The Fat Jesus: Feminist Explorations in Boundaries and Transgressions

by Lisa Isherwood

From Eves apple to female saints nourished by the Eucharist alone, to the recent phenomenon of evangelical Slim For Him programmes that encourage women to lose physically and gain spiritually, the ways in which women relate to food, particularly in a religious context, are many and fascinating. In this engaging and accessible book, the author explores their complex connections and paradoxical messages, in which women are at once nurturers and temptresses, visionaries and hysterics, controllers of the meal table and excessive consumers. Lisa Isherwood traces the links between beauty, slenderness and the Judeo-Christian God to ask why is there no fat Jesus and considers new ways of imagining desire, wholeness and self esteem in light of a Christian tradition that values asceticism and restraint. Drawing on case study material she also looks at the issue of eating disorders and their spiritual dimension, and the twin problems of obesity and over-consumption. Clearly accessible for general readers, as well as those with a particular interest in theology, sociology of religion and gender studies, this book provides a fascinating cultural history of the complex ways in which food, women and religion interrelate.

Genres: Religion, Feminism

158 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I struggled a lot with many of the religious concepts in this book, I can’t really use my lack of knowledge to rate this book lower, so I have to give it 5 out of 5. A month after having read this book I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that, as my girlfriend illuminated, being raised in a pseudo-secular-but-actually-Christian society, I am “Culturally Christian”. And as this book highlights, the sins, devils, angels and innocence of the diet industry have their routes in Christian sentiment. Thus it seems that spirituality and all the goodness of religion has been left, while consumer capitalism has re-branded guilt and shame. The idea of fully enjoying your body and its senses, eating and drinking being a part of that, and this being a way to show thanks at being alive, in a religious way or non-religious way, is an interesting concept and one I want to take on board.

Ultimately this book is explicitly Christian in language, and coming from an atheistic background I found it difficult to get to grips with. Having said that, my struggle with the language and certain religious concepts made this book no less compelling. In all honesty I feel my reading of this book merely scraped the surface in understanding. I don’t feel qualified to review this book, only to say it feels a very important piece of writing and a must read regardless of personal religious perspectives. I hope to reread this book at some point.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking look at the diet industry which permeates modern Protestant-based Christianity. I'd honestly never heard of 'Slim for Him' etc until I read this book. The author also deals with Western culture's abhorrence of fat bodies, especially when they are female bodies, and discusses the historicity of women and the body within Christianity and its legacy for our more secular society today. One thing I wish the author had dealt with in greater detail, is why it is the Protestant-based offshoots of Christianity that seem prone to this and not the Catholic side. Rating: 4 stars.