Primal - Mark Batterson
This past week I was given the gift of a preview copy of Mark Batterson’s new book Primal. You too can get it here. Batterson has also written a few other books, most notably In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.
I do a pretty good job of keeping of with Batterson via his blogs and tweets, and am always inspired by what he has to say. Not having read any of his other books (still waiting on someone to give me In a Pit with a Lion), I was eager to crack this book open. Unfortunately, I may have hyped myself and the book up a bit too much.
Let me clarify: there is absolutely nothing wrong with this book, or the author. I think this is just a case of misplaced expectations from the reader. He jumps around A LOT from illustration to illustration never quite diving deep into what it means to have a Primal Christianity. The back of the book quotes
“Our generation needs a REFORMATION. But a single person won’t lead it. A single event won’t define it. Our reformation will be a movement of reformers living compassionately, creatively, courageously for the cause of Christ. This reformation will not be born of a new discovery. It will be the rediscovery of something old, something ancient. Something PRIMAL.”
Now, that made me want to crack open the book and read it in a day. But what I found after getting about 2/3 through the book was that he hadn’t delved past that initial statement. Batterson just provides a bunch of illustrations (personal, researched and from his church) that support the idea that “something” is happening.
So in my opinion. This is an average book. Much the same way you wouldn’t give someone who has never listened to U2, their POP album. You would start them off with Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby. If you were getting it for someone, make sure they have read Batterson’s stuff before. Otherwise start them off with In a Pit with a Lion.
