food and vocation

Food is the great connector and a means for exploring vocation in a world emerging from the shadow of COVID. Undergraduate students can form deep roots to feed their sense of purpose and value when they are given the opportunity to explore vocation as an "edible theology" that appreciates the past, present, and future. Keynote speakers for this interactive gathering include Norman Wirzba, professor of theology at Duke University and author of Food and Faith and Agrarian Spirit, and Laura Wright, professor of English at Western Carolina University and author of The Vegan Studies Project. The gathering also showcases learned practitioners from organizations such as RAFI, Waterkeeper Alliance, Stardust Cellars, Native Root, and the Piedmont Culinary Guild. Participants will investigate the implications of food on identity, explore the intersection of hospitality and justice, and engage the metaphor of the divine banquet in many interactive settings. Those who can stay through Saturday will be able to enjoy the Charlotte StrEATs festival, a two-day celebration of chefs and local food.