Constructing Food Self-Sufficiency in Sacred Texts: A Cross-Faith Rhetorical and Balāghah Study

Authors

  • Sugeng Hariyadi Universitas Islam Sultan Agung Semarang, Indonesia
  • Mamdukh Budiman Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21580/alsina.8.2.32136

Keywords:

Balāghah, cross-faith discourse, food self-sufficiency, rhetorical analysis, sacred texts

Abstract

What does food self-sufficiency mean in a multicultural society? More than production: access, distribution, social responsibility, and ecological sustainability all bear on it. This study asks how sacred texts from Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism construct food self-sufficiency rhetorically. Sixteen purposively selected textual units are analysed through a qualitative comparative approach, combining thematic mapping with rhetorical reading. Balāghah is applied to the Arabic corpus. Fairclough’s three dimensions serve as an interpretive framework rather than as an analysis of independent policy data. The approach may offer an interpretive resource for interfaith dialogue and for culturally sensitive food-policy communication, provided religious narratives are read alongside empirical evidence and the circumstances of each tradition.

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Published

2026-08-31

How to Cite

Hariyadi, S., & Mamdukh Budiman. (2026). Constructing Food Self-Sufficiency in Sacred Texts: A Cross-Faith Rhetorical and Balāghah Study. Alsina : Journal of Arabic Studies, 8(2), 292–303. https://doi.org/10.21580/alsina.8.2.32136

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 2 (2026)

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