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The Catholic Table: Finding Joy Where Food and Faith Meet
What does our Catholic faith teach us about eating well? Some of us eat too much food. Or we eat too little. Often, we eat without gratitude, without charity, without respect. But, as award-winning author Emily Stimpson Chapman explains in The Catholic Table, with a sacramental worldview the supernatural gift of God’s grace can transform and heal us through the food we make, eat, and share.
189 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 2, 2016
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698 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
January 31, 2020
4.5/5
So good. I closed the book and said, "Amen." It is a little repetitive, but I can forgive it for all the good I got out of it. Some things I need to hear more than once for it to really sink into my heart. I've been on a journey of learning to eat in a balanced way, but this took everything I have learned and brought it to another level. It's a complete understanding of food and the dignity of our bodies and hospitality and service to others, because it is based on God's abundant love for us and His provision through our actual daily bread, and the Eucharist. I especially appreciated the chapter on eating virtuously and each meal being an opportunity to make decisions that get us closer to who God made us to be. An opportunity to grow in virtue, and grow in community each time we sit down at the table. Highly recommend this one!
So good. I closed the book and said, "Amen." It is a little repetitive, but I can forgive it for all the good I got out of it. Some things I need to hear more than once for it to really sink into my heart. I've been on a journey of learning to eat in a balanced way, but this took everything I have learned and brought it to another level. It's a complete understanding of food and the dignity of our bodies and hospitality and service to others, because it is based on God's abundant love for us and His provision through our actual daily bread, and the Eucharist. I especially appreciated the chapter on eating virtuously and each meal being an opportunity to make decisions that get us closer to who God made us to be. An opportunity to grow in virtue, and grow in community each time we sit down at the table. Highly recommend this one!
October 23, 2017
“For Christians, feeding guests isn’t about proving our own generosity; it’s a participation in God’s generosity. He gives us good gifts, and we thank Him by sharing good gifts with others.” P. 134
January 17, 2020
Some beautiful truths here to ponder about having a sacramental worldview, feasting and fasting, eating virtuously, and hospitality. I really loved her thoughts on the subjects and am excited to discuss with my small group. Her writing was a little repetitive/annoying at times, like please don’t mention bacon or beets one more time!! But overall good read!
September 14, 2025
I enjoyed this more than many recently-written works about spirituality—first, because there’s frank authenticity (still a lot of sentence fragments), but second (and more key) because it confirmed, explained, and elaborated upon a lot of what I’ve been recently pondering in reference to hospitality.
January 24, 2020
I enjoyed this book and her sharing the perespective of the goodness of food as a gift from God. I love how she wove in an understanding of theology of the body, growth in virtues and the spiritual nature of eating as God intended: joyfully, gratefully and in community. I grew in appreciation of food as more than tasty fuel as well as was inspired to make it a point more often to practice hospitality in my home.
February 25, 2021
This book truly was so good!! It was formative in real hospitality (not performing for guests, but inviting them into your home for the sake of love and nothing else), while intertwined with sound theology. Truly it was a gift to read and was randomly recommended to me by a friend and this is my recommending it to YOU. It was an easy read, and the author’s easy, flowing style of prose made it so. She also throws some recipes throughout (BONUS) that I can’t wait to try. The reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because there are some parts where she speaks with a bit of an absolute tone on subjective matters and that can really rub people the wrong way (me). But it’s mostly all around VERY good (emphasis on very).
TLDR: absolutely read
TLDR: absolutely read
March 6, 2025
What a beautiful and thoughtful exploration of “where food and faith meet.” Food as a sign and sacrament, eating and the virtues (how to be a charitable host and guest, serving others through food, good table manners, gratitude), holy fasting and holy feasting. I’m grateful for this new lense through which to see food and hospitality. (It was also quite to fitting to read just before the beginning of lent!)
