Is God a Vegetarian?: Christianity, Vegetarianism, and Animal Rights

by Richard A. Young, Carol J. Adams (Contributor)

Is God a Vegetarian? is one of the most complete explorations of vegetarianism in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Young, a linguistics and New Testament scholar, attempts to answer the question being asked with greater and greater "Are Christians morally obligated to be vegetarians?"
Many people are confused about the apparent mixed messages within the Bible. On the one hand, God prescribes a vegetarian diet in the Garden of Eden and the apocalyptic visions of Isaiah and John imply the restoration of a vegetarian diet. However, it is also clear that God permits, Jesus partakes in, and Paul sanctions the eating of flesh. Does the Bible give any clear guidance?

Close readings of key biblical texts pertaining to dietary customs, vegetarianism, and animal rights make up the substance of the book. Rather than ignoring or offering a literal, twentieth-century interpretation of the passages, the author analyzes the voices of these conflicting dietary motifs within their own social contexts. Interwoven throughout these readings are discussions of contemporary issues, such as animal testing and experimentation, the fur industry, raising animals in factories, and the effects of meat-eating on human health.

Genres: Religion, Theology, Vegan, Nonfiction, Christianity, Vegetarian

187 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Nenad Knezevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be a required reading for meat-eating Christians!

[Keith Akers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book. As someone who has researched the "historical Jesus" and the early Ebionites, I had already concluded that vegetarianism and rejection of animal sacrifice is a central part of the Jesus' message and his first followers. (See my book, "The Lost Religion of Jesus." So the first chapter, "Was Jesus a vegetarian?", in which Young concludes that Jesus was NOT a vegetarian, was really upsetting, and I found quite a bit to disagree with. But if you can get over this first chapter, when you look at the rest of the book, it's pretty good, and very skillfully argued. It shows that even if Jesus wasn't a vegetarian, you might want to be anyway.

I typically don't recommend this book to other vegetarians or my liberal friends in various religious communities. But I do recommend it for conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist Christians. It speaks to their interests and in their language. So whenever I engage one of my fundamentalist friends in a discussion of vegetarianism, if they are in the mode of thinking "God said it, it's in the Bible, it's true, I won't listen to anything else!", I ask, "have you read 'Is God a Vegetarian'?"

[Audrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Frustratingly muddled logic that rarely made sense to me. At times it almost seemed as if all the Biblical logic was pointing against vegetarianism, only to have the author scramble in the last paragraph of each chapter to extrapolate some message that somehow supported the idea. It was all very confusing.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a shame this book isn't better known! I would recommend it over Linzey and Withrow King's popular treatments. Don't be turned off by the strange publisher (for theology books at least), and click-baity title, this is an approachable and pastoral approach to the topic, rooted in deep Biblical scholarship and theological knowledge. There are even recipes! I appreciate that Young doesn't go the historically fringe route of labelling Jesus as a vegetarian Ebbonite (see Christspiracy, and several other Christian-esque vegetarian advocates) whose message was corrupted by Paul. Maybe this book has been overlooked because Young is so nuanced and fair. Chapter after chapter I found myself admiring the way he led his reader through the material with such good sense, not exaggerating his own points, while also not disparaging those of his opponents.

Whatever "side" of the issue you're on, you'll be challenged. Young also may be ignored by his conservative readers because he embraces a lot of historical-critical approaches to the Bible and emphasizes narrative theology. And perhaps he'll be ignored by his liberal readers because of his emphasis on having one's ethics shaped by Scripture (for Young, this primarily means the story), an emphasis that I haven't found in liberal/progressive Christian circles. Both conservatives and liberals have equal reason to ignore this book: Young asks them/us to give up meat, which is beloved at church potlucks and BBQ's across the entire theological spectrum.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

an insightful look into biblical ethics. to me, the conclusions were secondary to the responsibility, depth and rigour exercised in analysing the topic, be it hermeneutical or philosophical, applied historically or in the modern context of mass caged farming methods.

i appreciated the fact that the writer brought in the opinions of the early church fathers. taken into consideration, this highlights the truth that vegetarianism has always been an issue to be wrestled with, and not just a modern fad.

the thing that stood out to me was the need to identify narratives within the bible and determine if these were minor concessions, or if this represented the grand narrative of cosmic redemption (ie towards the peaceable kingdom). we certainly have a duty to aligning ourselves with peace and love for our oppressed neighbours, even if non-human.

[Nik Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling but well balanced book (with a somewhat misleadingly provocative title), arguing in favor of vegetarianism from a Biblical perspective but without resorting to arguments that Jesus and the Apostles were themselves vegetarians. The author mentions these arguments made by some Christian vegetarian authors but dismisses their evidence due to the unreliability of their sources. Instead he argues for vegetarianism for different reasons. Even if you do not find his argument convincing, the book is well written and well reasoned. But why did all books about vegetarianism written in the '90s have to include recipes?

[Kelsey Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be a little corny (there’s a chapter called “Would a Veggie Garfield Be a Happy Cat?), but I learned a lot from it. Although the author and I have different approaches to theology and ethics, his exegesis of NT texts is impeccable. Actually, his interpretation of the vegetarian texts of the patristics is extremely conservative, more so than it needs to be. The book reads as if, in an effort to be totally fair-minded and objective, the author gives himself a disadvantage throughout. Still, this is a great introduction to the breadth of materials and issues around animal-eating and Christian ethics in the early church and scripture.

[John Estrellas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, Sound Theology

Don't let the title deceive you. Young does an excellent job at examining what other animal theologians are claiming and provides a more historical and sound approach to vegetarianism and God's view of animals. One of the best animal theology books I've read. Very down to earth and faithful to the truths and principles of Christianity. I highly recommend it.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unconvinced

[Vegetarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

[Autumn Kotsiuba · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodness, vegetarianism and religion?

[Jason Comely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for Christians. Vegan recipes too. Here's a full review on my podcast: http://jesusinbooks.com/is-god-a-vege...