Why don't Christians fast? Jesus assumed that his followers would fast, and there is a rich tradition of the practice down through church history. But a narrow understanding of fasting as total abstinence for 24 hours has led to the practice being sidelined as something for 'professionals'.

This fresh study looks again at the practice and its relevance in a society which has contradictory attitudes to eating, discipline and self-image. It shows how fasting, understood broadly as limiting what we eat or drink, can speak powerfully and even become an exciting path to spiritual growth and well-being.

Until 1999 David Bolster was Vicar at St Andrew's, Woodside near Luton. Both he and Anna were influenced in the early 1980s by Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline, and they continue to be interested in how Christian faith influences the lifestyle and daily life of the believer. David is now vicar in Edmonton, London.

Anna de Lange was Reader at St Andrew's, Woodside. She has served on the Liturgical Commission and is a member of the Group for the Renewal of Worship. She is Reader and Chaplain to Durham School.