This prodigious volume of scholarly articles is part of the larger series, Religions of the World, edited by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim. As with the others, it gives an in-depth view of the major themes and intricate nuances of theological thought of the tradition as it relates to nature, the environment and ecological issues. That is both the book's strength and, for use by high school teachers, it's problem. The other problem, a larger one I believe, is with what the book well describes as Judaism's seemingly ambivalent relationship to both nature and an ecological movement.

This latter problem is addressed succinctly and up front by the editor, Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, in both her excellent introduction andlater in her article. She explains that: "some voices within Judaism are compatible with contemporary environmentalism, and others are either in direct conflict with it or manifest uneasiness about it. Generalizing about Judaism and ecology is also difficult because Jews today do not agree about the meaning of Judaism. (p.ivii)

Almost every article resonates that dual attitude toward nature. For example, does the biblical phrase Genesis 1.28 mean we have dominion over the world or stewardship for it? For a people exiled from their homeland and confined by laws to urban centers, what role did history play in forming a Jewish attitude toward nature? Yet, with a long history of mysticism as exemplified by the kabbalah and Hasidim will Judaism join the modern author Arthur Green, in seeking "a Judaism unafraid to proclaim the holiness of the natural world. (p. 4) If, as Tsvi Blanchard says, "contemporary Judaism [and I would add historical Judaism] tends to refract the bible through the lens of rabbinic literature" (p.425) then what was the rabbinic attitude towards nature? Here also there are a number of different -- often opposing -- ways of looking at humans in relation to the natural world. The liturgy of the Jewish prayer book abounds with celebrations of the natural world as God's creation.But the rabbis, according to Shalom Rosenberg, believed that "Humanity was created to be God's partner in creation." (p 194) And by taking on that role, humans stand outside of and apart from nature. Even within one man, Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav, one of the most famous Hasidim, there is a dualistic attitude toward nature. Shaul Magid describes R. Nahman's "tortured relationship to nature and the natural world…[as] the tension of nature being both beautiful and demonic…" (p. 336)

These are issues that must be and, with the publication of this volume, are being addressed by Jewish thinkers. The last section of the book, "From Speculation to Action" shows some ways in which the theological struggles described in the book inform the ecological realities facing us today. Tvi Balnchard raises the question "Can Judaism Make Environmental Policy?" and Mark X. Jacobs, executive director of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), gives an excellent history of Jewish environmental groups in the U.S. and England.

There are a couple of articles that I could see using in different courses. Evan Eisenberg's article "The Ecology of Eden" might work well in a world history course as he compares the world-views of the Cannanites and the Mesopotamians and their consequences. I also found Eilon Schwartz's "Response. Mastery and Stewardship, wonder and Connecteness: A Typology of Relations to Nature in Jewish Text and Traditions" to be a cogent structural analysis from which one might understand the different approaches that humans have to nature. David Kraemer, writing on Jewish Death Practices: A Commentary on the Relationship of Humans to the Natural World" shows how ritual often reveals a people's view. And Eliezer Diamond in his article "How Much is Too Much?" uses talmudic and techniques to work with modern pollution problems.

There is a great deal of thoughtful and thought-provoking material here. The more I return to it, the more I get out of it. And the fact that it comes from a wide range of Jewish thinkers across the spectrum of movements, is important. For those involved in Jewish leadership, Jewish theology or philosophy, it is a must.

But I am a high school teacher, with a high school audience. Sentences like: "All deserts [and he doesn't mean sweets]…arise ontically, from the conative and entitative claims of being." (p. 228) are just not clear to us. Analyzing a story for 10 pages before you tell the story, is irritating. Unfortunately, very little of the material will be understandable or interesting to my students, particularly if they do not come from a Jewish background.

review ©2004 by Jane S. Rechtman and RSiSS
The Masters School

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