Book Description
Challenging the basic assumptions of a meat-eating society, Deep Vegetarianism is a spirited and compelling defense of a vegetarian lifestyle. Considering all of the major arguments both for and against vegetarianism and the habits of meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans alike, Michael Allen Fox addresses vegetarianism's cultural, historical, and philosophical background, details vegetarianism's impact on one's living and thinking, and relates vegetarianism to classical and recent defenses of the moral status of animals.

Demonstrating how a vegetarian diet is related to our awareness of the world and our ethical outlook on life, Fox looks at the different kinds of vegetarian commitments people make and their reasons for making them. In chapters that address such issues as the experiences, emotions, and grounds that are part of choosing vegetarianism, Fox discusses not only good health, animal suffering, and the environmental impacts of meat production, but such issues as the meaning of food, world hunger, religion and spirituality, and, significantly, the links shared between vegetarianism and other human rights movements and ideologies, particularly feminism. In an extensive chapter that addresses arguments made by advocates of meat-eating, Fox speaks to claims of humans as natural carnivores, animals as replaceable, and vegetarians as anti-feminist. He also addresses arguments surrounding the eating habits of indigenous peoples, eating free-range animals, and carnivorous behavior among animals. The most complete examination of the vegetarian outlook to date, Deep Vegetarianism reveals the broad range of philosophical views that contribute to such a choice. It recognizes, and calls for, a conscious awareness of—and an individual responsibility to—the issues that exist in the moral, political, and social spheres of our existence.

With its lively and controversial discussion, Deep Vegetarianism promises to appeal to anyone looking to explore the relationship between dietary choice, lifestyle, the treatment of animals and the environment, and personal ethical responsibility. It will also be particularly useful for students and teachers of moral philosophy, ethics, religion, comparative cultures, ecology, and feminism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

disappointing
First off, I will echo the sentiment of another reviewer by stating that some of the author's arguments are rather weak, particularly his argument against organic/free range meat. To give you an idea, he says that because there aren't enough resources to produce enough organic/free range meat for everyone to maintain their current levels of meat consumption, we shouldn't do it at all. He doesn't even bother, for example, to mention the possibility that we might simply reduce our levels of meat consumption, or that those who do restrict theirmeat diet to organic/free range meat consume lower levels of meat than the average Westerner.

On the whole, I was disappointed by the lack of concrete reasoning and the lack of exploration of arguments for and against vegetarianism, but I suppose I should have expected as much from a book with the word "deep" in the title. Since the author does make some valid points, even though most of his points can be found by running a Google search or reading a PETA brochure, I'll give the book a 3-star rating.

Thoughtful, intelligent book
This is a terrific book, which examines the philosopohical arguments for and against vegetarianism.

Most vegans and vegetarians find themselves in conversations with omnivores about the merits of vegetarianism, whether they go looking for this discourse or not.

I recommend that vegetarians check this book out, especially if you have friends or family members who think that vegetarianism is a seriously crazy way to live. This book provides a thoughtful analysis of the whole range of arguments made -- from the ancient human diet concept through feminism, replaceable animals, and on and on. Never again will you find yourself standing there speechless as an acquaintance at a party or a cousin at Sunday dinnercomes up with an argument you haven't heard before.

This book is well-written, informative, and thought-provoking.

Review of Michael Allen Fox's Deep Vegetarianism
How would society change if instead of a meat-centered dependency, the world switched to universal vegetarianism?In Deep Vegetarianism, Michael Allen Fox explores the positive benefits if humankind were to become an herbivorous species.Moving to a vegetarian society would help diminish world hunger with better management and use of agricultural land, and would also bring awareness to the unjustifiable way in which the majority of food animals are treated, mainly in factory farm practices.He addresses many arguments for vegetarianism, brings to light opinions against [vegetarianism], as well as relates the vegetarian movement with other political movements and struggles throughout history.
From a vegetarian standpoint this book helps to solidify some aspects that may have previously been murky in making the decision to give up meat. It also introduces many issues that one might not have previously considered before becoming a vegetarian.Deep Vegetarianism may encourage a vegetarian to take their diet a step further to becoming a stricter vegetarian, perhaps by moving to the vegan-type diet (no meat, dairy products, or eggs).Solid arguments for justifying vegetarianism that he explores in depth include: health, animal suffering and death, impartiality or disinterested moral concern, environmental concerns, manipulation of nature, world hunger, interspecies kinship and compassion and universal nonviolence.
When identifying arguments commonly used against vegetarianism Fox includes a list from R.G. Frey's book, Rights, Killing, and Suffering: Moral Vegetarianism and Applied Ethics, that lists significant effects such a shift would have on the world.This list includes: "...collapse of the animal food, leather, and pet food industries; social disruption; and the loss of haute cuisine."He [Fox] takes all of these issues into consideration and comes to the conclusion that, "People would still have to eat, and the opportunities for food production, distribution, processing, packaging, shipping, and sales, as well as commodity trading and new secondary industries, would certainly not evaporate." (p.144)
If one reading this book is a meat-eater he [Fox] strongly encourages the change in dietary habits through becoming a vegetarian or into at least putting more thought into where the food being consumed comes from.He does not directly say that if you eat meat you are a bad person, but rather through informative facts and positive reinforcement about the vegetarian lifestyle, he tries to discourage meat eating as the center of the American as well as world diet.His ultimate idea is for the entire world to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, but is aware that this could not happen overnight.One issue opposing vegetarianism is, "What would happen to the many millions of animals that had been waiting to be killed and eaten" after universal vegetarianism was accepted by society?He addresses this issue by reiterating the fact that adoption of this idea [universal vegetarianism] would be a gradual process."...meat-eating would gradually decline as vegetarianism gained adherents, with the net effect that as demand for meat declined, so too would the supply." (p. 146) Fox also explores that there are some cultures in the world that cannot survive without the use of animals.He explains that the Inuit of northern Canada, and Russia's Arctic nomads, the Nenets, are two examples of these cultures.He [Fox] quotes a leader of the Nenets on his beliefs and passion towards the main staple of life in their culture, the reindeer." `for us in the tundra, the reindeer are life itself.There is nothing we can do without reindeer.It's our food, our clothing, our transportation and every other necessity.You can't survive without reindeer.A person without reindeer is a nobody' " (p. 160) His response to the unavoidable dependence of animal use in indigenous cultures as these is,"Cases such as this, where the very survival of a culture is at stake, require that an exception be made.This may be justified by the principle that while humans may have no greater right to live than members of any other species, they also have no lesser right to live."(p.160)
Throughout Deep Vegetarianism, Fox strongly reiterates the positive effects that a universal change to vegetarianism would have on the entire world.His voice is that of a strong, passionate, and convincing man who will continue to urge people to change their dependence on animals and encourage them towards a vegetarianism lifestyle.He not only concludes that it [universal vegetarianism] would bring humankind closer to the environment, but that it also would significantly cut down on the rapid destruction of the natural world, which increases as the dependence of meat in human society increases.The end of a meat-centered society would not be the end of flourishing human existence as many anti-vegetarians conclude."...vegetarianism, rather than being confining, is liberating as it frees us from the exploitation of animals, the domination of nature, and the oppression of one another, and frees us to discover ourselves in more positive, life-affirming ways." (p.183) Sometimes his writing style has a `preachy' feel because of his adamant opinion that the only right diet for a flourishing world future is one based on vegetarianism ideals, and this may cause some readers to feel very defensive.
For anyone looking to help solidify unclear positions of their vegetarianism, or to explore new ideas to strengthen their stance of a non-meat based diet, I adamantly recommend this book.For people who have not looked into the positive effects of a vegetarian lifestyle, both individually and universal, I recommend this book to be read with an open mind and eager knowledge, keeping in mind that after its completion you may very well be on your way to vegetarianism."In order to make the transition to sustainable societies and sensible lifestyles, we need not embrace extreme altruism and self-denial, just good sense and a sense of proportion." (p.177)

brilliant
Fox's book is a brilliant synthesis of the compelling philosophical, environmental, health, moral, political, cultural, and spiritual reasons for vegetarianism. The real strength of this broad-based "reader" is its ability to bring these diverse arguments together as a coherent whole, while presenting counter-arguments with a fair and balanced hand. "Deep Vegetarianism" is written in an accessible, non-dogmatic style that is sure to be enjoyed by anyone with a passing interest in the subject. Highly recommended!

