Learning Hub
Learn more about animal issues and how it connects with your faith Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed cursus, tortor in imperdiet ultricies, turpis erat feugiat elit, sit amet tempor magna sapien eu lorem. In ut eros arcu. Cras tincidunt mi in metus gravida, id rhoncus diam sollicitudin.
Fasting from Injustice, Feasting in Freedom
by Alyssa Moore I identify as Catholic, but until I began to study theology at a Jesuit university, I knew few other Catholics or practicing Christians my age. Among those vaguely familiar with Catholicism, a few common factoids floated around: we make a huge deal about “the holy wafer thing” at
Hearty Ways to Start Your Day in DefaultVeg Style
by Megan Grigorian We’re well into the year, and I’ve been leaning heavily into hearty, delicious breakfasts to sustain me through the cold winter months that are now upon us in the US. Whether you prefer a light start to the day, or a heavier meal in the morning, there are
“For what must the church repent and how?”
A Lent Sermon for Ash Wednesday, 2021by Rev. Aline Silva “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a
Farmed Animal Flourishing: Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare (UK) Project
by Margaret B. Adam Why should Christians care about farmed animal welfare? What exactly is improved farmed animal welfare? Who can improve it and how? These are some of the questions addressed by the 3-year research project, Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare (CEFAW) in the UK. The project is funded
Crying over Spilt Milk
by Lee Palumbo While chatting with a friend one day about the high volume of antibiotics and other nasty ingredients found in today’s cows’ milk, he asked me, “So why do you care what others eat or drink?” I cried. I often cry over this subject. I struggle to maintain calm
Margaret’s Favourite Ingredient This Month: Chickpea Flour (also called besan or gram flour)
by Margaret B. Adam Chickpea flour is high in protein, naturally gluten-free, and an (improbable but effective) egg replacement in many recipes. With a bag of chickpea flour in your cupboard, you can transform a few lonely vegetables into an easy, appealing, and satisfying meal. With some chickpea flour, water, and
DefaultVeg Recipe Roundup for the Holidays
By Megan Grigorian Advent is here and we have got you covered with some delicious plant-based, communal recipes and meal options for the eyes and taste buds of many. Planning communal meals can become stressful when trying to tend to everyone’s dietary preferences—but that’s why DefaultVeg can be so effective. When
Homily for a CreatureKind Advent Service
This homily was written and delivered by Ashley M. Lewis for the CreatureKind Advent Service in December 2020. Scriptures from the Fourth Week of Advent 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 (NRSV) 7:1 Now when the king (David) was settled in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his
Faith.Food.Family
by Ciyadh Wells Faith. Growing up, it never failed that I found myself in a church of some kind every Sunday morning. My grandmother, a leader of our church, used to sit in the exact same pew week after week. She loved me and our family. For many of us, she
CreatureKind Co-Funds New Religion and Animals PhD Studentship at the University of Chester
The University of Chester has just advertised a new fully-funded PhD studentship for a project engaging religious perspectives on the human use of animals for food supported by funding from CreatureKind. The studentship will cover all fees together with stipend at UKRI terms and is offered under the University’s Sustainable Futures
Vegan – and Christian, Too
by Nathan Porter “You’re vegan? But I thought you were a Christian!” Comments like this one are familiar to followers of Jesus who have given up the use of animal products. I have been vegetarian for almost half a decade, and recently went vegan. Although I have received criticism from both
Christian Community, COVID-19, and the Slaughterhouse
by Sarah Withrow King Photo by @ninastrehl | Unsplash In May of this year, COVID-19 outbreaks in meatpacking plants grabbed national headlines around the world. Despite their identification as hotspots for the spread of the virus, in the US, slaughterhouses were ordered to stay open as “essential” businesses, along with farms
A Many-Folded Cord
by Beth Quick “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other … A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10a, 12b, NRSV) Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay I’ve been a vegetarian since I
Remembering John Lewis and His Chickens
by Jeania Ree V. Moore When recounting his beginnings as a civil rights activist, Congressman John Lewis often started with Big Belle and Li’l Pullet, two valued members of his childhood congregation. For this flock, Lewis was not a follower, but a leader. Lewis was put in charge of the chickens
Updated Resource List: How Farmed Animal Welfare Connects to Race, Gender, and More
by Aline Silva Are you interested in how the welfare of farmed animals relates to race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and culture? CreatureKind has compiled a resource list to help explore these intersections. Note: updated June 2020. You might also be interested in the following resources (all available on
