Jesus Ate Fish, Right? A Study on Veganism and Christianity in Sweden Today

Abstract: Why do Christians become vegans and how do they motivate their vegan lifestyle? I have talked to fifteen Christian individuals that have considered their diets and all of them have at one point in their lives thought about becoming vegans. Thirteen of them were vegans during this study. One pastor feels that she cannot become a vegan yet because of her line of work and a man stopped being a vegan because it was too hard to do it alone. However these fifteen people all agree that they as Christians have a moral obligation to protect the earth and animals that God created. This is mainly based on the interpretation of two Biblical passages: the Genesis Creation Narrative and the Great Commandment. The most common reason to become vegan was animal ethics, followed by environmental concerns and health. Although most of the informants felt that their faith encouraged their veganism, their vegan identity came in conflict with their relation to the Church and their parish, which created a cognitive dissonance in their lives.