Food for thought
Michael Allen Fox has written a calm, reasoned assessment of the arguments for and against vegetarianism.A great merit of the book is that it explores philosophical arguments in a way that makes them accessible to thegeneral public.Fox doesn't preach to his readers, nor does he expect usall to become saints overnight.Rather, he asks us to consider thefar-reaching effects of our dietary choices, and to choose wisely.This isa first-rate book! ... Read more

Book Description
From God's first injunction, "Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed, to you it shall be for food." (Gen. 1:29) The Hebrew Bible offers countless examples of how God intends a compassionate and caring attitude toward animals, our health, and the health of the planet. This attitude, as Richard Schwartz shows in his pioneering work now fully revised, has been a constant theme throughout Judaism to the present day.

Indeed, Judaism's particular concern for tikkun olam, a healing of the world, has never been more urgent today—given the current state of world hunger, environmental degradation, and the horror of factory farms. Dr. Schwartz shows not only how Judaism is particularly well suited to solving these problems, but how doing so can revitalize one's Jewish faith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

A Judeo-Catholic Indebted To Richard Schwartz
As a longstanding and rather hefty vegetarian, I also firmly felt that my aversion to killing animals, birds and fish for food was rooted in reverence for God's creatures. Richard Schwartz bolstered my spirituality with this compelling and irrefutable book. Genesis One clearly asserted that man was created vegetarian before our fall from grace and plunge into strife. Fortunately, the Prophet Isaiah envisions Messianic times to be an idyllic era wherein men and all creatures will live in peaceful coexistence devoid of bloodshed. Schwartz answers his detractors and accentuates the ecological, moral and human rights benefits of a meatless diet. He also salutes vegetarian advocates including Rav Kook, Rabbi David Rosen and Isaac Singer. If you love this book it will be imperative to purchase and read David Sears' brilliant "Vision Of Eden".

A convincing look at the Bible's look on vegetarianism
I wrote a review on this book for the newsletter for the winter 2001 newsletter for the animal rights group, Last Chance for Animals.I am including my review here:

Richard H. Schwartz's Judaism and Vegetarianism is a useful reference for refuting claims that humans and animals do not deserve equal consideration.It effectively explains and elaborates upon the Bible's stance on vegetarianism and explores other moral and societal issues with which non-religious people can identify; Schwartz even includes a section on how vegetarianism can promote awareness and ultimately resolve these issues.The book also contains answers to common questions, nutritional suggestions, discussions of Jewish vegetarian groups and their activities, biographies of famous Jewish vegetarians, an annotated bibliography, ideas for promoting vegetarianism, and a detailed index.In sum, Schwartz has produced a well-documented, well-reasoned, and very convincing work which ends with a query to Jews who plan to continue eating meat: "In view of strong Jewish mandates to be compassionate to animals, preserve our health, help feed the hungry, preserve and protect the environment, conserve resources, and seek and pursue peace, and the very negative effects animal-centered diets have in each of these areas, will you now become a vegetarian, or at least sharply reduce your consumption of animal products?".

A thorough and in-depth work
Schwartz's treatment of vegetarianism and Judaism is remarkabley thorough. He approaches the topic from the multifaceted avenues of Jewish thinking: Torah, halakhah, values... it's all there. This book is a complete compendium on all the issues and argument pertaining to vegetarianism, concerning for animals, the environment, and more. Schwartz's style is highly readable. He is passionate about his topic, but not emotional. I highly recommend the book to everyone, and certainly for Jews who take our traditions seriously.

Compassion and responsibility
I have read this book thoroughly, and I think it is the most informative, most complete and most readable book about vegetarianism I have ever read. The book is very well structured, the information given is presented clearly and is up to date. Since I am a vegan, I have paid extra attention to what is being said about veganism, and I found the author is objective, accurate and gives sound advice. The B12 issue is dealt with in a responsible manner and I think it is very wise to present the transition to vegetarianism and from there to veganism as a process of growth, where every step counts. The author gives many practical suggestions on how to make changes in your lifestyle without losing touch with family or friends and manages to be firm and friendly at the same time. These things alone make the book a purchase well worth the investment. For me, however, the particular merit of the book lies in the spiritual values that have inspired it. Reading the book from a non-Jewish perspective, what struck me most was that the author has chosen focal points which are relevant to people from all kinds of different backgrounds, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and people who are not religious in the 'traditional' sense. In short, all those who are concerned about the way we relate to our environment from a spiritual point of view. The first focal point is that ethical considerations are more important than habit, convenience, or tradition, and the second is that there will be a price to pay if we chose to ignore the ethical imperative to change our ways. There are many books explaining why it is better for your body to become a vegetarian; there are not many books explaining why it is better for your soul. Richard Schwartz makes the reader see how the themes of inclusion and compassion towards animals are woven all through the Torah. Having read theology at a fairly orthodox Christian college, I have often heard the argument that `since Man was created in the image of God, he was given dominion over all creation' as an excuse for the maltreatment of animals and their reduction to `meat-producing units'. Guided by Richard Schwartz, we are shown that according to the Torah both man and beast are creatures of God, and that our being created in the image of God is not a given, but rather a potential; something to be brought into manifestation by following the pattern God has laid out for us, and that one of the qualities we must manifest is compassion. Instead of feeling very proud of ourselves and thinking that we are like God already, we should realise that we are asked to imitate God in love and concern for all living beings. Instead of 'dominion' we should read 'compassionate stewardship', and that is something else entirely. From the idea of our potential for goodness and compassion, the theme of responsibility is developed. The author shows us how we are responsible, in the sense of being accountable for the wrongs we do not try to stop. By means of the voice of Amos and other prophets he poignantly asks how we can be content and comfortable while others are in great distress, humans or non-humans. I feel that now Europe has recently been plagued by BSE and foot-and-mouth disease, and we have watched the horrors of what is happening every night on television, this question is more pressing than ever. How are we to answer for these things? That is one side of responsibility. The other side is that human beings are called to do justice, to liberate the oppressed, to care for every living being and that it is the way we act in this world, the choices we make and the goals we chose, which form our answer, our response, to God. For me, our human capacity to answer to this call is the basis of faith in a better future for all beings and Richard Schwartz's book has given me every reason not to give up believing. Human beings have the potential to be compassionate and just, and they can learn how to express these qualities. And they will learn more willingly if they are given the facts about oppression and hunger and are shown ways how to change. This is exactly what Richard Schwartz has done. Like the good teacher he is, he shows people what their calling is, where they go wrong, and what they can do to change for the better. This calling is not just for Jews; many people feel that they have a responsibility for the planet and for all that lives there; they just don't know what exactly is going wrong and how to make it better. By enumerating the facts, by showing the consequences of present practices, and by showing the way out, Richard Schwartz makes a very strong case for the vegetarian imperative, no matter what the reader's religion is. I sincerely recommend the book.

