Starting with a fresh reflection on the Great Hunger this booklet links famine in Ireland to the terrible reality of famine today where over 800 million people go hungry in a world with more than enough food for everyone. The author goes on to examine the many interpretations of the causes and implications of famine for Christian belief and action and compares the different responses to famine in history. He then draws on a number of core Christian concepts which will help to shape our response to famine today, in particular Jesus preaching about the reign of God and how a new approach to the eucharist can help our understanding of contemporary famine. Drawing all the strands of his argument together and calling for a fully Christian response to hunger today, the author concludes: Famine is a deeply scandalous reality, one that subverts our faith in God, in ourselves and in the future.
