I was one of several hundred pastors fortunate enough to receive a free copy of Mark Batterson's new release, Primal - A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. This hard cover book, featuring 171 pages of Mark's insights on the challenges that modern day Christianity faces, is a great little read. At the core of this book is a stirring question that moves the reader in and out of each chapter. And what is that question? Will there be another reformation? And if so, what will it look like? Will it be similar to Martin Luther at Wittenberg and his ninety-five theses? Or will it come out of a great love movement (the Great Commandment) for God - and for people? Mark confronts this question throughout his book, taking us through historical data, personal stories, and scientific inquiry. If you're familiar with Mark's previous writings (In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase), this book will carry a very similar writing style. This is not a bad thing. In fact, in many ways, if you enjoy Mark's creativity and demeanor, you will not be let down. Mark is very careful in handling the Scriptures and illuminating his thoughts on each page, not destroying the work of Christian history. I believe that the very nature or genre of his book could have offered up some strong negative reflections on how the past 100 years of church leadership may have missed the target with the heart and mission of Christ. But Mark refuses to go there (good move). Instead, Mark chooses to inspire us. He raises the bar of potential. He takes us back down into the deep caves of primal Christianity and tries to elevate our hopes of recapturing the very essence of Christ's mission for his people.Overall, if you like Mark's style of writing (which I do), you will enjoy his third book, Primal. Would it make a good Christmas gift? Absolutely. But don't stop there. The hope is that all of us will be a part of this God-led movement to recapture the lost soul of Christianity.