Fair-minded and articulate guide
This book is excellent. It is beautifully written, exceptionally complete, and very fair-minded in its tone. The arguments are compelling and clear. I expected a diatribe, but that was not the case at all. Even though I will continue to eat meat, the author raised many pertinent questions andanswered them in a thoughtful, well-reasoned way. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Unconventional View of the Origins of Christianity
For anyone wanting to know the real history of early Christianity, this book is both an essential and a "fun" read. First published in 1986 with the title "The Vegetarianism of Jesus Christ," this second edition has much additional material and substantial revisions which have made the book more interesting, more provocative, and more persuasive.

Vaclavik (pronounced "vah-SLAH-vik") does not mince words or conclusions. The current so-called Christianity is at best a pale imitation of the real views of Jesus, and at worst an outright betrayal of its leader. Jesus was interested in promoting pacifism (nonviolence towards enemies), communalism (sharing of possessions), and vegetarianism (nonviolence towards animals). Vaclavik's book is important and valuable: I have read his book and profited from it. Moreover, I believe that in his important conclusions, he is absolutely right: pacifism, communalism, and vegetarianism were important parts of the message of Jesus.

Vaclavik identifies three strains in early Christianity: Judaic Christianity, Gnostic Christianity, and Catholic Christianity. The Judaic Christians derived from Jesus himself and believed in the original tenets of Jesus: vegetarianism, pacifism, and communalism. But the origins of Jesus' ideas go back even further -- back, in fact, to Pythagoras, who held many of the same ideas. Pythagoras was thus, amazingly enough, a prophet of Christianity. The ancient Hebrews included both the priestly faction which advocated and practiced animal sacrifice, and the prophets who condemned animal sacrifice.The Judaic Christians rejected the priestly faction. They were called Nazarenes, an offshoot of the Essenes, and aligned themselves with the prophets and the Judaic Pythagoreans.

Gnostic Christianity got its start with Paul. Paul preached a diluted message that did not include vegetarianism to Pagan gnostics, who were converted to become Christian gnostics. Catholic Christianity is even more derivative: it is an offshoot of Gnostic Christianity, and is thus "a heresy of a heresy." Catholic Christianity originated not with Paul, nor even with Peter, but with John "the beloved disciple" who was a Judaic priest who converted to follow Jesus as a young man.

Vaclavik's book does not stick to the tried and true formulas. He is really heading off into uncharted territory, and his book is full of new and unconventional interpretations of the data. To cite just a few examples: the Nazarenes were an offshoot of the Essenes; Paul is the origin of Christian gnosticism; John the Priest (the "beloved disciple" of the gospel of John) originated the priesthood -- and with it, Catholic Christianity -- late in the first century; Jesus was probably born much earlier than usually thought, and was crucified in the year 36 at the age of 59, and may have survived his crucifixion by 18 months and met Paul personally and physically on the road to Damascus.

I am not sure that I agree with all of these ideas, but on the central questions of importance to his book -- pacifism, communalism, and vegetarianism -- Vaclavik is right. In engaging Vaclavik's ideas -- and his data, which I'm willing to bet most scholars are unfamiliar with -- you will be challenged to examine both your own ideas about the historical Jesus, and your own decision whether or not to follow the personal example of this great religious leader.

The future of Christianity rests on our ability to shake up traditional Christianity (and secular society too), and shake it at the foundations. Vaclavik's book is an important contribution to these tasks. ... Read more

Book Description
Good News for All Creation notes that plant-based diets reflect the love, compassion, and peace of Christ, and they constitute good, responsible stewardship of God's Creation. Using traditional Christian teachings, the authors make a compelling case that, if Jesus were among us today, he would choose to be vegetarian. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Richly detailed with information- a great read.
I would absolutely recommend this book.It is a beautifully crafted, well-versed book that reads like a novel, but is full of information and facts to fuel your soul's mission on earth.The author combines the words of Christ, as written in the Bible, with facts and figures to communicate a strong message- do as Jesus did, and love thy neighbor- animals included! ... Read more

Book Description
For many years, Pamela Rice, president of the Vivavegie Society in New York City, has produced the pamphlet 101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian, known to all who have read it as "The Mighty Convincer." The pamphlet offers in bite-sized pieces the many human health, animal welfare/rights, and environmental reasons why people are choosing a meatless diet.

Now Pamela has written an expanded and fully resourced book-length version of 101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian, filling out the details of her argument and providing up-to-date information, but maintaining her engaging and informed style. She covers everything from the conditions for animals on factory farms to disappearing fish stocks, lagoons of animal waste, high incidences of colon cancer and other diseases, and other information from industry periodicals, newspapers, magazines, Web sites, and other less readily available sources.

A work of prodigious scholarship and dedication, written with wit and skill, 101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian is sure to become the handy reference work for vegetarians who want to give their meat-eating friends one book that explains why they do what they do, and for meat-eaters who want to understand all the arguments for a meatless diet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Even experienced vegetarians might find something new here.
There are all sorts of reasons to become a vegetarian, and this little book contains 101 great ones. From the effect of animal production on the environment to the destruction of genetic diversity and the spread of disease from animals to humans to the horrific treatment of farmed animals, many of these reasons will sound familiar to a lot of people.

Still, these reasons are articulated in intricate and often disturbing detail. The links between dairy production and the life (if it can be called that) of veal cattle, the extreme overproduction required of laying hens and mother cows, the huge amounts of waste produced by factory farms and the dangers of biotechnology, genetic engineering and cloning are outlined in stunning detail.

Of course there are also reasons involving the positive health benefits (and benefits for the planet) brought about by eating a vegetarian diet, from reducing your risk of several kinds of cancer to increasing beneficial phytochemicals in your diet and reducing the world's oil and energy drains.

There are probably reasons here that most readers have not considered, and facts you might not know about; for instance, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest pregnant women heat cold cuts to 170 degrees to reduce their risk of getting listeria. Or that even though its forbidden for cows to eat other cows because of the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease), the Food and Drug Administration says as many as 350,000 cows that humans consume were fed bovine by-products.

So many moments in this book will make readers gasp in surprise and horror at the state of the average American diet and what it is doing to the animals, the workers who are paid to kill those animals, the planet that must deal with the waste and corpses of those animals and the people who consume such a diet.

If nothing else, this book will affirm everything you believe about why the vegetarian diet is right for you and the planet. Perhaps you could also use it to convince family and friends to stop their meat-eating ways, or at least to show them why you are a vegetarian.-Sarah White

A Valuable Resource For Every Home Library
Be prepared, this is no ordinary book on vegetarianism. It is undoubtedly THE BEST I've read on the subject in over 24 years of maintaining a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.

101 Reasons is a gift to society. A clear, comprehensive log of the myriad reasons a vegetarian diet just makes sense. The tone is perfect-unapologetic and direct while still light and conversational. Reading this will strengthen your convictions if you are already vegetarian, and will make you stop and reassess if you are not. This is a "just the facts" approach. Thankfully, not once are animals referred to as "cute" anywhere in the book. Covering everything from individual health benefits to environmental and global impact, and everything in between, this book should be a treasured resource in any home library to be referred to again and again.

Best book I have EVER read on vegetarianism!
"101 Reasons" is full of facts I didn't know, and full of stats for those I did.I particularly learned a great deal about the impact of factory farming on the environment, and fish in particular.Although the book is barely off the press, it already predicted things that happened after its printing:additional cases of mad cow; enormous numbers of deaths for animals during the Katrina hurricane; and outbreak of avian flu.

"101 Reasons" is unlike most books and lectures on vegetarianism, which preach to the already converted and don't teach me (already converted) anything I didn't already know."101 Reasons" will surprise people whether they have, or lack, previous knowledge of the rationale for vegetarianism.

The book is beautifully written.To the point, and humorous puns makes a hard-to-take message more palatable.

