Allison J van Tilborgh

05/23/2025

Here is a small section of my thesis that I wrote for my Masters degree :) It's about a fascinating chapter in American vegetarianism at the nation's founding.

"Although not common, vegetarianism was certainly not unheard of in Colonial and Revolutionary America. The Early United States was a leader in what would become the Animal Rights movement, passing some of the world’s earliest legislation to protect animals."

How Reformers Fought Slavery, Sexism, and Speciesism in the Founding Era

02/21/2025

"In a nation synonymous with meat-centric diets, the Adventist example serves as a powerful reminder of how deeply religious values can influence not only individual lives but also the broader cultural and industrial landscape."

Check out my most recent article on Seventh-Day Adventism's role in the modern vegetarian food industry!

Kellogg, Cornflakes, and the Church That Changed Our Eating Habits

01/03/2025

"Witches were, like Jews, active antagonists in Luther’s theology."

Martin Luther was an incredibly complex figure. At his best, he challenged oppressive authorities and championed new, liberating theologies. At his worst, however, he was known to advocate for violent action against Jews, Turks, peasants, and other alienated groups. Luther wrote very little about Jewish women in his writings, so much is unknown about how he may have perceived them. In this article, I suggest possible perspectives Luther may have had by addressing his particular context and his writings. Ultimately, I argue two likely perspectives that Luther may have had toward Jewish women, one of which connects them to the figure of witches.

Unpacking Luther’s Overlapping Fears

05/18/2024

This morning I had the privilege to speak at the Women’s Interfaith Network in Sarasota, FL.

This group hosts three lectures a year, and I was referred by a professor at the University of Florida to be their speaker on Food and Religion. My presentation was centered around what I called “the nine dimensions of food and religion”.

My 50-minute lecture has been months in the making, and I am so thrilled with the response. I met so many amazing women today that have created real positive change in our world. Many are professors, academics, politicians, pastors and more. This organization is doing amazing work.

I heard as I was leaving that this was their highest attended event in their 16+ year history. I am so privileged. ❤️

a special thanks to John Martinous III for being my chauffeur and enduring being one of two men at the event 🙂

05/03/2024

"The ultimate narrative being driven by the Dumbarton Oaks panel is of Mary, who is nervous about her death, being closely assisted by John prior to her being received by Christ and ascent into heaven. The eyes are guided from bottom left to top right, forcing the viewer to watch Mary’s transformation from large to small and earthly to heavenly and also to lock eyes with the upright Christ, which meets us in our anxieties about death. Christ is in the center of it all."

Analyzing Byzantine Ivory Icons of the Dormition of Mary

02/07/2024

(A new piece for Orlando Date Night)
Food has a way of bringing people together, from first dates to wedding anniversaries. Key holidays throughout the year are marked by meals, and Valentine’s Day is no exception! In a vegan-friendly city like Orlando, there are no excuses for finding the perfect romantic plant-based restaurant to treat your special someone. We're sharing our favorite options for this season of love.

Food has a way of bringing people together, from first dates to wedding anniversaries. Key holidays throughout the year are marked by meals, and Valentine’s

12/20/2023

"The Orthodox Christian tradition points us toward a sacramental union with non-human creation by moving away from the objectification of it to the subjectification of it."

Moving from Objectification Toward a Sacramental Union

10/04/2023

"The issue with ‘distinguishing’ the ‘religion’ of ‘Judaism’ and the ‘religion’ of ‘Christianity’ in antiquity is that there was no one Judaism and one Christianity. In fact, sometimes, they were the same."

Creeds, Sects, and Beliefs in 400 Words