CreatureKind Supports Call to Stand with Meatpacking Plant Workers During COVID-19 Crisis
by Sarah Withrow King You might have seen the news reports recently about COVID-19 and meatpacking plants: that the plants are emerging as hotspots for the spread of the virus, that they are being ordered to stay open as “essential” businesses, and that workers (the vast majority of whom are people
Welcome to Regents Theological College as a CreatureKind Partner
by David Clough CreatureKind is delighted to welcome Regents Theological College as our latest partner institution. Regents campus is on the western slopes of the Malvern hills in England. Regents is among the foremost Pentecostal Bible Colleges in Europe and one of the largest in the UK. It is also the
Reflections on COVID-19: Suffering from Exile
by Ashley Lewis Throughout scripture, human and non-human animals are bound up in each other’s lives. In the Garden of Eden, animals and humans shared the experiences of creation and vocation. Aside from immediate family, Noah’s only companions on the ark were animal-kind. From Abraham to Joseph, sheep and goats are
Resources for Lent 2020
by Sarah Withrow King The season of Lent was not a strong part of my Christian formation. To me it was, at most, a time to stop eating some food I liked, to be “spiritual.” In high school, following the lead of a cute camp counsellor, I gave up meat for
What Does Christianity Have to Do With Animals (Book Excerpt)
From Genesis to Revelation, and from the early church to the present day, there are vivid examples of God’s—and the church’s—love of, care for, and delight in animal creatures. By Sarah Withrow King From Genesis to Revelation, and from the early church to the present day, there are vivid examples of
VIDEO: An Expert Explains…The Ethics of Farming Animals
Check out this video that the University of Chester produced of CreatureKind co-founder David Clough talking through the basic ethical issues of using animals for food!
An Advent Reflection: Instruments of Peace for All Creatures
by Tim Mascara On December 4, 1959, Soviet artist Evgeny Vuchetich presented a bronze statue to the United Nations, titled Let Us Beat Our Swords into Plowshares. The sculpture is an image of a man beating a sword into a plowshare, meant to symbolize humankind’s desire to end war—the desire to take the
An Update from Sarah Herring, CreatureKind Climate Fellow at Eastern University
by Sarah Herring As the finals week and thesis deadlines loom closely on the horizon, I am struck by how much has already been accomplished on Eastern University’s campus. This semester, I undertook a project to increase awareness surrounding a vegan lifestyle on my campus. I started the year by making
Why Talking about Christianity and Animals Requires Talking about Race
by David Clough Aphro-ism by Aph Ko and Syl Ko is essential reading for all animal advocates. When I started writing about Christianity and animals I confess that I didn’t see the connection with race and white privilege. I was sympathetic to the idea that some theologians and Christian ethicists should
So What if Eating Red Meat is Healthy…or Not?
by Margaret B. Adam Recently, a new medical study hit the headlines, arguing that reducing meat consumption does not improve human health. This study reviewed previous studies and decided that the evidence is not strong to warrant the advice to eat less meat. It’s too early to tell how these latest
CreatureKind Summer Round-Up
It’s been a busy summer at CreatureKind and we want to share some of the highlights with you. CreatureKind Ministry Intern CreatureKind has graduated its very first Ministry Intern. Ashley Lewis is a student at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. She is seeking her Master of Divinity. Her ministry focus
The Illegal Burning of the Brazilian Amazon (and How You Can Help)
by Aline Sliva This week, the world has reacted in shock as they became aware of a reality that local Brazilians have been dealing with for weeks: the Amazon rainforest is burning because a few rich farmers want Amazonian land to be used for agribusinesses. The Amazon rainforest has been named
Virtual Visit with David Clough
If you’d like a chance to meet and discuss Christianity and animal ethics with CreatureKind founder and co-director, Professor David Clough, please plan to join us on October 21 and 22, 2019, for the “David Clough Virtual Visit,” a series of interactive online sessions, hosted by Farm Forward. You can sign
New Video Highlighting CreatureKind’s Work!
Watch this great video to see how CreatureKind addresses faith, anti-racism, and farmed animal welfare, in conversation with other community initiatives that share similar concerns. A note from CreatureKind: We are grateful and happy to be in partnership with Farm Forward, which takes seriously the role of faith communities in creation
Truth, Freedom, and Creaturely Kindness
by Ashley M. Lewis The work of CreatureKind, and the influence of Co-Director, Sarah Withrow King, have been instrumental for me over the last few years as I decided to leave my corporate career and pursue a Master of Divinity degree, with the hope of working in ministry related to food
