Podcast Summary: New Books Network

Episode: Cup Overflowing: How Christians Should Think about Wine
Date: September 8, 2025
Host: Chris Odiniec (with Randy Frazee and Gisla Kreglinger)
Guests: Gisla Kreglinger (Lutheran theologian, author), Randy Frazee (theologian and co-author)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the intersection of Christian faith and wine, using Gisla Kreglinger’s upbringing in a German winemaking family and her theological scholarship as starting points. The discussion dives into wine’s deep biblical roots, its symbolism in Christian tradition, its historical role in feasting and community, and contemporary issues surrounding alcohol in the Christian context. Insights are taken from Kreglinger’s books, particularly Cup Overflowing and the Wine in the Word study guide, co-authored with Randy Frazee.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wine, Faith, and Family: A Personal Perspective

• Gisla’s Background: Raised on a Franconian winery with centuries-old Christian winemaking traditions ([05:49]).
• Integration of Work and Worship: The vineyard and church life were intrinsically linked; harvest grapes would decorate the altar for Thanksgiving ([05:49]).
• Eucharist and Home: The Eucharistic wine reminded young Gisla of her home, deepening her understanding of redemption as encompassing all life, not just the “spiritual” parts ([06:49]).
• Vineyard Life’s Demands: Contrary to romanticized notions, winery life entailed hard labor from an early age ([11:19]).

"This isn't just about me and God. God wants to redeem everything and all of life on the winery, including all the challenges... I felt, wow, God cares about this." — Gisla Kreglinger ([06:49])

2. Wine as Gift and Symbol in Scripture

• Biblical History: Wine is one of the oldest agricultural products, integral to Mediterranean culture and biblical narratives (e.g., Noah). Its cultivation represents faith in God’s future ([13:20]; [14:01]).
• Noah’s Story Reconsidered: Planting a vineyard post-flood is interpreted as an act of hope and civilization, not simply a precursor to drunkenness ([14:02]).
• Scriptural Attitude: The Bible acknowledges the enjoyment and risks of wine, encourages moderation, and recognizes wine as a divine gift ([17:24]).

"For Noah, to plant a vineyard was really an act of faith in God's future... I probably would have gotten a little intoxicated as well." — Gisla Kreglinger ([14:02])

3. The Table as a Spiritual Space

• Community and Conviviality: Wine tastings in Gisla's home fostered honest, joyful, and even vulnerable conversations, often breaking down social barriers and deepening relationships ([09:14]).
• Contrast with Individual Excess: The proper use of wine is in community, fostering connection—not isolated consumption ([18:24]).
• Feasting and Abundance: Drawing from films like Babette's Feast, the hosts discuss how earthly feasts echo divine generosity and grace ([18:50]).

"I have not seen a film where the invisible movement of God's grace is made visible at the table with food and wine." — Gisla Kreglinger ([19:05])

4. Physicality, Sacrament, and Symbolism

• Incarnation and Materiality: Both host and guests stress the importance of physical symbols in Christian worship—wine is central (the blood of Christ), as is feasting together ([30:37]).
• Vine Metaphor: Jesus as the vine, Christians as the branches, and the Eucharistic use of wine all draw from deep biblical and agricultural roots ([31:14]).
• Transformation: The wine-making process (crushing, fermenting) is paralleled with Christ’s passion and resurrection ([33:00]).

"The meaning of this or why it is used, there are many levels to it... The whole wine making process really parallels the process of Christ being crushed for the sins of the world." — Gisla Kreglinger ([33:00])

5. Theological and Cultural Challenges: Alcohol in Modern Christianity

• Puritanical Legacy: Particularly in America, a suspicious or negative view of alcohol persists; open dialogue is needed ([03:37], [37:03]).
• Healthy Practice and Redemption: The call is to celebrate wine as a gift, use it responsibly, and support ethical, sustainable winemaking ([20:47], [24:30]).
• Food, Agriculture, and Redemption: Christians are encouraged to support practices that heal the land and honor its bounty, seeing these as acts of stewardship and renewal ([20:47]-[23:47]).

"We need to realize that food that's grown in a conventional way, we know that's not healthy... To eat and drink redemptively—to support farmers who heal the soil and the earth." — Gisla Kreglinger ([22:16])

6. Ritual, Abstinence, and Celebration

• Balance of Fasting and Feasting: Abundance is meaningful when counterbalanced by restraint and special occasions ([26:28]).
• Jesus’ First Miracle: The wedding at Cana is discussed as a fulfillment of prophetic expectations of messianic abundance through wine ([27:21]-[28:10]).

"Jesus did not just come to heal people... Jesus came to join in the celebrations of ordinary people and to share their joy and deepen their joy." — Gisla Kreglinger ([28:10])

7. Practice for the Church Today

• Open Conversation: Churches should address alcohol directly, fostering healthy habits and gratitude rather than silence or taboo ([37:01]).
• Spiritual Practice: Wine tasting can be a form of prayer and meditation, cultivating gratitude for the gifts of creation ([39:35]).

"This can and should be a spiritual practice." — Gisla Kreglinger ([39:33])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Redemption & Daily Life:
  "Food and wine in the Bible are gifts from God. When you think about the Garden of Eden...we commune with God through the bounty that He brings forth." — Randy Frazee ([25:24])

• On Feasting:
  "God is a God of exquisite extravagance...that is not the message in...the feast. So what is God up to? ...Everything is so much more abundant than we deserve." — Chris Odiniec ([20:11])

• On Community:
  "Food and wine can really open us up to one another and help us say, okay, yes, we have divisions...but let's look at what we have in common." — Gisla Kreglinger ([19:02])

• On Wine Tasting as Spiritual Practice:
  "With every wine, I offer meditation to help people realize this can and should be a spiritual practice." — Gisla Kreglinger ([39:35])

Key Timestamps

• 03:37: Chris Odiniec introduces U.S. Puritan attitudes towards alcohol
• 05:49–09:08: Gisla Kreglinger’s upbringing in a winemaking family and its theological resonance
• 13:20–16:28: Discussion of wine’s deep roots in biblical tradition (Noah, Proverbs)
• 18:24–20:47: The importance of consuming wine in community and feasting as a theological practice
• 24:19–24:51: The Christian calling to ethical consumption and stewardship of creation
• 26:28–28:09: Fasting and feasting; Jesus’ miracle at Cana contextualized in Jewish tradition
• 31:14–33:00: Jesus as the vine and the Eucharistic symbolism of wine
• 37:01–39:35: Need for churches to embrace positive dialogue about alcohol; wine tasting as spiritual practice

Final Thoughts

This episode argues for a holistic Christian approach to wine—one that sees it as a gift to be enjoyed with gratitude, responsibility, and ethical awareness, always in celebration of both creation and redemption. With anecdotes, scriptural exegesis, and practical suggestions, Gisla Kreglinger and Randy Frazee challenge listeners to “redeem” their relationship with wine and with food, restoring the spiritual dimension of feasting, conviviality, and stewardship.

Recommended Resources from the Episode:

• Cup Overflowing by Gisla Kreglinger
• The Spirituality of Wine and The Soul of Wine by Gisla Kreglinger
• Wine in the Word study guide and YouTube series (first episode available online)

Closing Blessing:
"May God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine." — Randy Frazee ([40:29])

For a deeper dive, listen to the full episode or check out Gisla Kreglinger’s resources for practical ways to integrate wine, faith, and celebration into Christian life.