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

Richard A. Young (Author), Carol J. Adams (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

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 frequency: "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.

Thirteen chapters cover such topics as
-- the vegetarian diet in the Garden of Eden
-- the clothing of the first humans in animal skins
-- God's permitting humans to eat meat
-- animal sacrifice
-- the dietary habits of Jesus and the early apostles
-- Paul's condemnation of vegetarianism as heresy
-- the dietary views of the early church fathers
-- the peaceable kingdom.

The author provides two vegetarian recipes at the end of each chapter. An epilogueincludes guidelines for becoming a vegetarian and a recommended reading list.

Insightful and challenging, Is God a Vegetarian? poses provocative questions for vegetarians, Christians, and anyone reflecting upon her personal choices and ethical role in our world today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Young, who teaches New Testament at Temple Baptist Seminary, is as concerned with how to read scripture as he is with vegetarianism. As a result, he offers an insightful account of biblical ethics combined with an accessible argument for vegetarianism. Rather than mining scripture for proof texts, he searches for "directional markers" that serve as "flexible guidelines" for Christians looking to make moral decisions about animal rights and vegetarianism. His argument against cruelty to animals is not grounded in an abstract set of rights but in a narrative account that depicts a God intimately related to the whole of creation. Not set simply on proving that Jesus was a vegetarian, Young describes a peaceable kingdom where harmonious relations among creatures is more consistent with the Hebrew understanding of God than is a world marked by violence. Young returns repeatedly to biblical images of a peaceable kingdom and asks how we can evoke similar images in our own places and times. Each of his 13 chapters ends with two vegetarian recipes, and the epilogue offers a simple but well-documented account of "going veggie." As a whole, the book is a practical introduction to ethics made particularly accessible by sustained attention to a single popular issue. It is also an articulate case for vegetarianism that is neither simply a popular treatise on health and diet nor a political treatise on animal rights. Young's book offers a thoughtful reflection on a world of peace and justice in which, though we may not be what we eat, what we eat, and why, is an integral part of who we are.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Religions have been used to justify variations of human behavior ranging from how to wage war to ways of preserving peace. The religious reasons why humans should restrain from eating meat are the concern of these two books. Berry, historical adviser to the North American Vegetarian Society, has compiled essays discussing how the world's religions (Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Judaism, Roman Catholic and Protestant Christianity, and Sufism) have dealt with vegetarianism. Accompanying each essay is an interview with a vegetarian practitioner of that particular faith, usually a clergy member, monk, or self-proclaimed follower. The true value of this book is in these interviews, where the scholarly interpretations of religious texts come alive in the daily practices of the believers. Unlike Berry, Young (New Testament studies, Temple Baptist Seminary) restricts his perspective to biblical interpretations of text concerning the dietary laws and customs of Christians and Jews. It is through this careful reading of the Bible that he engages the reader in a discussion of the dilemma, both religious and social, of whether "real" Christians should be vegetarians. He expands his thesis to include animal testing and experimentation, the fur industry, and animal factories. Both books strongly advocate vegetarianism, and the theological arguments are biased toward non-meat eating, but this does not distract from the deep scholarship performed by both authors. For those who are seeking a religious basis for their vegetarianism, these two books are essential reading. Recommended for all libraries.?Glenn Masuchika, Chaminade Univ. Lib., Honolulu
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812693930
• ISBN-13: 978-0812693935
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,049,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly fantastic!, August 28, 2001

By 

Paul Doland (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Is God a Vegetarian?: Christianity, Vegetarianism, and Animal Rights (Paperback)

One of the most important things about this book is that it does NOT, I repeat NOT, try to reinvent Jesus as a vegetarian. There have been some attempts to try to "prove" Jesus was vegetarian, but the author finds the evidence for such reinventions to not be compelling. The author basically concludes that some consumption of meat is biblically acceptable, so long as the animal has been treated with care and compassion during its life. On the other hand, the author also concludes that vegetarian is preferred, and factory farming would have to be contemptable in God's eyes. By the way, I'm personally an agnostic, and one of the reasons why I have turned away from Christianity is that the Christian church, in general, does not see the obvious truth to the immorality of factory farming. This book is must reading.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He Answered My Questions, February 1, 2003

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Wayne Mcdaniel (Lawrence, KS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Is God a Vegetarian?: Christianity, Vegetarianism, and Animal Rights (Paperback)

I read Linzey's book, "Animal Gospel," in which he laid a good theological basis for humane care of animals and the practice of vegetarianism. However, he did not adequately address certain issues which were pressing to me. These included God giving Noah permission to eat meat, God providing a garment of skin for Adam and Eve, the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, Jesus eating meat and Paul's arguments against vegetarianism. Richard Young does and excellent job addressing all of these and other issues. He approaches each issue and question with straight forward honesty. Frequently, I felt as if he brought up an issue with which there was not good vegetarian response. However, he would address how it is normally read, frequently in complete agreement with the traditional reading of the passage, but then very gently present a fresh perspective.

Some Christian vegetarian groups use dubious historical documents to "prove" that Jesus and/or his disciples were vegetarian. Young does nothing of the kind, in fact, he debunks those attempts. He is very honest and straightforward in presenting his case.

I would strongly recommend this book for the Christian who is struggling with animal rights and vegetarianism from a Biblical perspective. If a Christian is not struggling with these issues, perhaps they should and this book would be a good place to start.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All Christians should be required to read this book., August 8, 2000

By 

Stacy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Is God a Vegetarian?: Christianity, Vegetarianism, and Animal Rights (Paperback)

I am saddened by a previous review by "a reader" on July 26, 2000. I wonder if this person even read the book. Or did they read it with a closed mind and heart? What makes this book so wonderful is the author's ability to remain unbiased while using scriptual evidence to answer very complicated questions. Unlike some of the more complex books on the study of Christianity and Animal Rights (e.g. Andrew Linzey's Animal Theology), Richard Alan Young writes in a clear, consise, and easy-to-understand manner yet manages to answer all the important questions that arise when considering this complex subject. This should be required reading for anyone who calls themself a Christian. Truthfully, it would be easier to not read this book and not think about how your life adds to the suffering and violence inflicted upon animals (ignorance is bliss), but I urge you to read this book, ask God to open your heart and mind, and let Him through His Word change the way you view animals.