April 18, 2025
Emily shares her struggles with food and her recommendations that stem from her experiences and theological findings. My one complaint is her obvious lack of knowledge of elimination and reintroduction food plans. She seems to believe that these “diets” (for lack of a better word) are meant to be long term food restrictions, when actually the “restrictive” elimination phase is meant to last a short while with the reintroduction phase to discover any food intolerances/allergies that might be manifesting as less obvious symptoms. The goal is always least restrictive diet/eating, and Emily does not seem to know the function and goal of this form of eating.
March 26, 2025
This book was incredible!
I was reading it for a book study I’m in and thoroughly enjoyed it!!
The way she writes about food and how it truly is a gift from God, as well as our bodies being created to receive this gift, gave me a new view of how I approach meals. I loved the chapter on virtue and how we should approach food with the 4 theological virtues, and every meal we partake in is a chance to practice them.
I highly recommend this book and will be reading it again!
I was reading it for a book study I’m in and thoroughly enjoyed it!!
The way she writes about food and how it truly is a gift from God, as well as our bodies being created to receive this gift, gave me a new view of how I approach meals. I loved the chapter on virtue and how we should approach food with the 4 theological virtues, and every meal we partake in is a chance to practice them.
I highly recommend this book and will be reading it again!
October 30, 2024
Highly, highly recommend reading!!!!
March 16, 2017
This is by far the best new nonfiction I have read in a long time. Emily blogs at The Catholic Table, where she writes about life and food and hospitality and faith. This book of the same title covers the same topics, but in an interwoven and introspective way that I did not expect when I first picked it up.
Emily takes food, the substance we all can't live with out, the thing many people obsess over, the item that we misuse frequently, and helps us see it through God's eyes.
The content of this book is just amazing. She writes about food, but connects it to Creation, Theology of the Body, eating disorders, cooking, hospitality, family, friends, sacramentality, the Eucharist, and more. Even better, the book is peppered with delicious recipes, stories of food miracles, and mini bios of Saints connected to special food patronages. It was a delight.
I now would love to score an invite to one of Emily's dinner parties. ;) And this cover! So beautiful! It was what first attracted me to reading it, and the image doesn't disappoint.
"Food isn't just about calories and fat, vitamins and minerals, additives and preservatives. It's about God. It's about community. It's about life. Food is one of God's most precious gifts, a sign of the Lord's goodness, abundance, creativity, and love. Most important, it's the very thing that God becomes for us in the Eucharist."
I loved it so much, I am convincing my young adult group to lead a Bible study series on the topics Emily presents. In the meantime, I want more people to read this book. I think that it will be especially poignant for wives & moms seeking meaning and everyday theology in the daily tasks of providing for people. But really, I think that this book is for anyone who eats and wants to know why God gave us food and how He is using it to draw us back to Him.
Emily takes food, the substance we all can't live with out, the thing many people obsess over, the item that we misuse frequently, and helps us see it through God's eyes.
The content of this book is just amazing. She writes about food, but connects it to Creation, Theology of the Body, eating disorders, cooking, hospitality, family, friends, sacramentality, the Eucharist, and more. Even better, the book is peppered with delicious recipes, stories of food miracles, and mini bios of Saints connected to special food patronages. It was a delight.
I now would love to score an invite to one of Emily's dinner parties. ;) And this cover! So beautiful! It was what first attracted me to reading it, and the image doesn't disappoint.
"Food isn't just about calories and fat, vitamins and minerals, additives and preservatives. It's about God. It's about community. It's about life. Food is one of God's most precious gifts, a sign of the Lord's goodness, abundance, creativity, and love. Most important, it's the very thing that God becomes for us in the Eucharist."
I loved it so much, I am convincing my young adult group to lead a Bible study series on the topics Emily presents. In the meantime, I want more people to read this book. I think that it will be especially poignant for wives & moms seeking meaning and everyday theology in the daily tasks of providing for people. But really, I think that this book is for anyone who eats and wants to know why God gave us food and how He is using it to draw us back to Him.
July 26, 2018
I read this for a book club and was originally assured that I’d still appreciate it even though I’m not catholic. Turns out to not be true. Theological differences made it hard for me to connect or agree with arguments and points. In addition, I have what I think is a fairly positive relationship with food so I found the entire book pretty unrelateable. I am excited for the recipes and a little inspired to be intentional about hosting friend dinners!
