Where mythology and spirituality meet
Liturgies of the wild:
Myths that make us
By Martin Shaw
Pub: Ebury Vine; 2026
ISBN: 978-1-84604-891-3
Price: £22 (hardback)
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading Liturgies of the Wild, but I soon learnt that I simply had to take my time with the lyrical, rhythmic language of this book to get the most out of it.
I have always enjoyed myths, legends and folk tales and the skill of the author, Martin Shaw, in drawing on these ancient stories to point the reader in the direction of matters of faith is interesting.
Shaw is a storyteller, mythologist and Christian thinker who spends a great deal of time outdoors, often in remote forests and mountains, where he reflects on the natural world. He grew up a Baptist but rejected his faith at the age of 17, preferring to look for meaning in age-old stories and exploring the great outdoors. However, in his fifties, after a 101-day forest vigil in Dartmoor, and much to his surprise, he felt drawn back to his Christian roots and eventually settled into the Orthodox Church.
Professional storytellers’ narratives can be long, and Shaw’s sometimes are, as they try to engage their audience and build up to the point they are making. In re-telling myths and legends, Shaw weaves a textured fabric around the subjects of faith and spirituality which he is addressing. In this book, he hopes there will be ‘something hauntingly familiar in what we explore’ in the search for the ‘Ancient Good’, which is ‘the deepest encounter that could be found in these pages.’
In the chapter ‘On Passivity’, Shaw says ‘Without steadfastness we would never have the discipline for the night vigil, without restlessness we would never have the adventure that God desires for us. To be humbly in touch with both is more a transmission of truth than any apologetics can muster.’ To illustrate the point, the author relates the ancient story of a firebird and a hunter.
Moving on to the chapter entitled ‘On Prayer’, Shaw says that ‘The Christian heart at best feels combed through, receptive, quiet, patient, denuded of energy. The prayer rests there like a pulse.’
If you enjoy sweeping narratives from many different traditions, which the author links to Christianity in sometimes surprising ways, then this is the book for you.
Tessa Briggs