I want everyone I know to pick this one up!

-- Jean Thaler Brooklyn NY
for some reason Amazon shows somebody else's name as the reviewer

Reasons to Be Herbivorous
After years in the trenches of front-line vegetarian advocacy, Pam Rice has taken her pamphlet "101 Reasons Why I'm A Vegetarian" and created a full length book that is the go-to reference for why you should be a vegetarian.While lacking the narrative structure of one of John Robbins' books, the exhaustively sourced "just the facts, meathead" approach (conveniently broken down by category) will help refute the ignorance of your friends, family and co-workers (most likely all the above!)Just don't try reading it straight through-you'll get a headache to go with your heartache at the damage meat centered diets are wreaking on our bodies, our planet, our environment, our economy and our fellow species.

Finally, an indespensible guide for everyone who asks "Why?"
I just finished reading Ms. Rice's 101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian, and I simply have been bowled over. Reason after reason, the information the author brings forth is unrelenting and, no-less, devastating. This is up there as one the most far-reaching indictments of the meat-eating lifestyle to date.

So much of this material was absolutely new to me, and I pride myself on being an informed vegan. It would be pretty tough for any meat eater to remain so after reading this book. If you read it, you will be transformed.

Despite the obvious fact that Ms. Rice shares the philosophy of your most ardent vegan advocate, the writing style is understated, which is perhaps what gives the information its power. In the majority of cases Ms. Rice's facts come from conventional sources (the USDA, the EPA, The New York Times, The Economist, agricultural colleges, etc.), which, by the way, are copiously referenced. I figure there are perhaps 1,500 citations in the book. I could not, of course, look at every one, but it was nice to know they were always there to back up the facts. I did look up a few with Google searches. In those cases I
was at once brought into a world of key experts at the forefronts of their fields. Furthermore, the 13-page index appears to allow readers a good chance at cross referencing at any point. Both the index and the reference pages were interesting browse-reads in themselves.

Here is a book that should probably be on the shelf of every vegan or vegetarian alive. There, this book offers the meat-free the constant assurance that each had made the best decision of his or her life.

My only complaint with the book was that the author did not let loose more often. I got the feeling Ms. Rice's editors reigned in a more flamboyant style, a style that seeps through the cracks all too infrequently.

In the end, at risk of repeating myself, if you're a vegetarian or vegan, here is your ultimate vindication. If you're a meat eater, you may want to consider yourself duly put on the hot seat.


... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Daily meditations are excellent
This is a fun little book that you can use even if you have not read the companion book "Inner Art of Vegetarianism." The daily, dated meditations are quick to read and the actions are easy to put into place. They are very gentle suggestions which will deepen your connections and your thinking. The suggestions are seasonal as well, corresponding with a yearly cycle. I recommend this book! ... Read more

Book Description
"Magnificently detailed and wide-ranging."—Steven Shapin, The New Yorker

Hailed by critics on both sides of the Atlantic, The Bloodless Revolution is a pioneering history of puritanical revolutionaries, European Hinduphiles, and visionary scientists who embraced radical ideas from the East and conspired to overthrow Western society's voracious hunger for meat. At the heart of this compelling history are the stories of John Zephaniah Holwell, survivor of the Black Hole of Calcutta, and John Stewart and John Oswald, who traveled to India in the eighteenth century, converted to the animal-friendly tenets of Hinduism, and returned to Europe to spread the word. Leading figures of the Enlightenment—among them Rousseau, Voltaire, and Benjamin Franklin—gave intellectual backing to the vegetarians, sowing the seeds for everything from Victorian soup kitchens to contemporary animal rights and environmentalism.

Spanning across three centuries with reverberations to our current world, The Bloodless Revolution is a stunning debut from a young historian with enormous talent and promise, "draw[ing] the different strands of the subject together in a way that has never been done before" (Keith Thomas, author of Man and the Natural World). 24 pages of illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A banquet for the mind
C.S. Lewis once delightedly insisted that he couldn't be offered "a mug of tea that was too big or a book that was too long."Being less stalwart than he, my heart sank when I saw the size of the wonderfully named Tristram Stuart's The Bloodless Revolution.But I was quickly captivated by Stuart's enjoyable style, his astounding erudition, the sheer interest of his subject matter, and the exquisite illustrations, in both color and black-and-white.

Stuart writes intellectual history in the old-fashioned graceful way of a Basil Wiley, Keith Thomas, or Carolyn Merchant.He excels at showing the cultural, economic, moral, and religious influences from Francis Bacon through the nineteenth century romantic period on attitudes towards a meatless diet.I was especially intrigued to discover that some of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century utilitarians and economists regarded vegetarianism as a means of overcoming the Malthusian disparity between population and resources--a very forward-looking strategy indeed.Stuart's epilogue, in which he discusses the early twentieth-century's "post-Rousseauist" back-to-nature movement that inspired folks as diverse as Gandhi and Hitler, is fascinating.I hope that it serves as the seed for Stuart's next book.

All in all, highly recommended for those interested in the history and culture of vegetarianism as well as those interested in modern British intellectual history.For collections of some of the primary sources referred to by Stuart, the reader may wish to consult Ethical Vegetarianism from Pythagoras to Peter Singer and Religious Vegetarianism from Hesiod to the Dalai Lama.

A classic!
This is one of the most informative and important books that I have ever read. I have worked for a half century in the diet and health research and policy arena and have reluctantly but most assuredly because convinced of the health superiority of a diet comprised of plant-based foods. Along the way I also have become very much aware of the difficulty of communicating this message to the professional and public communities. Although serious interest in this topic is emerging in the last few years, even last few months, I am also aware of a visceral sometimes very hostile reaction against this view from a relatively small but sometimes influential group of people. The gap between the believers and non-believers in this way of eating could hardly be more contentious. Thus I have frequently wondered about the question of whatever happened to rational, civil discourse on a topic such as this, especially at a time when we are getting so much empirical data to support the use of a plant-based diet and so much demand for health care solutions.

This book comes as close as any to providing the explanation that I have sought. Although I am not a professional historian or philosopher, I have long had an avid interest in these disciplines. I strongly believe in that age-old adage that those who ignore history are bound to repeat it. However limited my perspective may be, I nonetheless find this book by Tristram Stuart to be an incredible presentation of some events and ideas that really go a long way to help provide an answer to my question.

I am still awed by the depth and sophistication of knowledge that existed among leading scholars and medical people in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries concerning the use of a plant-based diet. I am sure that it is possible to quibble about Stuart's selection and interpretation of references, as is true of almost any historical account. Nonetheless, I am impressed with these references, not only because of their number, but also because of Stuart's liberal use of direct quotations--these can be easily confirmed, if necessary. But, more to the point, I found that so many of the views of these early writers, who had limited access to empirical data, to be remarkably well confirmed with the highly technical findings gathered in recent years. With my son, Tom, we write about these findings in our own book, "The China Study. Startling Implications of Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health".

There are many other impressive and largely unknown findings told in this book. I especially enjoyed the views on diet and health of these writers that were at the core of philosophical discussions that were to shape Renaissance thinking, especially on matters that led to political reform.

I highly recommend this book--it is full of enormously impressive content that says so much about what we are now experiencing in this field. Tristram Stuart is a remarkably capable young writer and I very much hope that he will continue writing more such material!

In the meanwhile, we now desperately need some of the courage and creativity of these early writers--a revolution in health could hardly be more needed. Thank you, Tristram Stuart, for sharing your thoughts.

Boring.
I've been a vegetarian for 25 years and was excited to get this book, which would give me insight into the history of 'my people'. Unfortunately, it's a snooze - dry, with references to all kinds of historical figures that I know nothing about, jumping from here to there, with nothing compelling to keep me adrift on a sea of historical mumbo-jumbo. I gave up after less than 100 pages. Sorry - it's obviously well-intentioned, but just not compelling or gripping reading - even for someone who is the core target audience!

