Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity

Written by Mark Batterson

Narrated by Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson has a strong following among 20-30-something Christians who are passionate about their faith but suspicious of the consumer-oriented approach of many mega churches. Primal sheds troublesome cultural baggage for this reader while articulating fresh ways to embrace the elements of the faith.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ChristianAudio.com
• Release date: Nov 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781610450546

Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. One church with multiple locations, NCC owns and operates Ebenezers Coffeehouse, the Miracle Theatre, and the DC Dream Center. NCC is currently developing a city block into the Capital Turnaround; the 100,000-square-foot space will include an event venue, a child development center, a mixed-use marketplace, and a coworking space. Mark holds a doctor of ministry degree from Regent University and is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books including The Circle Maker, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, Play the Man, Whisper, and recently released Win the Day. Mark and his wife, Lora, have three children and live on Capitol Hill.

Reviews for Primal

[wjcollier3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I first heard, and was privileged to meet, Mark Batterson almost two years ago at the Innovative Impact Conference at the Fellowship of the Woodlands (now Woodlands Church) just outside Houston, Texas. His core values and approach to ministry impressed me then, and continue to do so. When I was given the opportunity to read and review his newest book release, Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity, I jumped at the chance. Allow me to start by saying I am not disappointed.In Primal, Batterson calls for a return to the most core principle of living a Christian life. He calls for a commitment to following the Great Commandment. He reminds us that we are to love God completely; this means that we love him with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. There is a section for each of these elements in this short book. He equates heart, soul, mind, and strength with compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy respectively. You will have to read the book to get his more full descriptions of those terms. Based on this, Batterson proposes that it is time for another reformation. The last reformation was a reformation of creeds. The next reformation will be a reformation of deeds. The last reformation was symbolized by one central figure. The next reformation will be led by millions of reformers living compassionately, creatively, and courageously for the cause of Christ. It will be marked by broken hearts and sanctified imaginations. And the driving force will be the love of God. A love that is full of compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy.Overall, I give this book very high marks. There are some areas that may be a little overstated or may be a bit of a stretch in order to make a point, but in my mind, these are minor issues. I enjoyed and was challenged by Primal. I hope you are too.Primal is available from Random House and anywhere else books are sold.

[Jason Irwn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While I enjoy many of Batterson's books dearly I think this one is at the top of my list. He does such a great job of research and develops his themes in a way that draws the listener in. The ideal of primal things, or first things is a good approach to the lifelong development of a believer. Getting back to the primal essence of the faith is what drives the reader to a renewed undertaking. I think you will really appreciate this book as much as I have, furthermore I hope it will drive you to want to run the race as if seeking the prize.

[jenndiggy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I think of the word “Primal”, I often think of an uncivilized culture. But in the book “Primal” Mark Batterson strips away all the 21st century trappings of Christianity to take us back to the roots of our faith. With four sections (Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength), I expect there will be one that resonates more than the others with you. While I found the section on the mind fascinating because I always do love a good trivia fact, it wasn't that one that got me excited. I loved the “Strength of Christianity”. One of my favorite parts of the book is where he feels God speaks to him that the sound of the bricks in an orphanage that he is helping to build is music to God's ears. It's often so easy to see Christians as something we are, not as something we do and live out. I loved how on page 148 he talks about how for us to quit sinning is not our resolve to do better, but the fact we need to capture a vision from God. I also loved how he said on page 149, “If you do little things like they are big things, God will bless them and use them.”This would be a fantastic book for a Bible study group. It includes discussion questions in the back and there is an accompanying Primal: DVD-Based Study that you can also purchase. Be forewarned, this is a rather heavy book. It's not beach reading material. If I were to compare books with meals, this is a steak. It needs to be savored, but I definitely recommend it.FTC disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. The opinions are my own.

[pastorjeffmyers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mark Batterson's new book, Primal, hits bookstores today. I received an advance copy to review.If you've read much of my blog, it's no secret that I'm a pretty big fan of Batterson's books. (Here's my review of Wild Goose Chase.) Primal is no exception. In this book, Mark challenges us to get back to the primal essence of our faith, by fully living the Great Commandment. He does this by dividing the book into four sections: The Heart of Christianity, The Soul of Christianity, The Mind of Christianity, and The Strength of Christianity. I really enjoyed this approach and I felt it made for a very well-rounded book.Reading Primal was a bit like trying to drink from a waterfall. I didn't highlight while I read this time, but if I would have I would have ran out of ink. I love great quotes and this book is full of them--both from Mark and other great minds that he quotes. I'll just say that reading this book increased my sense of how great God is, increased my faith in what he's able to do through me, and increased my desire to step out and dare to follow God wherever. Batterson is one of the most positive, encouraging voices in Christianity today. He's this generation's Schuller (but with a greater emphasis on God).I found myself wanting to preach every chapter of this book. I'm sure I'll be borrowing from it quite a bit in the future. Get this book today. It's truly great.

[mikerhenry_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful book about getting back to the basics of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The author thinks deeply and courageously about what each facet means. What does it mean to love God with all of our heart? How would we act? What would happen. He uses experiences and stories to illustrate. Very challenging book! Highly recommended.

[enygren_6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The name Mark Batterson is one that I have been hearing more and more come up within the evangelical universe. So, when I received word that I could receive a copy of Mark’s new book Primal through WaterBrook Multnomah’s Blogging for Books program I naturally jumped at the chance.Batterson is the lead pastor at National Community Church in Washington D.C. and he blogs at Evotional.com.In this his third book, Mark identifies his purpose right up front in the subtitle, “A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity”. I understand that catchy titles help move books, but honestly those words troubled me at first. It sounds a lot like the kind of book that promises to reveal the ‘real secrets of Christianity,’ secrets that you won’t find anywhere else. But it is always good to read on and not judge a book by it’s cover (or by it’s subtitle for that matter).Without giving too much away (because I would recommend that you read this book yourself), the author identifies the ‘Lost Soul of Christianity’ as what is often referred to as the ‘Great Commandment’. God’s people are to love Him will all of their heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30; cf. Deuteronomy 6:5).Mark does an excellent job demonstrating that love of God goes far beyond attitude; love of God is to be lived out in actions. He has clearly meditated deeply on these things and has taken concrete steps in his own life and ministry to enflesh the Lord’s commandment. For example, here is a statement that jumped off the page for me:“I think it’s easy to talk about things like faith and obedience and compassion in abstract terms. The more abstract, the less convicting the truth is. So let me get concrete. Faith equals God-ordained risks in the face of fear. Obedience equals God-honoring decisions in the face of temptation. And compassion equals Spirit-prompted generosity in the face of greed.” (p. 32)I do have one major concern with this book. I am troubled that the gospel is largely absent from this book. I am not suggesting that Batterson denies the gospel, rather that he seems to assume the gospel. That is something I believe to be too dangerous in an age when even among self-professed Christians the gospel is largely misunderstood.What I mean is that apart from the gospel or with a distorted gospel, the ‘Christian’ will find what Batterson challenges the reader to do (love God wholly) to be virtually impossible. Much of what was said in this book could just as easily been rooted in Deuteronomy 6:5 rather than it’s New Testament counterpart. That’s not to suggest that the Old Testament command is somehow less authoritative. What I was hoping the author would have brought out more clearly was to identify what about the Great Commandment is distinctly ‘Christian’.My concern should not prevent the reader from picking up a copy of Primal and seeking to be challenged by it. There is much within these pages that can be mined for the reader’s benefit. Primal is on bookstore shelves today and is available for order directly from WaterBrook Multnomah or from your favorite online book retailer.This book was provided by WaterBrook Multnomah.