Book Review: Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity

From the first chapter of Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity, I was captured by what I was reading.  This book will make you re-think your Christianity and your role as a Christian.  I found myself nodding my head, saying, "Yes, yes, that is so true." so many times throughout this book.

Basically, what this book boils down to saying is that as Christians our only job is to follow the Great Commandment, to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  Doing that means evaluating everything we do as Christians, through that paradigm of loving God.  Loving God with all our heart = compassion for all others.  Loving God with all our soul = having wonder and awe for all He has created.   Loving God with all our mind = Curiosity to know Him.  Loving God with all our strength = Putting energy in to worship and living for Him.

The author, Mark Batterson, says in the first chapter, that we complicate Christianity.  I believe that to be true.  He recalls that the Pharisees made a list of religious do's and don'ts - 613 of them!!!    Jesus covered all of those with Great Commandment.  Essentially we need to  get away from commercial Christianity and get back to basics, the Primal Christianity of the Great Commandment.

Batterson used some great illustrations throughout Primal that really resonated with me.  He tells a great story about a church he happens upon while in Rome.  The experience caused him to question our modern day faith. The story was fascinating.  He also tells about heart transplant research, which is amazing!  Get the book just to read that alone!

 I also love that he addresses the prosperity gospel and he makes a great suggestion that many readers could miss and that is to join the Junky Car Club so you have less going to car payments and more going to the kingdom.

Batterson tells us that when we hear of suffering and injustice we need to ask ourselves, "Are we okay with this?"  He points out that we do seem to be okay with many things because we don't step up and do anything to change what is happening.  He says that the things that break God's heart are the things that should break our heart. 

As a homeschooling mother, one thing he said in particular, stuck with me.  "God is more than factual. He is wonderful.  The mid is educated with facts, but the soul is educated with beauty and mystery.  And the curriculum is the creation."  Wow.

I think every christian needs to read this book.  If you are in to the prosperity gospel and the Prayer of Jabez and you think God blesses you with "stuff" this book may step on your toes.  Be warned, this isn't Disney Christianity, it is Primal. 


~I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.~