Exhaustive, detailed, but sometimes narrow, history
There is no doubt that Tristram Stuart has conducted a great deal of research in order to write The Bloodless Revolution. He has a astute eye for minute details unique personalities. Doctors, cranks, religious fanatics, scientists, and others, some famous and some obscure, are rendered with thorough and loving detail. If nothing else, the sheer scope of Stuart's work is illustrative of how broad and diverse a movement vegetarianism is.

Yet sometimes I feel that Stuart was in some ways blinded by his own hypotheses and unwilling to look at alternative views. Stuart believes that European vegetarianism is rooted in Indian culture. This is not an indefensible view, but his case for it would have been stronger if he had answered some potential objections to such assertions, rather than ignoring them. Furthermore, literally all of European history between Pythagoras and English Revolution is simply missing. It is perfectly reasonable for Mr. Stuart to focus on a particular era, but readers with some preestablished famniliarity with vegetarian history -- a group likely to comprise a significant portion of The Bloodless Revolution's readers -- are likely to ask questions. For instance, why does St. Francis of Assisi not appear once in the entire book? Why is Leonardo da Vinci only mentioned in a quote comparing him to the Indians? Should the Cathars be ignored? It is one thing to focus on a specific era of history -- the English Revolution to the Second World War -- but it is another to leap straight from Pythagoras to Francis Bacon while ignoring virtually all of the intervening millenia. In short, if Stuart wants to emphasis the critical role of Indian influence on European vegetarianism, he should have investigated earlier indigenous European vegetarian movements or ideas and, if the evidence showed them not to be influential, shown us such evidence, rather than ignoring the whole question.

Second, Stuart often magnifies a dichotomy between animal welfare activists who called for less brutal treatment of domesticated animals and vegetarians who opposed meat consumption. While it is certainly true that there were and are numerous animal welfare activists who sought the reform, rather than abolition, of meat consumption (and vegetarians indifferent to animal welfare), Stuart seems to imply that these were each others' chief opponents. There is little mention of the arguments of those who opposed both animal welfarists and vegetarians. From my impression, it seems that Stuart himself happens to be an animal welfarist who has no problems with meat consumption so long as the animals involved are treated humanely. There is nothing wrong with this viewpoint, but sometimes I wonder whether Stuart's emphasis on welfarists as opponents, rather than allies, of vegetarians, is an attempt to defend his own position against worries about the persuasiveness of ethical vegetarian arguments, and whether Stuart ignores most views less sympathetic to animals than welfarism or vegetarianism because he personally finds them so unpersuasive that he feels they needn't be covered.

Lastly, while Stuart has a brilliant eye for detail and color, he has little time for facts or demographics. Such information may be hard to come by, but could there have been more information? For example, could there be some way of estimating the fraction of vegetarians in the British population from 1600 to modern times? Could we find out the average meat consumption per capita over time? I did not pick this up expecting a book heavy on statistics or demographics, but I nonetheless found the absence of even minimal attention to such matters disappointing.

Nonetheless, The Bloodless Revolution is a thoroughly researched, well-written, and original work. It provides a valuable resource to anyone interested in the history of vegetarianism in the modern era. I found it quite an enjoyable read, and the detailed portraits of the individuals, from meticulous scientists to enthusiastic religious cranks, were all a pleasure to read. I took great pleasure in reading it over several weeks. ... Read more

Book Description
For vegetarians seeking the historical roots of vegetarianism, for animal rights activists and the environmentally concerned, and for those questioning their consumption of meat, here's a book that provides a deep understanding of vegetarianism as more than just a dietary decision.

This is the first comprehensive collection of primary source material on vegetarianism as a moral choice and includes the writings of Carol Adams, Bernard de Mandeville, Mohandas Gandhi, Oliver Goldsmith, Anna Kingsford, Frances Moore Lappe, Porphyry, Pythagoras, Tom Regan, Albert Schweitzer, Seneca, Peter Singer, Leo Tolstoy, and Richard Wagner, among others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

A much needed resource
Any body who has read more than two or three books on veganism and vegetarianism runs across references to Pythagoras, Henry Salt, Francis Moore Lappe, Leo Tolstoy, etc. etc. as people who wrote important works on vegetarianism.But their books are hard to find.This book steps in and presents the central writings of these and many other people who have defended the notion that diet is a moral moatter.Very helpful, very well organized.

An organized variety of ethical reasons to stop eating meat
As the title implies, various philosophers through the ages have come to the conclusion that meat eating is neither necessary nor ethical. Here, in Ethical Vegetarianism, their most articulate arguments are organized sequentially for the common reader. A great book and a bargain nonetheless.

A Good Place To Start--
--on the road to vegetarianism.This book supplies centuries of moral wisdom by persons who refused to kill animals to satisfy their palates.I've given copies to several of my relatives.I'm not sure why the authors included their nonvegetarian appendix at the back of the book.Maybe in the interest of fairness; but the pro-vegetarian choices are top notch, especially the ones from the ancient world.

Interesting Overview
I'm not a vegetarian and I doubt I'll become one.But I found this collection interesting because I've always thought of vegetarians as nice but sorta flakey tree huggers.The essays here are written by people who offer strong arguments for their beliefs.(Usually, that is.The one by Harriet Schlieffer is over the top).But sorry folks.My appetite over-rules my head in this case.

The best book on moral vegetarianism
If you're curious about why vegetarianism is the right way to go, get this book.Vegetarians throughout the centureis have made rational and compelling arguments for their diet choices.This book collects the most important of them, and the editors provide informative and helpful introductory essays.A great investment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

David Sears Erudite And Celestial Glimpse At Eden
David Sears is a cerebral, impartial, mesmerizing and well-researched author. The Vision of Eden does not overwhelming condone a meatless diet, however, it wonderfully reinforces the assertion that a vegetarian diet is indeed the Jewish ideal. I am a Judeo-Catholic with an emphasis on the latter. In my mind I have always felt with heart and soul that we should not kill God's animals, birds and fish for food. Four Jewish writershave augmented my creed. David Sears, Richard Schwartz, Rabbi David Rosen and Roberta K., the editor of "Rabbis and Vegetarianism". Passages from the Book of Genesis and the Prophet Isaiah are the seminal biblical sources that verify a meatless diet is best for a renewed world of universal peace and harmony. We are stewards of the earth and must have reverence for all the Creator's creation !

A Superb Book
In my heart I always connected being vegetarian and being a spiritual person. However, I have never been able to verify it with substance. The Vision Of Eden did just that for me. I enjoyed this book because it was written for all types of people. The author brings factual information from statistics, actual industry practices, biblical, Talmudic and kabalistic texts. I enjoyed the stories that Sears takes from the Talmud to prove that one needs to be sensitive to animals and I was fascinated on how the author brings proof from the fact that Adam and Eve were vegetarians. The was well written so I did not need to force myself through any of the parts. I have yet to see anything in the markets remotely like this. Kudos to the author, David Sears and the publisher Orot for sharing such a treasure with us.

This Book should Awaken the Jewish Community


David Sears. The Vision of Eden: Animal Welfare and Vegetarianism in Jewish Law and Mysticism, Spring Valley, NY: Orot, 2003

Reviewed by Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.

Currently most Jews eat meat and other animal products and relatively few Jews seem concerned about the cruel mistreatment of animals on factory farms and in other areas. However, David Sears landmark book, with its many examples of Jewish teachings about compassion for animals, has the potential to change all of this.

