On the New Gospel: The food industry and the importance of Place

Food – both its production and consumption - shapes our relations to the world. It is a daily activity which roots us in the world. It connects us to other humans and their labor, to the plants and animals which we eat and to the earth which provides it. In theology as well as in Church life, Meal sharing and food is usually seen as very positive, bringing people together. The destructive and violent side of the way we provide for our food is often overlooked, or not seriously considered. The film The new Gospel (2020) by Milo Rau, interacts with both the destructive and live giving structures of food. I will look at this film as a theologian who beliefs the live giving biblical stories on food only are of meaning if we relate them to the complex dynamics of food in our world today.