“God is their belly.” Postulates of Temperance in Eating in the Dietetics of the Adventist Pioneer Ellen G. White

Abstract

The article presents a synthesis of religious faith and scientific knowledge in the nineteenth-century standard model of dietetics proposed by the co-creator of Adventism, Ellen G. White. The idea of intemperance, having both religious and cultural connotations, is one of the fundamental elements. For the authoress, temperance appears to be a guarantee of health, both physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, as well as moral. This picture is completely disparate with the diet of modern American society, which is subordinate to the guidelines of consumerism and capitalism rather than medical science or religious principles.