This Tuesday, Nov. 12, Calvin Philosophy Professor Matthew Halteman’s new book, Hungry Beautiful Animals: The Joyful Case for Going Vegan, will be released. In the book, Halteman aims to shift how people view the process of “going vegan,” from shame and restriction to a celebration of the beauty and joy of life.
Hungry Beautiful Animals frames Halteman’s idea as an opportunity rather than an obligation. “Going vegan” is an incremental journey rather than an identity earned by perfection. This is why Halteman focuses on the distinction between veganism, which implies a perfectionistic state, and “going vegan,” which is aspirational, and something to continually strive towards.
Halteman also considers how one can live out going vegan in realistic and adaptable ways. He offers particular insight into how this can apply to college students. “As with every group, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to ‘going vegan’… Some college students are awakened to the power of going vegan while they are still trapped in a 21-meal plan they already paid for at a school that may not prioritize a wide array of vegan options.” These students can still work towards the end goal of a vegan life while accommodating the limitations of their situation. Halteman suggests these students can be “readying their inner soil” and “[postponing] the big dietary changes for such a time as they have more food autonomy.”
Prioritizing a plant-based diet can be, as Halteman describes, a spiritual exercise tied to going vegan, but not the only way to move toward the vegan ideal.
“The important thing is to lock in the aspiration (‘This is what I’m striving for, eventually, even if I can only take small steps now, or maybe ever!’) and then look for repetitive daily practices that will move you in the direction you want to go, challenging yourself to do the best you can under the circumstances but refusing to expect perfection or judge yourself when you fall short in various ways,” stated Halteman.
This vision of food-based growth has remarkable parallels to the Christian story and the vision of Calvin. Calvin is founded on the belief that while perfect sanctification is not possible in this world, there should be continual striving and incremental growth in that direction. Sanctification through diet is an underdeveloped and underemphasized sphere of thought and an area Halteman sheds necessary light on.
With its wide variety of celebrity endorsements and public exposure, Hungry Beautiful Animals has the potential to reach a large audience and influence the thinking of those far outside Reformed circles.