The Vision of Eden is a compilation of translations from various sources, ranging from the classic texts of Judaism to contemporary rulings in Jewish law, much of which has never before been translated to English. It also includes a number of essays by Sears that serve as prefaces to the translations and provide general overviews that discuss and analyze the source material. It is a companion volume to the author'sbook, "Compassion for Humanity in the Jewish Tradition: A Source Book," which was published by Jason Aronson, Inc., in 1998.

This book has great potential to start a respectful dialogue on vegetarianism, the proper treatment of animals, and related issues in the Jewish community. Here are some reasons:

1. Rabbi Sears has the background, wisdom, sensitivity, compassion, and commitment to effectively to effectively raise the consciousness of the Jewish community concerningJewish teachings on animals. As a Breslav Chassid, his commitment to Jewish law and tradition cannot be challenged. No one can claim that he is just one more animal welfare advocate who doesn't care about Judaism and is not concerned about human problems.

2. The author's knowledge of Hebrew and Kabbalistic, Chassidic, and other Jewish sources has enabled him to find teachings that are not commonly known. His book will enable religious communities to discover the rich treasures of material about compassion to animals that will challenge them to live up to the highest ideals of Judaism.

3. His book goes beyond those of other Jewish scholars who have written about Jewish teachings on animals because he combines his extensive knowledge of Judaism with an awareness of how far realities related to how society treats animals differ from the demands of Jewish teachings, and he is committed to making others aware of the need to end these discrepancies.

4. Because of its scholarly merits and firm grounding in Torah and rabbinic tradition, The Vision of Eden will be a respectful but powerful message to the Jewish community that it will not be able to easily ignore.Because of the authenticity and authority of his sources, no intellectually honest person who reads his book would be able to say,"Animals, animals -- why don't you worry about people first?"While not a polemic (in working for completeness and objectivity, Sears discusses some passages that favor meat-eating), his book shows that the vast majority of Jews, including those who take Jewish law seriously, are negligent with regard to important Torah teachings related to animals. Many in the Jewish community will be interested in the book because of the uniqueness of a Chassid writing about Jewish teachings on animal welfare. Hence, it has the potential to raise the consciousness of the Jewish community with regard to animal-based diets, wearing fur coats, animal experimentation and other animal-related issues, and to get these issues onto the agenda of the Jewish community.

4. David Sears' book also has great potential to eventually influence other religious communities and the general public.

As Rabbi Shear-Yashuv Cohen, Chief Rabbi of Haifa, stated in an approbation in the book, "Every reader of this unique and holy book will benefit extensively from it. Indeed, this book, The Vision of Eden, makes one feel that he has been handed a key to open the closed gates of the Garden of Eden that were shut to us ever since Adam was expelled ..."

It is essential that rabbis, Jewish teachers, and other influential members of the Jewish community and other communitiesbecome aware of the teachings in Sears' book and put them into practice. The revitalization of Judaism and the sustainability of our imperiled planet depend on it.

Richard H. Schwartz, Ph. D, is the author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival, and Mathematics and Global Survival. He has over 100 articles on the Internet at jewishveg.com/schwartz, and frequently speaks and contributes articles on environmental, health, and other current issues. He is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the College of Staten Island, President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA), and Coordinator of the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV).

The Vision of Eden
This book is a detailed, organized and concise explanation of the sources in classical Judaism for vegetarianism.I would recommend it to anyone interested in this subject.

This book is a gold mine.
This book is a gold mine of valuable information. David Sears is articulate and thorough. While doing this he does not compromise the quality of the text. It is written in an easy to read format. He brings mordern up to date sources and mixes it in with the ancient texts of the bible. At the same time the author takes a a rarely discussed and researched subject and brings it in a well thought out way. GREAT JOB!
... Read more

Book Description
Written by the author of the popular nutrition classic, Diet and Nutrition, this book explores the health issues surrounding vegetarianism and helps the aspiring vegetarian make the transition in a way that provides the greatest health benefits. The book is well researched, easy to read, and an excellent resource for both the seasoned and would-be vegetarian. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The pros and cons of a vegetarian diet
In Transition To Vegetarianism: An Evolutionary Step, Doctor Rudolpf Ballentine presents an informed and persuasive survey of the value and reasoning to a vegetarian diet. Dr. Ballentine's informative text is laced with health relevant information such as meat-eaters having three times as many heart attacks as vegetarians, that a vegetarian diet decreases osteoporosis dramatically, that in endurance tests vegetarians had more than twice the stamina and strength of meat-eaters, and that the vegetarian diet is a time-honored technique for promoting alertness and clarity of consciousness. Ideal for the non-specialist general reader, Transition To Vegetarianism covers red meat, poultry, fish, and the question of milk and eggs in a vegetarian diet. If you are considering the pros and cons of a vegetarian diet for yourself, begin with reading Dr. Rudolf Ballentine's Transition To Vegetarianism.

Excellent info on vegetarian and part-vegetarian diets
Most people can't stop eating meat one day and put a red "X" on the plate instead. Unless you live in a culture like India, or eat lots of beans and rice, it takes a bit of adjustment to move to a plant-based diet.

When newly minted militant vegetarian friends reject the idea of starting out by simply eating less meat, this book is the place to turn for support. After twenty years of shepherding people toward a more vegetarian diet, I've seen definite trends that emerge when giving up meat: persistent cheese-eating, a plethora of omelet dishes,a sudden craving for peanut butter, etc. This guide gives sound practical explanations about why these cravings happen; it also gives suggestions for maintaining nutrition without going overboard on fat. Vegans will be unhappy with the assertion that a plant-based diet with some milk products is a typical solution for Americans, but realistically, how many of us are willing to do what it takes to maintain a strictly vegan diet the rest of our lives? And as additional research emerges on fatty acids (such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils) there seems to be an increasing number of reasons to consider fish as a practical substitute for supplements like hempseed or flaxseed oil.

Over the years, I've heard countless people wake up to nutrition and tell me they've discovered the "only healthy diet there is." Every one of those diets has been different! Rather than rushing out to try someone else's diet, I'd recommend looking at Dr. Ballentine's set of guidelines first. This is one of the only books on vegetarianism I know that doesn't tell you "here's the best diet." Instead, the author presents the pros and cons of various food options, and gives you a reasonable way to work towards a diet which suits both your body and your life situation.

A Very Wise Guide
I wish I had this book when I first eliminated meat from my diet - it would have saved me a LOT of grief and prevented some pretty bad dietary habits.It gives a unique and well-grounded approach to becoming avegetarian or shaping up your diet if you're already vegetarian.It doessay that eating dairy can be helpful, which there is some controversy on,but even many experts who are anti-dairy object to milk products mainlybecause they are packed with hormones, pasteurized, and homogenized.Whendairy is pure, organic, and fresh it's a good source of nutrition when usedproperly and in moderation.Also, the book says you should eat dairy ORfish as a supplement to a vegan diet, which makes sense when you look atthe traditional diets of native cultures around the world - I don't know ofany that are purely vegan.Rudolph Ballentine seems to be a very wiseauthor with a lot of grounded perspective on holistic nutrition.

a poor guide for those who cannot digest milk
I bought this book on the recommendation of my homeopath, who had worked under Rudolph Ballentine.I was disappointed.While the nutrition in terms of meat's value and replacement in the diet may be of great help tomy sister, who *is* vegetarian, I found the "dairy is good foryou" message questionable in terms of my personal experience and interms of different articles I've read.I'll take a sensible vegan cookbookany day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Groovy as all get out!!
As an avid reader of "scads" of books related to vegetarianism/veganism - and as a vegetarian of nine years, vegan of one - I've got to say this is by far THE MOST ENTERTAINING BOOK I've read on this topic!I've gasped, winced and even cried reading non-fiction portraying the ghasly side of human behavior and how we treat animals, but I've never laughed out loud - until now!(My cats think these seemingly unprovoked outbursts indicate that I've finally gone insane.)Definitely not just for the flesh-eater, as the title may lead one to conclude, this book is jam-packed with facts and the author's insightful observations.Reinhardt, perhaps the only ethical attorney in existence, asks you to question your behaviors, consider the alternatives and make the kindest, most logical alterations in your lifestyle for your physical health, your conscience, the planet and of course, the animals.Don't pass this one up - buy it used, contact the author, track down an unsuspecting vegan in the tofu department and beg to borrow it!I love this book and am buying copies for all of my redneck, backwoods relatives who still can't pronounce "what it is exactly that I am."(Veee-gun, Aunt Edna.)This one is fun and informative - get a copy and enjoy!

