Liturgies of the Wild

A profound exploration of myth, storytelling and faith, and an urgent invitation to allow the oldest stories – and the Greatest Story – to reshape our own. ‘A rosary of soaring myth, gripping narrative and deep wisdom … one of the master storytellers of our time’ – Dr Gabor Maté, bestselling author of The Myth of Normal There’s an old Irish belief that if you aren’t wrapped in a cloak of story, you will be unprepared for what the world will hurl at you. You remain adolescent at just the moment a culture worth its salt requires you to become a real, grown human being. In Liturgies of the Wild, acclaimed mythographer, storyteller and Christian thinker Martin Shaw argues that we live in a myth-impoverished age, cut off from the deep wells of story and meaning that once prepared us for life’s challenges. Drawing on the 'ancient technologies' of myths and initiatory rites, Shaw invites readers to rediscover the ancient stories that shape the human soul – and to encounter Christ as the ultimate, transforming story providing a road to wholeness, maturity and connection, as he did. Within these pages, Shaw:Teaches us to read a myth the way it wants to be read;Provides vivid retellings of tales powerful enough to carry you through life’s travails;Shows you how to gather and reshape your own thrown-away stories. Most vividly, Shaw shares how these ancient technologies led him – unexpectedly – to Christ, who he terms 'the True Myth,' by way of a thirty-year journey and a 101-night vigil in a Dartmoor forest. Blending nimble storytelling in the tradition of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien with scholarly depth, Liturgies of the Wild provides a transformative journey into story, spirit and self-discovery. Praise for Liturgies of the Wild: 'Our greatest living storyteller' Iain McGilchrist, author of The Master and His Emissary and The Matter With Things 'With potent, lyrical language and a profound knowledge of storytelling, Shaw encourages and illuminates the mythic in our own lives. He is a modern-day bard.' Madeline Miller, bestselling author of Circe and The Song of Achilles 'Easily my book of the year…. a book that will help seekers, doubters and believers alike appreciate faith anew, not by reinventing Christianity, but by re-telling its story through the experience of a thousand other stories.' Justin Brierley, author of The Surprising Rebirth Of Belief In God 'Decades of learning, practice and refinement shine in every line of Liturgies of the Wild.' Mark Vernon, author of Awake! William Blake & the Power of the Imagination'I loved this tender, honest book' Catherine Coldstream, author of Cloistered: My Years as a Nun 'One of the greatest storytellers we have' Robert Bly, New York Times bestselling author of Iron John