Gardens as “partners” in contemplation: reading the stories of the first Eden (genesis 2-3) and a restored Eden (song of songs) through the lens of attention restoration theory

Abstract: It is well known that gardens have always been inspiring for great thinkers of the past, for instance Greek and Roman philosophers, Confucian thinkers, Desiderius Erasmus, Isaac Newton and Arnold Toynbee, to name but a few. Why is this so? Attention Restoration Theory, developed by environmental psychologists Stephen and Rachel Kaplan, explains how both wild (e.g. reserves) and cultivated nature (e.g. parks, gardens) can assist in replenishing our cognitive and emotional coping capacities, and uplift us. Nature is not only a setting but an active agent / “partner” in sustaining human well-being, inter alia when contemplating or reflecting on the meaning of life. In order to achieve this the human: nature relationship needs to meet the properties of “being away,” “compatibility”, “‘soft’ fascination” and “extent.” Shining the light of these insights on two “Edens” in the Old Testament, the one lost (Gen 2-3) and the other revived (Song of Songs), nature’s role in evoking contemplation especially, whether on human fate or human delight, will be highlighted