Pickling is a form of fermentation that preserves by rot. Fruit, vegetable, meat, or egg become pickles with the addition of brine and time, but without the consistent ritual of maintenance, they will putrefy and therefore fail in their purpose.

Similarly, religion seeks to preserve ideas, culture, morals, and ways of life. As with pickles, everything that is preserved is fundamentally changed from the original as time passes. Therefore, it becomes important to consider what religion does for us in a contemporary society: how does it serve us and how does it fail us?

By drawing a connection between the ancient art of fermentation and religion, I intend to open a forum within which participants may engage in a dialogue that questions the role of religion in their lives and their broader community as a whole.