Balfour Brickner

I purchased this book based on the Amazon reader reviews and although in some ways the book didn't live up to some of the accolades, in other ways, it did provide some interesting food for thought. The author is a Rabbi; I am a Christian who was brought up in a traditional middle of the road denomination. Going into the book, I knew there would be differences of opinion, yet I'm always interested in another's perspective, and this book does provide that in an very readable, charming, and insightful way.

I'm also not a gardener, but that didn't prevent me from seeing the connection between what grows and dies in the garden and our everyday lives. Most times, I felt the author did an excellent job of comparison (although there were a few places that it seemed as if the "garden comparions" were just added at the end of a straightforward theological essay).

Although this book may be directed to those of the Jewish faith, I would recommend it to anyone looking for some spiritual food for thought. Rabbi Brickner has real respect for a wide spectrum of other spiritual leaders and writers. In short, this isn't something that changed my life, but it is a book that I would go back and reread certain chapters when I was in the mood for "something short and interesting."… (meer)

What do natural beauty and a garden compost pile have to teach us about the meaning of faith? What can the demise of a favorite rhododendron reveal about the limits of prayer? Everything in the garden becomes grist for Balfour Brickner's search for a spirituality that can withstand the tests of both modern cynicism and contemporary science. What, in due course, he discovers: it is observation, doubt, wonderment, and questioning--not blind acceptance of a given doctrine--that lead to faith. For Rabbi Brickner, the resonance between biblical teachings and botanical life provides daily revelations.… (meer)