The Garden: A Refuge- Embodied Jewish Eco-Theology

• In Event: Ethics and Rejuvenation in Modern Jewish Thought

Abstract

Introduction:

Scholarship on Religion and the Environment grew considerably in the past decade, looking at concern for the more-than Human world as part of religious traditions. Jewish studies consider the biblical and theological basis for re-vamping post-Enlightenment thought that has emphasized non-material, thought centered understandings. Two outstanding examples of these studies are Rabbi David Seidenberg’s Kabbalah and Ecology, offering Jewish rabbinic and mystical understanding, and Natan Margalit’s The Pearl and the Flame. While admirable works that include history, Jewish thought, and expressive culture, they lack embodied aesthetics in relation to the more-than-human world. While gleaning insight from these studies, this paper focuses on embodied performance to further develop Jewish eco-theology. The thesis then is:

Because of consideration of embodied practices, and ethnographic study of eco-somatic performance provide important insights for Jewish eco-theology.

Theological insights are dealt with in terms of Buber’s concept of intersubjectivity and embodiment. However, most of the presentation examines The Garden: A Refuge, offering how ritual and performance provide insights into human relationships with the more than human world and the climate crisis.

The Premise:

The play itself provides a view of how religious values may and have been explored in the public sphere. While ritual within community might supply a sufficient embodiment of eco-conscious values, and even challenge injustice to all in the process, theatrical storytelling, dance, and ritual allows for broader public participation and dialog on enacting sacred values.

Eco Theology and Aesthetics:

Within the play, two theological understandings were present. First, the idea presented by R. David Seidenberg on Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides - the world was not made for humans, nor were humans superior to animals. According to Seidenberg, this may be compared to the “Gaia hypothesis” of current scientists. The other concept explored is human materiality and “Biomsemiosis”(N. Lyons) and embodiment from a Jewish perspective.

The Garden – Ethnography:

A self-written and performed play, The Garden explored embodied eco-conscious Jewish theology, moving from loss and “winter” to hope and “spring.” Props, movement patterns, and dance for each segment of the play correlated to 1) the hot heat of summer and global warming 2) dampness of winter, overly wet seasons 3) spring and storms 4) balanced weather and human acknowledgement of being part of nature.

Author

• Cia Sautter, St. Catherine University