Word and bread: A theological recipe of the body and mind

Abstract

The Gospel of John identifies Jesus as both the Word that was with God in the beginning and also the Bread of Life. This article proposes that the relationship between Christ’s identity as Word and Bread models the relationship between cerebral and bodily knowledge in the work of theology. Understanding the two in conjunction with one another enables us to see the ways God communes with us through domestic labor, specifically the process of baking and eating bread. This understanding in turn enables us to value the theological wisdom embedded in the bodies of bakers throughout history and around the world. A more robust understanding of our daily bread, and the ways God works through it, opens the door for more gracious dialogue over the mysteries of Holy Communion.