Biblical Wisdom and the Ethics of Eating: Ancient Values in Modern Food Debates

Lugano, August, 27th 2025
Facoltà di Teologia di Lugano, USI West Campus

This one-day conference brings together four presentations to explore how key biblical principles – stewardship of creation and hospitality – can shape contemporary discussions on food ethics. While the focus remains on biblical moral thought, the conference acknowledges that food ethics is deeply embedded in a broader interreligious and philosophical discourse. By engaging with issues such as sustainability, global health, and food justice, the event examines whether biblical perspectives – when considered in dialogue with other religious and ethical traditions – can offer meaningful alternatives to dominant paradigms that prioritize individual choice and rationalist frameworks. Each concept will be analyzed through the lens of contemporary thought, considering how 20th- and 21st-century philosophers and theologians, both within and beyond the biblical tradition, have reassessed these moral principles in response to modern challenges. By situating biblical ethics within a pluralistic framework, the conference seeks to highlight how ancient moral traditions continue to shape ethical debates on environmental responsibility, communal well-being, and the morality of consumption. Ultimately, this event explores whether engaging biblical ethics in an interreligious perspective can provide a constructive alternative to prevailing food ethics models.

Programme of the event

Contact
Istituto Religioni e Teologia (ReTe)
[email protected]
+41(0)586664551