The Spirituality of Wine

by Gisela H. Kreglinger, Eugene H. Peterson (Foreword by)

Overview

In this book Gisela Kreglinger offers a fresh, holistic vision of the Christian life that sees God at work in all created things, including vineyards, the work of vintners, and the beauty of well-crafted wine shared with others around a table. Kreglinger begins by examining wine in the Bible, in the history of the church, and in the Lord’s Supper, and these reflections culminate in a theology of joy and feasting that celebrates the human senses as gifts for tasting the goodness of God.

In the second part of the book Kreglinger brings Christian spirituality and the world of wine together in new ways, exploring such matters as technology and wine-crafting, the health benefits of wine, alcohol abuse, consumerism, and soul care. Her discussion is enriched by interviews with thirty vintners from around the world as well as her own experience growing up on a family winery in Bavaria.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467445313
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	04/26/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	300
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Gisela H. Kreglinger grew up on a winery in Franconia, Germany; her family has been crafting wine for many generations. She holds a PhD in historical theology from the University of St. Andrews, and she taught Christian spirituality for four years before turning to writing full-time.

Eugene H. Peterson (1932–2018) was a longtime pastor and professor of spiritual theology at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. His many acclaimed books include Tell It Slant, The Jesus Way, Eat This Book, and the contemporary translation of the Bible titled The Message.

Table of Contents

Foreword Eugene H. Peterson ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xvi

Introduction 1

Part I Sustenance

1 Wine in the Bible: God's Gift and Blessing 11

2 Wine in the History of the Church: Its Rise and Fall 37

3 Wine in the Lords Supper: Christ Present in Wine 65

4 Wine and Communal Feasting: The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength 83

5 Wine and Attentiveness: Tasting God, Tasting Wine 100

Part II Sustainability

6 The Vintner as (Practicing) Theologian: Finder or Maker? 121

7 Technology, Spirituality, and Wine 143

8 Wine and Its Health Benefits 164

9 Wine and the Abuse of Alcohol: Rescuing Wine from the Gluttons for the Contemplatives 180

10 Wine, Viticulture, and Soul Care 199

Conclusion 217

Appendix 1 Hebrew and Greek Wine Terminology in Scripture 221

Appendix 2 Crafting a Church Service for the Blessing of the Grapes 229

Notes 232

Bibliography 258

Index of Names 270

Index of Subjects 273

Index of Scripture References 279

Editorial Reviews

Foreword Reviews
"Delightful. . . . Kreglinger's version of Christian spirituality emphasizes the grounded, everyday aspect of how we live a Christian life. . . . A remarkable work."

The Gray Report
"Kreglinger returns repeatedly to the story of the feast of Cana in her thoughtful book, which I, as an unbeliever, guzzled like a man thirsting for meaning. . . . I suggest you discover it for yourself."

Alice Waters
— owner of Chez Panisse, Berkeley
founder of the Edible Schoolyard project
"Gisela Kreglinger writes with good humor and real piety about the transformative power of good wine. This is a thoughtful, prayerful, wide-ranging book, reminding us on every page that spirituality and gastronomy are inextricably linked. I will not soon forget Kreglinger's theologically informed and deeply perceptive analysis of Babette's Feast, one of my favorite stories."

Jürgen Moltmann
— University of Tübingen
"This book is special and full of surprises. Rich in biblical traditions and church history, it develops a new spirituality of the earth and our senses, leading us to consciously smell and taste the divine presence in wine. In vino veritas, in wine we taste the energy of the creative Spirit on this earth and the new earth. I am grateful for this beautiful book."

Carlo Petrini
— founder of the international Slow Food movement
"Food, and wine perhaps even more so, has always been a powerful instrument of mediation between humanity and the divine. In this book Gisela Kreglinger offers a fascinating and in-depth exploration of the intricate relationship between wine and Christian spirituality. A must-read!"

Norman Wirzba
— Duke Divinity School
"Wine as a gift of God's love, wine as a witness to the in-breaking of God's kingdom of life and joy, wine as the drink that draws us more closely into the fellowship of Christ, and wine-making as our participation in the care and celebration of God's good creation — these themes and many more besides are lovingly developed in this beautifully conceived book. Gisela Kreglinger opens up the gift and the mystery of wine in these pages so that we can taste God's invitation to us to share in the divine love that heals the world and the deep joy that celebrates our life together."

Alice Canlis
— Canlis Restaurant, Seattle
"I wept upon reading The Spirituality of Wine by Gisela Kreglinger. Our restaurant has received Wine Spectator's Grand Award for twenty years, so how is it that I had only tasted the tip of this reality, only touched the knowledge of its gifts? Profound and potent, intertwined with practical and tangible application, this book has completely astonished me. Like an exquisite wine in a bottle, I've been transformed from within."

Richard Bauckham
— University of St. Andrews
"This unique book is one that Gisela Kreglinger is unusually qualified to write. Belonging to a family of vintners and growing up in a winery have given her a deep affinity with her subject. She writes about wine and the crafting of wine with loving understanding. This is, as it were, the soil in which the vines of her study of Scripture and the Christian spiritual tradition have grown and borne
fruit. . . . In Kreglinger's hands wine becomes the key to a spirituality that rejects false dualisms of matter and spirit and inspires the healing of the earth on the way to God's new creation of all things."

Andrew Jefford
— Wine writer, on Decanter
"The second part of [Kreglinger's] book left me wondering whether 'the spirituality of wine' actually means much — once spirituality is removed from its original religious context, and once the pivotal, almost overwhelming metaphorical charge that the vine and wine carries in Jewish and Christian scripture and tradition has been expunged. These faiths (an atheist like myself reluctantly concludes) must make wine-drinking a much more spiritually enriching experience than it can be without that framework of belief."

From the Publisher