Funny and enjoyable to read while full of truths
This is a fantastic book.After a difficult holiday with relatives I picked up this book and wished I had had it with me before the holiday had started. Since then I bought 8 more copies and have given them to friends and relatives alike.Information on the benefits of being vegetarian is presented in a non-emotional way with excellent facts to support the information.It covers issues ranging from nutrition to environment to factory farms. There are scenarios for dating, a whole chapter on dealing with relatives, and tips on how to be vegetarian during the holidays without going hungry.There's no meat-eater bashing in here.In fact, a lot of the writing is pretty funny.Its just a very straightforward presentation of information and armed with non-emotional information makes it so much easier to have a conversation with people who try to challenge your choices.I highly recommend this for anyone who is vegetarian/vegan as well as for anyone who loves/knows someone who has made such a choice and you want to understand why.Its absolutely one of the best books I've read and has helped me immensely. Plus there are some really funny parts.Enjoyable and quick to read

Sound advice.....read on
I found this book to be very helpful and fun to read but,I haven't picked it up again since my first read through.I think this would be a great gift to a new vegatarian or a lender to a person interested in learning more about the specifics.Informative and fun....just not a whole lot of new info for this long-time reader and veggie eater!

Entetaining as Well as Educational
This book is an outstanding review of the health, ecological, and moral reasons for refraining from eating animal products. Having said that, it is neither "preachy" nor sanctimonious but rather downrightentertaining. I loved it. It made a vegetarian out ofme.

EXCELLENT BOOK!
I bought this book for my boyfriend right after we discussed going vegetarian. I thought it was a cookbook to help ease us into a meatless diet, which we were considering primarily because he wanted to lose weight. Instead, it changed my boyfriend's life -- addicted, he kept coming intothe room to read me sections. It gave us permission to be vegetarians (yearand a half now) for ALL the right reasons --love of animals, theenvironmental and hunger problems perpetrated by the meat industry,all-around health, etc. -- although he did lose 30 pounds without gettinghungry! This is a perfect antidote for all the stupidAdkins/Zone/high-protein diets that are so unhealthy -- and are onlyexcuses for people to keep eating too much meat (which is *any*, now thatwe've read this book). And it's so funny and light-hearted that you'll bean avowed vegetarian before you know what hit you. Give a copy to everyoneyou know! We're sold. ... Read more

Book Description
In IS GOD A VEGETARIAN?, a linguist and New Testament scholar attempts to answer the question being asked with greater and greater frequency: "Are Christians morally obligated to be vegetarians?"

Richard Alan Young examines key biblical texts pertaining to dietary customs, vegetarianism, and animal rights, placing the passages in social context. He then provides readers with an in-depth exploration of the ethical dilemmas that Christians face when deciding whether they should be vegetarians. Young also addresses animal testing and experimentation, the fur industry, animal factories, and the effects of meat-eating on human health. Two vegetarian recipes are included at the end of each chapter and an epilogue comprises 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 his personal choices and ethical role in our world today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Could have been great, but author's thesis is misfocused.
I agree with the author's overarching view of biblical hermeneutics -- searching for "directional markers" that build an internally consistent perspective, rather than (non-contextual) "proof texting," a generally paroxysmal and frivolous approach to scriptural study and application. But it seems unfortunate that, given this broadly impacting issue of meat production and consumption, Young has 'hung his hat' so specifically on the concept of 'cruelty' against animals, and of their 'rights', as these issues are, at best, an aside to the far larger moral/ethical, logical, economic, ecological, health related, theological, and human stewardship considerations attached to flesh-foundering. The real ethical questions cannot be reduced sloppily to 'was Jesus a vegetarian?' or 'did Noah eat meat?' (Young sees this much). The deeper ethical issues of today relate to the 21st century world we live in, and should not be reduced to 'muskrat love', they are larger than that, and ask to be considered with 'the wisdom of serpents' (Matt 10:16).

Many in wealthy western culture, uneducated in the science and ethics of meat, think most easily of vegetarians as being equally soft hearted and soft headed; that vegetarians are teary-eyed cow huggers. But the 'animal rights' approach to the meat market culture is the least relevant and persuasive tack toward dealing with the truer, larger picture. In terms of Christian ethics urging the world toward a proactive "peaceable kingdom" (I have no argument against this), the 'animal rights' focus is rather like 'the tail wagging the dog.' More significant moral/ethical issues, relative to vegetarianism, are:

1.) Environmental degradation concomitant to the modern animal-based diet may be the most significant (and popularly overlooked) global assault on nature; an assault featuring deforestation for the production of commercial livestock, loss of biodiversity (plant and animal, terrestrial and aquatic), unnecessary burning of fossil fuels, air and water pollution, loss of topsoil and arable land, desertification, the list goes on. A single east coast factory hog farm constantly produces more raw sewage than the city of Los Angeles, sewage containing harmful bacteria and disease that is simply introduced to ground water (the related ecological and public health problems were briefly presented on the television news magazine 60 Minutes). Neither laws demanding nicer treatment of little piggies nor regulations on the treatment of pig pee are going to alleviate the problem. The only solution is for Americans to rethink their diet of bacon double cheeseburgers and pork sausage. The ecological issues of modern meat are far too large to discuss adequately here, they stretch from the factory farm to the open ocean to the upper atmosphere.

2.) The moral/ethical problems of meat eating are not only environmental, they are economic. Pandering to the palette of the wealthy beefeater demands [anti-human] misdirection of economic assets. Generally speaking, it takes 16 pounds of vegetable protein to produce 1 pound of animal protein. With that comes much more than 16 times the water and fuel! At the height of the 1984-85 Ethiopian famine, while more than a million people were dying of hunger, European meat producers were buying feed grains from -- Ethiopia! Will humanity's natural, agricultural, and economic assets serve humanity, or will they serve the gluttony of the wealthy? Along these same lines, the respected Christian author Richard J Foster touched very briefly on important aspects of the meat focused diet in his book Freedom of Simplicity (1981): "A million hogs in Indiana have superior housing to a billion humans on this planet." And those "million hogs" are degrading ground water, proliferating disease and ultimately creating cancers and premature human deaths (see below). Lest you think there'd be a net deficit of jobs if we eliminated meat packers and cowboys' livelihoods in favor of a plant based diet, assuredly that is not the case. No industry provides fewer jobs per unit of land used than does cattle ranching; a nation with a vegetable based diet would have the potential to create more net jobs while actually reducing costs for the consumer. That may sound contradictory, but federal meat industry subsidies prop up this meat-mad system. Here's one maddening example of these subsidies: If I go for a hike in nearby Cleveland National Forest, I won't see any of the once native pronghorn antelope, instead I'll probably see cows, ranching long ago extirpated the antelope. And guess who pays for these cattle grazing on public lands. As an American taxpayer, I do! The US government builds access roads, digs wells, pipes water, and provides other products and services for the cattle industry that uses public lands. Ranchers theoretically "lease" these land accesses, but the "leases" are laughable, do not cover the public expenditure that underwrites them, and amount to government giveaways. I may not eat beef, but as a US taxpayer, I pay for wealthy beefeaters to eat beef!

