Judaism, Crunchy Cons, Berry

I have a certain soft spot for the ideas of agrarianism and “Crunchiness.” I have no qualms with the importance of religion to the latter, and (in many cases) spirituality of some sort to the former. The problem I have is the same as when I read Kirk, or Burke, or even Andrew Sullivan in his more abstract moments. The religion which informs their worldviews is Christianity, but I am a Jew.

Dreher’s Crunchiness and Berry’s agrarianism, are particularly thorny. (I’m simplifying here, yes, but narrowing to two cases makes life easier.) When either’s reasoning begins to touch on religion, agreeing with them–generally on issues of the environment–presents me with the task of working my way to the same conclusion, but replacing Dreher’s Orthodoxy and Berry’s anti-establishment Protestantism with my own meandering Judaism. Even when I know the conclusions are the same, the reasoning is a pain the ass.

So, from time to time, I will be making efforts in this direction. I suppose it’s another long-term project I have.