Lesus Edens. A Dietary Perspective on the Jesus of the Gospels

Abstract

This article examines the topic of Jesus’ eating and drinking in the Gospels, focusing on passages that depict Jesus consuming food or drinking, experiencing physiological effects related to nutrition, or expressing ideas about bodily processes connected to eating and drinking. The study categorises these texts into seven thematic groups, providing a comprehensive typology of Jesus’ material meals in the Gospels. This analysis serves as a foundation for future research on preNicene theological interpretations of Christ’s corporeality. Key findings include the prevalence of commensality in Jesus’ meals, suggesting its importance in shaping early Christian identity and practices. The Gospels also present physiological notions about eating and drinking, often attributed to Jesus himself, indicating an assumption of his full human corporeality. The texts also illustrate a tension between Jesus’ recognition of food’s vital role and the prioritisation of his divine mission, sometimes at the expense of his own nourishment. This tension highlights the complex relationship between Jesus’ human needs and divine mission. By cataloguing and analysing these passages, this study provides a crucial resource for exploring early Christian conceptions of Christ’s body and the theological implications of his eating and drinking practices.