3.) The animal based diet is finally a disease and death centered diet. Billions of Chinese have a long tradition of a vegetable based diet, and they have virtually no incidence of obesity, heart disease, GI tract cancers, osteoporosis, or scores of other meat-related maladies -- UNLESS they move to the west and take up the animal based diet. Several excellent medical studies make the point clearly, meat kills (not just cute little lambs, meat kills people!). The health-related issues of the animal based diet are obviously bound to the economic issues as well (for example, health care asset allocation). Will we feed starving people or spend our financial assets first supplementing and then trying to deal with fat people's self-inflicted meat-based sicknesses? The human health issue looms as large as the ecological and economic issues, and is too great to be treated adequately here. These are all highly moral and ethical Christian stewardship questions. How can Christians turn a blind eye?

There are still other ethical issues tied to the animal based diet, and "animal rights" MAY be one of them. But this is not so clear. Is it rational or meaningful to suggest that because animals sense pain that they have any sense of "cruelty"? That they have any sense of their "rights" being violated or of some "injustice" being imposed on them? These are surly sentient concepts well beyond the ken of the animal mind, whatever it may be. The "animal rights" approach to the question of meat appeals to 'warm fuzzy' ideas but what is needed is a serious, hardheaded treatment (by the way, if we begin to do the right things, for the right reasons, the "animal rights" question will begin to go away!). Excepting perhaps Adventists, most Christians have been sadly silent on the matter of meat-mongering (some have even embarrassed themselves with goofy "proof texting" attempts to define vegetarianism as a biblical heresy!).

Young's thesis aspires to a robust view of biblical hermeneutics, which is a good thing. It aspires to treat an important topic. But the "animal rights" focus is misplaced. An outstanding book on the moral/ethical and health issues surrounding the animal based diet is Howard F. Lyman's 'Mad Cowboy'. Christians should have been publishing books like Lyman's decades ago; being shining beacons of conscience in the material darkness, not hiding in that darkness in blissful ignorance and self-indulgence. It's not too late to start doing the right thing.

Clear, Concise, and Compelling
Young's purpose in "Is God a Vegetarian?" is simple: to explore the biblical foundations for Christian vegetarianism.Young chooses to listen to "the entire story" of Scripture to make a case for Christian vegetarianism rather than relying on certain "proof-texts".

The core of Young's argument is that the story of Scripture reveals that God is moving humans and animals towards a "peaceable kingdom" where they live together in harmony.Considering this, Christians should structure their lives and daily practices (including their diet) in such a way that it reflects this ultimate destiny.

As a Christian who is exploring the theological and ethical issues of vegetarianism, I found this book to be extremely helpful and informative.Young manages to be balanced, and not biased; simple, and yet not simplistic.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for more information on the biblical basis for Christian vegetarianism.

Excellent Treatise on the Basis for Christian Vegetarianism
I must say that I was initially put off by the title of this book. I assumed from the title that this must be another one of "those" Christian arguments for vegetarianism--you know, the ones that use out of context prooftexts to argue that Jesus really was a vegetarian.However, one of my colleagues did his Ph.D. work with Richard Alan Young, and he told me that Young was not only an excellent scholar, but a person who lived his convictions.So I decided to give the book a try, in spite of the title.

I am so glad I did.Young deals with the major issues and texts which arise when the question of vegetarianism is posed.Each chapter heading is a question which leads the author into a discussion of the relevant texts and historical background.He addresses questions like "Was Jesus a Vegetarian?" "Didn't God Permit Us to Eat Meat?" and "Didn't Paul Condemn Vegetarianism as Heresy?" with honesty and theological integrity.He does not try to force intepretations out of the texts, but lets them speak for themselves, offering a balanced and evenhanded treatment.

Most importantly, Young offers one of the best arguments for Christian vegetarianism I've read to date.He does not resort to prooftexting or spurious arguments based on scant biblical evidence.Instead he builds the case for vegetarianism upon a much broader biblical perspective--the peaceable kingdom.In sum, Genesis 1 and 2 offer the ideal view of human existence: humans and animals are vegetarians, humans are the caregivers of God's creation, the world and all creation are at peace. Unfortunately, all that is shattered in Genesis 3.However, the biblical material looks forward to a reinstatement of that original harmony.Examining the prophets vision of the peaceable kingdom, Young concludes that the role of Christians is to do God's will on earth as it is in heaven.In other words, Jesus' vision of the kingdom of heaven is a here and now concept, not a concept that will occur only in heaven."The peaceable kingdom encompasses the full range of human moral aspirations, depicts peaceful coexistence between humans and nonhumans, and represents the goal toward which God is guiding history" (150).

Our job as Christians is to envision the peaceable kingdom and work to bring it about.Christ's act on the cross was an act of restoration, not just between humans and God, but between humans and other humans, and humans and all creation.Thus, Christians are to be actively involved in that restorative vision.If the peaceable kingdom is to be established, one fundamental step toward that outcome is refraining from eating meat. There can be no peace between animals and humans if we continue consuming animals.

Additional touches set this book apart as well: each chapter concludes with a wholesome vegetarian recipe; the last chapter offers a basic discussion of how to "go vegetarian;" and Young provides a bibliography for further reading.

Don't be put off by the title of the book--I found out that the publisher insisted upon it to make the book more "provocative."This book is a must read for any Christian who desires to investigate Christianity's relationship to animal rights and vegetarianism. It is well written, thoroughly researched, and easily accessible to anyone interested in the subject.

Excellent book, not what I expected
The title of this book scared me.I thought it would be one of those fanatic books about how Jesus could possibly be a vegetarian, etc.However once I started reading this book I found myself laughing at the chapter titles: "Was God the First Tanner", "will there be slaughterhouses in heaven."

Young thoroughly answers questions that vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike grapple with in using the Bible as guide for life.While at times I felt he took passages out of context, the overall meaning behind his words seemed to speak the biblical truth.Young concludes that vegetarianism cannot be a universal moral truth, yet it is closer to God's vision.I highly reccomend this book for those questioning how Christians are to respond to todays treatment of animals.

a poignant book for vegetarians or non-vegetarians
A very thoughtful friend (who is a vegetarian) recommended this book to me.Though a meat-eater for nearly 30 years, I decided to give this book a try.I was pleasantly surprised.

First, Young writes in a cool, level-headed fashion that doesn't come across as angry or accusatory.Unlike other books on the subject, this feels more scholarly and balanced.

Second, Young takes you through the Bible with remarkable insight.It is a deeply Christian work throughout.His arguments mainly depend on understanding the whole story, and what he calls "directional markers."This is a very powerful idea that I think really illuminates many modern ethical issues.To his credit, he does not try to argue that Jesus and the apostles were vegetarians, and that this message was somehow corrupted later on.He brilliantly argues that the situations of modern slaughterhouses did not exist in biblical times, and that the fundamental values of Christianity are in opposition to them.He does point out that human history in the bible is bracketed by vegetarian behavior (cf Genesis 1-2 and the Isaiah description of the "peaceable kingdom").Why then should we not move toward this goal?

My one cavil with the book is that it is not written for the evangelical Christian (which I am).His view of Scripture would certainly make many evangelicals uncomfortable (for example his understanding of several authors writing the Pentateuch, his sometimes fuzzy statements on the nature of Jesus ministry, etc.).Occassionally I thought he cited verses out of context such that their true meaning was obscured by his intentions.Despite these flaws, I think overall