Muslims and Christians traditionally deny themselves during the holy seasons of Ramadan and Lent. To the modern mind, this might seem like an odd and unreasonable practice of self-denial. Why do believers fast? Why do they deny themselves? Perhaps the “unreasonableness” of fasting is precisely the point.
While many know about the spiritual and emotional benefits of fasting, Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk push the conversation deeper. Here they explore the surprising ways in which fasting could improve our economic andpolitical lives. (It might even help save our democracy!) In an American culture that has grown increasingly fast-paced, selfish, and materialistic, maybe we need religion to “impose” significant constraints on our everyday behaviour. What does freedom within these constraints actually look—and feel—like?