December 12, 2016
If I could give this more stars I would. It is a pricey book but worth every penny and more. This will be reread and will be a resource. I will share this with my daughter and will read parts aloud to the family...especially how pickiness is a sin as we make our own preferences our idol and push it upon others. Lots to ponder and pray about and to work on and instill.
January 26, 2018
The Catholic Table was a great little book. I've had my eyes on it for quite some time, and when I saw that my local library finally got it, I jumped on the opportunity to read it.
This is something of particularly high interest to me; the Catholic perspective on food, eating, and community surrounded food. I'm sure the author and I share this in common, and she decided to write about it. I share her sentiment that much, much more ink ought to be spilled over the theme, and God willing, I can attribute some day.
One of the things I admired most about this book was its focus on the Catholic sacramental viewpoint of food, eating, and community. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked it up, but that was a consistent and very welcome theme. Emily does a great job considering her potential audience, too; perhaps a non-Catholic, a Protestant, secular modernist, whatever- she does a fantastic job considering who might be reading into it and provides necessary explanation at certain points throughout the book where maybe only a practicing Catholic would understand something. Kudos for that.
A chapter I particularly benefited from would be that from fasting. It's something I have been pondering, and how it all fits together with a healthy mindset while remaining sacramental and attempting holiness. Emily considers the topic with grace and is assertive yet delicate in her explanations of Church teaching and tying it in to our contemporary perception/experience.
Another chapter I was fond of, and hit home with me was the chapter on the emphasis of the Christian being hospitable, and using food as a means to do so. I'd say that I struggle in this area, and that I have much to improve upon. I don't jump to hospitality because "food is expensive" or whatever excuse I come up with; but my wife is quick to offer our table and our food, and she's much holier than I (praise God!).
Overall, this book is a wonderful little read that anyone can pick up comfortably and laugh along with the author. Emily has written a very approachable, humorous, yet sacramental book from the Catholic perspective on food. I pray we, as a Church, can provide more of this theme in the days ahead.
This is something of particularly high interest to me; the Catholic perspective on food, eating, and community surrounded food. I'm sure the author and I share this in common, and she decided to write about it. I share her sentiment that much, much more ink ought to be spilled over the theme, and God willing, I can attribute some day.
One of the things I admired most about this book was its focus on the Catholic sacramental viewpoint of food, eating, and community. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked it up, but that was a consistent and very welcome theme. Emily does a great job considering her potential audience, too; perhaps a non-Catholic, a Protestant, secular modernist, whatever- she does a fantastic job considering who might be reading into it and provides necessary explanation at certain points throughout the book where maybe only a practicing Catholic would understand something. Kudos for that.
A chapter I particularly benefited from would be that from fasting. It's something I have been pondering, and how it all fits together with a healthy mindset while remaining sacramental and attempting holiness. Emily considers the topic with grace and is assertive yet delicate in her explanations of Church teaching and tying it in to our contemporary perception/experience.
Another chapter I was fond of, and hit home with me was the chapter on the emphasis of the Christian being hospitable, and using food as a means to do so. I'd say that I struggle in this area, and that I have much to improve upon. I don't jump to hospitality because "food is expensive" or whatever excuse I come up with; but my wife is quick to offer our table and our food, and she's much holier than I (praise God!).
Overall, this book is a wonderful little read that anyone can pick up comfortably and laugh along with the author. Emily has written a very approachable, humorous, yet sacramental book from the Catholic perspective on food. I pray we, as a Church, can provide more of this theme in the days ahead.
July 15, 2018
This was a quick read but filled with lots of wisdom on multiple topics regarding food. It touches upon everything from the increasingly distorted attitudes toward food in the US, to how food is viewed throughout the Bible, the Eucharist, the author's own struggle with disordered eating and recovery, bits of the Theology of the Body, fasting, feasting, eating and how it relates to the virtues, and one of my favorite sections: hospitality/entertaining. Although its intended audience is clearly other Catholics, a person of any Christian denomination, and even people other faiths would most likely find many of the thoughts and ideas presented in the book to be interesting and beneficial.
