“Hunting for the Tree of Life - A
spiritual journey in the garden traditions”
by
Maria Teresa De Donato and Anneli Sinkko
Review
by Valeria Gatti, Author, Blogger
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“We refer to the Bible, which includes
the so-called Old and New Testaments and which many consider to be the inspired
word of God. Whatever your approach to it, we urge you to at least accept it as
a historical document that can be used as a map to find one direction while we
go hunting for the Tree of Life”. Quote from the book.
It was the title. It doesn't always
happen, it's true, also because I don't usually stop on the surface when I
choose the books I propose to you. However, this time it was different. Being
in front of "Hunting for the Tree of Life" set in motion a curiosity
I wanted to satisfy. I, therefore, began this reading in the company of my
questions, confident that others would arise during the reading.
I have already had the opportunity, in
the past, to read the precise and professional writing of Maria Teresa De
Donato but I have never had the chance to meet that of Anneli Sinkko. Still,
the idea of entering this symbiosis further intrigues me.
In the text, I immediately encounter a
particularity. The pages of the authors' acknowledgments, notes, and
biographies open up for reading. It is an excellent way to introduce the work
to the reader, who, at this point, already has some answers in his pocket. When
I read, “We spent several months in a garden. This path has been exciting
and challenging” I nod spontaneously: it is easy to imagine the contrast of
sensations that the enthusiasm and the challenge generated – in equal measure,
I hope – during the study and, perhaps, in the subsequent phases.
Entering the heart of the work, for
which I will limit myself to a general observation without revealing the many –
many – concepts dealt with, another phrase I have read comes to mind, which
concerns the diversity of attitudes towards life – and the questions that exist
in it – which the authors have cited: it is a fascinating starting point, above
all because we are dealing with a work generated by two people who, while
certainly having something in common, have two minds, two souls and two hearts.
Each has its role, its experience, and its being. This message heartens and
invigorates me, given the fashion that it would take more and more standardized
and programmed.
The reading continues, and the analysis
becomes dense: legends, religions, spirituality, reality, visions, immortality
and eternal life, science, the human species and its origins, traditions,
linguistics, and philology, symbols and allusions, wisdom, freedom to
choose between Evil and Good, sacrifices… to name a few. The study also strikes
me with the etymology of terms and the use of verbs in the texts the authors
examined.
The sources cited are numerous. They are
all listed scrupulously and exhaustively at the foot of the page and on a final
note, highlighting the subject's study and the respect for the texts being
analyzed. Everything leads to the question hidden in the title: research of the
Tree of Life.
Reading this text is not easy, and it is not immediate
reading. There was a clear commitment on the part of the authors to simplify
the proposed theme as much as possible to make reading easier and more
enjoyable. In a note, it is clear that "Hunting for the Tree of Life"
is the sum of the “writing of Maria Teresa De Donato and the material used
in the thesis of Master John 18-20 and the Garden Traditions: A Literary and
Theological Reading of Reverend Anneli Sinkko”. As I read, another
uplifting message runs after me: studying can become a moment of sharing and
cognitive altruism while being, by its nature, a solitary activity.
I don't
usually end my articles with quotes from the book itself, but this time,
considering the numerous reflections that prompted the authors to publish, I
will make an exception. And there are two – as are the authors – quotes that I
propose to you and which, I hope, generate in you a healthy reflection,
especially today, in this present that is increasingly covered by thick shadows
that want to obscure our lives.
“... we hope that, regardless of
what your spiritual and/or religious belief is, you will be able to
concentrate, appreciate and evaluate the universal message addressed to
Humanity as well as all the similarities and commonalities present in all
religions that can help us build together and to accept, if possible, to
overcome our differences, our contrasts and the reasons that separate us.”
“However, we
believe that creative freedom also leads to independence. And sometimes
independence is the freedom of borders. In creating humans, God has given them
the ability to resist or not resist temptation. It becomes a matter of choice.”
Thanks to
Maria Teresa De Donato for the free reading file.
Biographical
note of the authors:
Dr. MARIA
TERESA DE DONATO
Roman, by
birth, after studying foreign languages and journalism in Italy, moved to the
USA, where she has lived for over 27 years.
She completed her journalistic studies at the American College of
Journalism and obtained cum laude Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees
of Research in Holistic Health at Global College of Natural Medicine,
specializing in Classical Homeopathy and principles of Ayurveda and Traditional
Chinese Medicine. A passionate blogger,
since 1995, she has collaborated with various magazines, newspapers, and
periodicals as a freelance journalist.
She is an eclectic, holistic, and multidisciplinary writer and the
author of numerous publications, including two novels. Her books are available on all Amazon
distribution channels, including bookstores.
Dr. ANNELI
SINKKO (Minister of Worship/Retired Reverend)
Mother and
grandmother of Finnish descent, she lives in Brisbane, Australia. Also known as Talatala by her friends in Fiji
and Auntie (Auntie) by the Australian Aborigines, she was trained in the
Lutheran Church, first in Finland and then in Australia. She became a minister of worship in the
Uniting Church of Australia and later became a missionary in Fiji and among the
Outback Aborigines of Inala, Queensland.
After studying at the Biblical Institute, she continued her academic
studies, first at Trinity Theological College and then at the University of
Queensland, where she graduated with honors in Philosophy of Religion. Thanks to her studies, Anneli can read both
classical Hebrew and ancient Greek, which, like Aramaic, are the main languages
used in the Holy Scriptures (Bible)
Published at the following link: https://bood.food.blog/2022/05/04/a-caccia-dellalbero-della-vita-un-viaggio-spiritiva-nelle-tradizioni-del-giardino-di-maria-teresa -de-donato-and-anneli-sinkko /
