Meals on Wheels: The Reserved Sacrament and Other Christian Daily Devotions

This paper will explore daily religious practices in households with both Christian and non-Christian members, with a focus on meals. I will consider in particular the positions of subordinate members of the household (mostly wives and slaves) who may have been incorporating Christian practices into their various household activities. One example of this is the reserved sacrament, or the practice of transporting bread from communal meals with other Christians into one’s own household and consuming it before a meal. I will explore how this and other practices influence social hierarchies in the household and establish Christianity as a household cult along with others.