FOOD AS WORSHIP:
The Spirituality and Sacredness of Food from the Agrarian Perspective of the Pekurehua Indigenous Community
Keywords:
Food as worship, sacredness of food, contextual theology, Pekurehua community, shifting food meaningsAbstract
This study examines the meaning of food within the Pekurehua community in Napu, Central Sulawesi, from a contextual theological perspective. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, the research explores food production, distribution, and consumption as expressions of values, identity, and social-communal relations. Findings indicate that food is understood as an act of worship, integrating sacredness, solidarity, and agrarian spirituality. Practices such as the Dondi dance, communal meals, prayers before work, and customary regulations on food waste demonstrate respect for land, labor, and divine gifts. However, the study also notes a generational shift, where younger members increasingly adopt instant consumption habits, creating relational distance from land and community. The study emphasizes that food can remain a locus of worship if accompanied by awareness of gratitude, responsibility, and relational practices within a changing modern context.
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