Religion and Wine: A Cultural History of Wine Drinking in the United States

Rating:
Summary: Is Wine a culture or an adjunct to religion?
Review: As a long term alcoholic, this reader has wrestled with whether he should take wine at his service. This small volumn provides the background for an intelligent individual answer to the question. It also gives insight to the question of cultural purity in the midst of others, and the rituals designed to preclude contamination by non-believers. It's subtitle, "A Cutural History of Wine Drinking in the United States." is its best recommendation. If one already has the answer, then this open non-polemical history is not for them. I particularly related to its description of wine tasting as a religous-secular ceremony. The recent decision to prohibit sales of wine via the Internet makes sense after "tasting" this easy read volume. A strong recommendation for religous anthropologists, recovering alcoholics, and the just plain curious. The only omission that I noted was no discussion of the use of non-preserved grape juice "mus" for ministers, rabbis, and priests who are alcoholics.