SMCE3003 F25 Faith and Food

• Delivery: In-Person
• Duration: 4 weeks
• Locations, Dates & Times:
• Beth Tzedec Synagogue,1700 Bathurst St. : Wednesday, October 29th, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• St. Basil’s Catholic Parish at the University of St. Michael’s College, 50 St. Joseph St., TUESDAY, November 4th, 6:00-9:00 p.m. (note this session will be on a Tuesday evening)
• The Ismaili Centre, 49 Wynford Dr., Wednesday, November 12, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
• Toronto United Mennonite Church, 1774 Queen St. E, Wednesday, November 19, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
• Cost: $150
• Level of Interfaith Dialogue (for learners taking the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue): Dialogue of Life

Course Overview

Faith can inform what we eat in meaningful ways: what we eat, where and when, and how and with whom we eat can all be important ways of communicating our values and beliefs, and how we relate to each other within our communities. From how we use food in celebrating holidays, to how we bless it around the table, to the role of religious and cultural laws and global histories that shape what’s on our plates, food plays a key role in how we can learn about and experience each other’s faith traditions.

In this course, you will visit a new place of worship each week and prepare and share a meal together with the host congregation. In this way, you will learn about and experience each other’s cultures and flavours, receive hospitality, explore each other’s spaces, and hear about the ways that faith and fellowship are practised across Toronto.

Method of Teaching

SMCE3003 Faith & Food will consist of four meetings on site at different places of worship over four consecutive weeks, and weekly asynchronous learning activities.

Learners will actively participate in making and sharing meals on site, as well as touring the spaces. Lessons that bolster themes of dialogue, including short readings, videos, and reflective writing, will be used. A final culminating assignment will tie together themes and teachings from all four sites.

No foods containing pork or shellfish will be part of the menu at any site. USMC CE will make every effort to ensure that dietary needs will be accommodated, but we are unable to guarantee zero contact with certain allergens or other items (i.e., gluten, dairy, etc.), please contact ce.stmikes@utoronto.ca to inquire further.

SMCE3003 is an elective course within the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue. Learners who wish to complete this program can learn more on our website. Enrolment in this course is open to all learners.

Learning Outcomes

In this course, learners will:
• Explore the connection between faith and food between four distinct faith traditions, including dietary laws, cultural histories, holidays and feast days, and everyday life
• Experience prayer, ritual, and cultural norms in places of worship across Toronto
• Learn recipes and practice cooking techniques tied to faith and culture
• Reflect on the role of hospitality in the practice of interfaith dialogue

Information about Host Places of Worship

Beth Tzedec Synagogue, 1700 Bathurst St.

St. Basil’s Catholic Parish at the University of St. Michael’s College, 50 St. Joseph St.

The Ismaili Centre, 49 Wynford Dr.

Toronto United Mennonite Church, 1774 Queen St. E.

About the Instructor

Ren Ito is a community organiser and educator based in Toronto. He recently completed a PhD in theological studies at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. With expertise in racial justice organising and education, Dr Ito’s work and research focus on how to foster solidarity across differences of race, culture, and faith. Prior to completing his PhD, he taught and advised students at the religiously diverse Emmanuel College in the Toronto School of Theology, and subsequently served regionally and nationally as a social justice coordinator at the United Church of Canada. He has also been heavily involved in community-building and activism, and co-founded a national collective for people of colour to explore faith, justice, and interracial solidarity on their own terms. His teaching style aims to draw wisdom out of students, helping them articulate their experiences in critical, theoretical terms, and building a body of knowledge to be shaped and shared in the classroom and beyond.

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