Oh yes, and this book really made me want to host a dinner party!
A few of my favorite quotes:
"One of the first and most important fruits of food is community. God, remember, is a Community" (38.)
"Someone who seeks to control their body and someone who seeks to care for their body are doing two entirely different things. One is treating the body like a problem; the other is treating the body like a gift" (57).
"Food creates and sustains community. The Eucharist incorporates us into the ultimate community, the family of God, the Body of Christ" (44).
"From Pinterest to Better Homes and Gardens, entertaining is primarily depicted as a performance...the goal is always to impress...Following that model entertaining becomes about the hosts, not the guests...it hinges not on how much love we lavish on our guests, but rather on how much money, time, attention, and skill we lavish on the party" (130).
Oh yes, and this book really made me want to host a dinner party!
A few of my favorite quotes:
"One of the first and most important fruits of food is community. God, remember, is a Community" (38.)
"Someone who seeks to control their body and someone who seeks to care for their body are doing two entirely different things. One is treating the body like a problem; the other is treating the body like a gift" (57).
"Food creates and sustains community. The Eucharist incorporates us into the ultimate community, the family of God, the Body of Christ" (44).
"From Pinterest to Better Homes and Gardens, entertaining is primarily depicted as a performance...the goal is always to impress...Following that model entertaining becomes about the hosts, not the guests...it hinges not on how much love we lavish on our guests, but rather on how much money, time, attention, and skill we lavish on the party" (130).
May 12, 2020
Chapman discusses her struggles with an eating disorder she developed in college and how she gradually rediscovered her Catholic faith which led her to understand food as a gift from God which then helped her to incorporate her faith into her eating habits. This is a good book for people who are worried and anxious about how much food they eat, how much they weigh and how thin they look. Not that we should overeat, but this book helps bring virtue into our eating habits and explains how God blesses us with food and how we can enjoy it. Also the author talks about the Church’s liturgical year and how we should fast when the church fasts (e.g. Lent season of 40 days) and feast when the church feasts, (e.g. Easter Season of 50 days) and overall there are more feast days than fast days.
October 1, 2023
Emily Stimpson has such a fun and unique voice that delivers her message so well. I’ve gained a new perspective on feasting and fasting in the Catholic faith and how to not approach those seasons with attitudes of restriction or guilt, but rather to use the time to grow in virtue and community. This book had me both laughing and thinking more deeply about food and it’s significance in our faith. I’m looking forward to seeing how I can start applying the lessons I’ve learned in this book to my life. Definitely recommend!!
November 29, 2019
I highly recommend this book to anyone who eats—so, everyone. Through the lenses of theology and her own experiences, the author discusses fasting, feasting, hospitality, virtue, and viewing food as a sign of the Eucharist. She offers very practical wisdom to counter our culture’s various obsessions with eating too much, too little, or too particularly. Recipes are also included!
July 29, 2022
I absolutely loved this book! As an overeater, this book was chock full of insights as to why one overeats and offered a brand new way of approaching food. It helped connect food and faith in my mind, which I had never really done before. It also has some lovely ideas and recipes to celebrate the faith.
November 26, 2024
"Eat without scruple whatever God has prepared for you at the common table... whatever God provides for you, take that with simplicity of heart from his hand."
-ST. PHILIP NERI
-ST. PHILIP NERI
February 19, 2024
A nice simple read with conversational tone and inspired truths.
March 30, 2024
Some beautiful reflections on faith and food! A great introduction to thinking about food, faith, virtue, true hospitality, and more. Inspiring in many ways.
(Side note: one star taken off because I could see the author’s treatment of eating disorders as harmful. She covers her own struggles and recovery from an eating disorder, and dismisses certain types of rehab and therapy that didn’t help her. Nothing crazy, just some anecdotal opinions, but could be harmful if you are struggling and searching for help.)
