbell's biblical reflections unite the qualities of Martha, the food activist, and her sister Mary, the contemplative, in a spiritual passion for justice—a feast at the table of God. . . . The book provides spiritual nourishment for food activists, justice-seekers, and parish education programs.

The Rev. Dr. Campbell presents a wonderful series of spiritual blessings and challenges in Stations of the Banquet. In Interweaving the rich testimony of scripture and theologians, she engages the reader to ask the serious questions of personal and communal responsibility about the basic needs of the poor, especially nourishment. The ritual components of her Stations also offer creative and refreshing, pastoral opportunities for communal prayer and reflection. This book is a significant contribution of pastoral theology and praxis.

. . . a masterful job of enlightening the reader on the spiritual dimensions of the real-world problem of food insecurity. Her book could not be more timely, as thousands of congregations and tens of thousands of individuals involved in the difficult daily work of feeding the hungry yearn for a deeper spiritual understanding of the problem and their work addressing it. As an academic researcher who has studied domestic food insecurity and hunger for the past 18 years and as a person of faith, I found the book to be deeply moving and spiritually satisfying. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to read and reflect on Stations of the Banquet and encourage others to share in this blessing.

Campbell has given us much to ponder and much to pray about as persons and as faith communities.