What would your faith look like if it were stripped down to the simplest elements possible? Storyteller and pastor Mark Batterson explores the four foundational principles of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion (heart), wonder (soul), curiosity (mind), and power (strength)---and supplies a new reformation beginning for your generation, your church, and your life!

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 creatively, compassionately, 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.
 
—Mark Batterson, Primal
 
What would your Christianity look like if it was stripped down to the simplest, rawest, purest faith possible? You would have more, not less. You would have the beginning of a new reformation—in your generation, your church, your own soul. You would have primal Christianity.
 
This book is an invitation to become part of a reformation movement. It is an invitation to rediscover the compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy that turned the world upside down two thousand years ago. It is an invitation to be astonished again.

The author of Wild Goose Chase and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church with nine services in five locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the D.C. area. Mark has two Masters degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children. www.markbatterson.com

Primal is book by Mark Batterson that provides exactly what its subtitle promises: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. The book examines one of the major problems with Christianity today -- comfort. Batterson states that at one point in his life he felt as if he had become a “paid professional Christian.” He had slunk so deep into habit and comfort that he no longer felt any fire or desire for Christ anymore. In order to remedy this, he decided to go back to what he calls the “primal” roots of Christianity. Essentially, he went back to basics.

The book serves the dual purpose of both chronicling his journey and telling his readers the reasons why he believes the way he does. He is very blunt and honest about his beliefs, and presents them in a very readable fashion that encourages both continued reading and thought provocation.

The subject matter, while not particularly revolutionary, is a welcome and refreshing reminder of what Christianity is truly about. It is, at its core, an attempt to shake the modern American church out of its current state of comfort and make it realize that in order to have the effect that the church is supposed to have, it must take some drastic stances—more aggressive evangelism, a broader worldview, and a stronger legacy for future generations.

The book uses a lot of Christian terminology that may not be understood by all, but this is not a bad thing since the book is specifically directed at those who have been Christians for many years. It is about reclaiming the fire that has been lost, so I would not recommend it to a new believer. However, those who are looking for a book that will encourage them to change their current state of habit-filled living will find here an excellent and thought-provoking text. – Jordan A. Rockey, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

"Mark weaves us through the Great Commandment with insights that are both winsome and wise, piquing both curiosity and conviction. He calls us to a discipleship free of the trappings of shriveled self-concern, drawing us to give ourselves, with abandon, to others as we heed Jesus’ call to love God above all. This book will fuel clarity of call and persevering strength for those who will journey in obedience to the Gospel—in its wholeness of justice, mercy, and faithfulness—for a lifetime."
—GARY HAUGEN, president and CEO of International Justice Mission and author of Good News About Injustice, Terrify No More, and Just Courage
 
"Too many of us are doing life at an unsustainable pace and losing sight of our first love. In his new book, Primal, Mark Batterson invites you to rediscover the reality of Christ and His passions. This book will challenge you, push you, and stretch you. You will walk away righteously aggravated, but catapulted into action."
—CRAIG GROESCHEL, senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv
 
"Mark, I’m with you. It’s time for believers to be more. Let’s hear the voice of God and be that holy, passionate fire that we are called to be. It’s the primal way."
—SHAUN ALEXANDER, 2005 NFL MVP, acclaimed speaker, and author of award-winning book Touch Down Alexander

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