Mouth of the Donkey: Re-imagining Biblical Animals by Laura Duhan-Kaplan reads like a theologian scholar’s playground. All the animals have a purpose in God’s plan, from the sheep, lions, and donkeys to everything in between. Duhan-Kaplan re-imagines the common Biblical tales and how they fit into ecology, biology, indigenous folklore, rabbinic midrash, and the Kabbalah. Each animal is symbolic in some way of each of these disciplines. Animals help us humans to steer away from violence and embrace peace. Like Balaam’s donkey in the Bible, who lay down when he saw the angel of the Lord, we too must open our eyes to the important things, rather than closing them in ignorance.

In Mouth of the Donkey, Duhan Kaplan says this of these creatures: “Sometimes they notice things humans don’t. They think, feel, and communicate about things we don’t even know exist. They have senses we cannot even imagine. For example, humans have a sense of smell. But dogs have a sense of scent. Dog noses receive information that our noses don’t.” This quote about dogs reminds me of my pets. Every time I come home, they must first inspect where I’ve been. They can tell the story behind the places I visited. What was there or maybe who was there? Perhaps animals have a sixth sense. Think back to Balaam’s Donkey. The donkey saw what Balaam could not. It is through the donkey we learn what fealty and faith are. It is through all these countless events, tales, and oral stories that we learn a lesson.

Mouth of the Donkey: Re-imagining Biblical Animals by Laura Duhan-Kaplan takes a second look at the representation of animals in biblical tales. This ten-year project is the collaboration of ideas as well as blending with the author’s scholarship in philosophy, theology, and spirituality shared in classes, sermons, and lectures. With the Bible as one of the oldest known surviving symbolic representations of nature ever written, this work connects meanings to a variety of ideas and practices that testify to our eternal recurring fascination with animals and how they contribute to shaping our relationship with God and nature. The book kick-starts by questioning a view of humans as being the most complex animal in creation and as storytellers that shaped biblical texts over time. Moreover, ecological activism permeates the theme as environmental ethics saturates the book.

So why a non-fiction re-imagining of biblical animals? For the purpose of continuous learning that hinges on hope in a world filled with problems, it is imperative that we re-think what we have learned in the old ways and come up with an assessment of whether or not they remain relevant to this day and age. As animals wander in and out of biblical literature, Laura Duhan-Kaplan effectively digs into art, history, and philosophy to call attention to the relevance of biblical interpretation and its connection to interdisciplinary animal studies. This has come at an impeccable time considering that questions about animals continue to be raised in different areas of discipline including humanities and social sciences. Laura Duhan-Kaplan's book will provide you with new perspectives on the Bible’s animal stories. Mouth of the Donkey is highly recommended for those who love to engage their minds in critical and creative thinking.