(Side note: one star taken off because I could see the author’s treatment of eating disorders as harmful. She covers her own struggles and recovery from an eating disorder, and dismisses certain types of rehab and therapy that didn’t help her. Nothing crazy, just some anecdotal opinions, but could be harmful if you are struggling and searching for help.)
July 31, 2025
I liked a lot of what she said, mostly wasn’t ground breaking but did give me things to reflect on in my own life. Good resource for anyone struggling with a disordered relationship with food. Would have been great to have on hand in my time as a campus missionary.
July 24, 2017
Emily has a common sense philosophy about food and how God provides for us. Written from a Catholic perspective but so valuable for anyone who wishes for sanity in our crazy, new food fad of the week society. Highly recommend to all! If you are intimidated by the Catholic terms or they make you hesitant to read this book, just skim over those parts and savor the discussions and descriptions of how simple and non-threatening hospitality God intends it to be. Emily reveals her past food struggles with candor and wit. She describes her road to recovery in a very relatable style. Her recipes are mouth watering. Her writing is filled with self deprecating humor. A delightful book!
January 22, 2023
I started following Chapman online and began to enjoy her via Instagram. I bought 3 of her books and finally just read the first one. I was excited to begin this book but that excitement quickly turned. I realize this book mirrors Chapman's relationship with food and I also found several areas where it was harmful in my opinion. I am very happy she is no longer in the depths of her eating disorder and that she didn't have the best experiences with treatment and encouraging others not to attend a therapeutic program, her discussion on food morality, and tips for overcoming binge eating disorder can actually cause a lot of harm. I found myself so stuck in those parts that it was hard to focus on the other aspects of the book. Please know that I say this as a Catholic therapist who specializes in work with eating disorders because I worry about the messages people we look up to spread that can cause further harm. I truly believe that was in no way Chapman's intention and I feel the need to give a warning.
February 24, 2020
An absolute must-read if you're interested in the Catholic attitude toward food, hospitality, and cooking. I love it.
June 5, 2018
I finished this book wanting to host a dinner party. It made me think of celebrating the joy of eating in a different way.
March 30, 2022
This book probably affected my life more than any book I've read in recent memory. Contrary to the author's food issues, mine are the opposite, I've always been overweight even as a child and this keep getting worse as I grew older. I eat when I'm bored, ate when not hungry, ate my problems away and I love to bake - what's worse than children having a mom that loves to bake is children that don't care for sweets. I started the book about a month ago and one phrase that stuck with me from the very beginning is food can be either a vice or a virtue. Since really embracing that phrase and being more conscience with my choices, I'm down 15 pounds - it may not seem like a lot but I'm down 45 since 2017 and the last 15 have undeniably been the easiest. The remainder of the book has just solidified all that's good about food and it's ok not to diet but be forthright with choices, when to fast and when to feast. I can't wait to see what happens now.
December 31, 2022
This book definitely was good & unique in its topic! This is not a subject many Catholic of our time discuss. She did a great job speaking gently yet firmly about the topic of disordered eating and I especially liked her integration of the importance of virtue in eating. Eating is one of our greatest opportunity to grow in human virtue because we do it every day and don’t necessarily have an option! She spoke well of not building up hosting to be a scary or big deal all the time, but rather it can be simple and still delightful.
I did feel like she was rambley and scattered at the beginning. I don’t believe she is a trained writer or theologian so that speaks some into that.
Overall it was a good book and I would still recommend it due to its unique topic!
I did feel like she was rambley and scattered at the beginning. I don’t believe she is a trained writer or theologian so that speaks some into that.
Overall it was a good book and I would still recommend it due to its unique topic!
April 6, 2020
The Catholic Table examines the relationship between people and food, and seeks to draw the reader into a sacramental view of food, eating, and our bodies. The author writes in an easy conversational way, which much humor & a bit of self-deprecation, as she examines her own struggle with anorexia, and her return to health both physically and spiritually. The connection between food/ eating, vices & virtues is extremely interesting and worth pondering. Hospitality is another important aspect of eating, as it's not just about the individual in a sacramental worldview. The eleven chapters end with a recipe, and there's a nice bibliography relating to specific chapters. Recommended!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews