McWilliams/Food Rules, 1. Fasting Regulations in the Reformation Era

This paper situates the importance of fasting rituals in the deepening divisions among Christian denominations in the Reformation era. While subtle theological arguments among Catholics and Protestants may have eluded the average believer, clear rules about what people were allowed to consume rarely escaped their attention. I will argue that food regulations played a more important role in dividing various sects than is generally recognized in the historical literature.