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Liturgies of the Wild: Myths That Make Us
“Here is a rosary of soaring myth, gripping narrative, and deep wisdom, all told with breathtaking verve that enchants and sweeps us along, from first word to last. A superb, inspiring read.” —GABOR MATÉ, author of The Myth of Normal
From "one of the greatest storytellers we have" (Robert Bly), an urgent invitation to allow the oldest stories—and the Greatest Story—to reshape our own.
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 and that such poverty has left us vulnerable to stories that may not wish us well. Drawing on the “ancient technologies” of myths and initiatory rites, Shaw provides a road to wholeness, maturity and connection. He 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; and shows you how to gather and reshape your own thrown-away stories. Most vividly, he shares how these ancient technologies led him—unexpectedly—to Christ, “the True Myth,” by way of a thirty-year journey and a 101-night vigil in a Dartmoor forest.
Combining scholarly erudition with nimble storytelling in the tradition of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Liturgies of the Wild is a thrilling counsel of resistance and delight in the face of many modern monsters.
From "one of the greatest storytellers we have" (Robert Bly), an urgent invitation to allow the oldest stories—and the Greatest Story—to reshape our own.
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 and that such poverty has left us vulnerable to stories that may not wish us well. Drawing on the “ancient technologies” of myths and initiatory rites, Shaw provides a road to wholeness, maturity and connection. He 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; and shows you how to gather and reshape your own thrown-away stories. Most vividly, he shares how these ancient technologies led him—unexpectedly—to Christ, “the True Myth,” by way of a thirty-year journey and a 101-night vigil in a Dartmoor forest.
Combining scholarly erudition with nimble storytelling in the tradition of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Liturgies of the Wild is a thrilling counsel of resistance and delight in the face of many modern monsters.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2026
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386 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 6, 2026
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. I didn't know if I should prepare myself for a fairytale breakdown like we get in a lot of Shaw's other work like Smoke Hole or A Branch from the Lightning Tree, or if we were going to get another transcendental mind-melter like Bardskull. What this book turned out to be was a honing and distillation of all of Shaw's previous work and thinking (plus some new stuff). What we get here is every blessed thought and insight he has gleaned over the hard decades, now baptized into his new life as a Christian.
For those worried that he would chuck all of the old storytelling and give himself to some sort of tame, dishwater Christian Living book, don't be. This is Martin Shaw at is brightest and sharpest.
For those worried that he would chuck all of the old storytelling and give himself to some sort of tame, dishwater Christian Living book, don't be. This is Martin Shaw at is brightest and sharpest.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC.
Unfortunately, this book is not at all what I expected from the description. There are some strong sections and I enjoyed On Death and On Passivity. However, it became increasingly meandering/hard to stay with as it progressed, and increasingly focussed on Christianity and Christian interpretation. A religious lens on storytelling and mythology is obviously fine but not something that I would have picked up if it were made clear from the outset. I struggled to finish this book but hope it finds its audience as the writing is good and there is wisdom in there waiting to be pulled out by the right reader.
Unfortunately, this book is not at all what I expected from the description. There are some strong sections and I enjoyed On Death and On Passivity. However, it became increasingly meandering/hard to stay with as it progressed, and increasingly focussed on Christianity and Christian interpretation. A religious lens on storytelling and mythology is obviously fine but not something that I would have picked up if it were made clear from the outset. I struggled to finish this book but hope it finds its audience as the writing is good and there is wisdom in there waiting to be pulled out by the right reader.
Review of advance copy
A body of work to nourish and replenish with every draw from its depths, for traversing one’s tales of being made through unmaking. An invitation into the contemplative, transformative, wily wilds: into practice, ritual, and prayer as doorways toward maturation, becoming, and the Sacred Story. Ultimately, a beckoning to brighten one’s consciousness—to partake in the relational nature of one’s stories, told and, perhaps more importantly, untold, as progenitors of myth and peppered with it. And through it all—the suffering, the jubilation, the isolation and connection—somewhere between the mud and the heavens, stay cackling, stay salty and deep.
February 7, 2026
Brilliantly written. A weave of ancient tales and profound wisdom for the every day. Highly recommend the audible version. The stories really stick with you creating deeper meaning to life.
“To live entirely without prayer would leave us less a human being. Prayer changes our relationship with pretty much everything. In the end prayer isn’t something we do it becomes something we are.”
“To live entirely without prayer would leave us less a human being. Prayer changes our relationship with pretty much everything. In the end prayer isn’t something we do it becomes something we are.”
February 6, 2026
A beautiful book. An important book. It will take me some time to digest this, and many re-readings.
If you are interested in the intersection of myth and reality, religion and life, you must read this. A blessing.
If you are interested in the intersection of myth and reality, religion and life, you must read this. A blessing.
February 6, 2026
Dear Martin,
I have been waiting for someone to write this book. I’m glad it was you.
Signed,
The Wolf
I have been waiting for someone to write this book. I’m glad it was you.
Signed,
The Wolf
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews