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The Shaken Path: A Christian Priest's Exploration of Modern Pagan Belief and Practice
Despite modern Paganism being one of the fastest growing new religious movements in Britain and the USA, there is no up-to-date straightforward and informed introduction to modern Paganism from a Christian perspective. The Shaken Path addresses that gap.
- GenresSpirituality
272 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2017
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36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 11, 2021
I loved this book. I’m sure it’s far from perfect, but as a brief venture into pagan practices I found it very enlightening! The author’s ability to interact with people of radically different faiths from his own, to treat them as legislate beliefs, and treat every new experience as a learning opportunity was really refreshing. His exploration was so humble and thoughtful. The emphasis on allowing other beliefs to challenge your own way of thinking, rather than dismissing or demonizing them especially will stick with me.
June 24, 2017
FULL REVIEW TO BE PUBLISHED!
~~~
I new, from the moment I started reading ‘The Shaken Path,’ by Paul Cudby, that I would be in a danger zone, not because I consider myself Christian, but the whole opposite: My mind is more than fine considering Pagan oriented ideals and ideas.
There was something that told me I should read this book, and I kind of knew this could be a comparison between the two faiths, but there was still the fear, the doubt. Would I be facing an egocentric priest that wanted to tell me that Paganism was only a misunderstood Christianism? Not at all.
If this seems to be more an extensive praise than a review, it is only because Paul Cudby was brave enough to open his mind, and so should we. May Nature never turn their back on him now that he realized that the Divine is in all things and that we can live and let die in peace.
I can only thank the publisher for providing an ARC of this book, which will be in stores in June 30th.
~~~
I new, from the moment I started reading ‘The Shaken Path,’ by Paul Cudby, that I would be in a danger zone, not because I consider myself Christian, but the whole opposite: My mind is more than fine considering Pagan oriented ideals and ideas.
There was something that told me I should read this book, and I kind of knew this could be a comparison between the two faiths, but there was still the fear, the doubt. Would I be facing an egocentric priest that wanted to tell me that Paganism was only a misunderstood Christianism? Not at all.
If this seems to be more an extensive praise than a review, it is only because Paul Cudby was brave enough to open his mind, and so should we. May Nature never turn their back on him now that he realized that the Divine is in all things and that we can live and let die in peace.
I can only thank the publisher for providing an ARC of this book, which will be in stores in June 30th.
May 1, 2018
What a beautiful, brave and remarkable book in which a Christian priest gains the confidence of many Pagan friends and researches into what different Pagan groups believe. I read the author's contribution to "Earthed: Christian Perspectives on Nature Connection" a few years ago, and in that book I particularly enjoyed his chapter on "Friendships Across the Divide." I was pleased to see that the experience he describes there is also included in this book. From my own perspective, I have connected nature with spirit from early childhood, so the premise of this book was in harmony with my own outlook. I enjoyed reading and learning new things about the different beliefs of Pagans, Druids, Shamans, Heathens, followers of Wicca and Witchcraft among others, and feel that for a Christian priest to do what Paul Cudby has done in this book is truly a revelation. What a different world it would be if we all felt sufficiently secure to respectfully learn about each others' beliefs and build bridges between faiths and worldviews, as he has done here.
Having experienced a ritual of the Ancient Arden Forest Church referred to in this book, I can confirm that the ritual is as he describes, Christ-centred and yet open, in harmony with the deep spiritual nature connection that is an essential part of the Pagan worldview, a ritual that open-minded Pagans and Christians can all participate in.
Among the highlights of this book that rang a bell with me were the passage where the author speaks of engaging in a ritual and "spiritually translating what is being said into an internal liturgy that honours the path we are on.... often parts do echo my own beliefs but with a different language and different names so I take part whilst internally translating."
It made me think that all the horrors we have seen over the centuries, and still see today, in the story of the major monotheistic faiths, may have been avoided if only the followers of the different faiths had been able to do this.
Having experienced a ritual of the Ancient Arden Forest Church referred to in this book, I can confirm that the ritual is as he describes, Christ-centred and yet open, in harmony with the deep spiritual nature connection that is an essential part of the Pagan worldview, a ritual that open-minded Pagans and Christians can all participate in.
Among the highlights of this book that rang a bell with me were the passage where the author speaks of engaging in a ritual and "spiritually translating what is being said into an internal liturgy that honours the path we are on.... often parts do echo my own beliefs but with a different language and different names so I take part whilst internally translating."
It made me think that all the horrors we have seen over the centuries, and still see today, in the story of the major monotheistic faiths, may have been avoided if only the followers of the different faiths had been able to do this.
November 5, 2018
It's always important to see what others think of ones own's beliefs. Witch trials are still a bit to close for comfort... Not a bad book actually. I was expecting to be told we were all wrong and doomed to hell fire and found an actually accepting, lie and let live book! What a relieve! Though I do know that there are many who still dislike us out there. Kudos to Paul Cudby for having an open mind!
I received a Kindle Arc in exchange for a fair review from Netgalley.
I received a Kindle Arc in exchange for a fair review from Netgalley.
March 12, 2021
This is an account of one British Anglican priest’s encounter with British Paganism. This will be a good book for Christians who have no prior knowledge of Paganism and are a bit nervous about Pagan beliefs. However, as someone with more knowledge of some of the Pagan paths and multiple degrees in Christian theology, I found this book lacking in the theological rigour and primary source engagement I thought I might find within it.
March 11, 2022
Whilst there are those Christians out there who believe that all Pagans are in league with devil in some way there are those Pagans that believe all Christians would happily seem them burnt at the stake whilst there are in fact Christians like this book's author who set out to 'immerse himself in many different Pagan worlds, meeting, befriending and experiencing and practices in a spirit of openness and friendly Christian engagement'.
A book belonging to Mr T, an ordained minister in the Church of England, who thought I might find it interesting reading, I had worried that I might find it a bit dry or academic and/or that it would concentrate on only one of the Pagan paths. However ...
Beginning with an account of the author's own journey of faith and the sabbatical that led him on a journey the length and breadth of the British Isles, there were then a few chapters devoted to a look at Paganism in general before the author branched out, taking a deeper look at the beliefs and practices of several of the various different Pagan paths; namely Wicca & Witchcraft, Druidry, Animism & Panpsychism, Shamanism and Heathenism, all the accounts based {phew!} on first-hand conversations with devotees of the various paths themselves.
Written from a neutral perspective, I thought The Shaken Path easily readable and highly enlightening, its author open and fair minded, the change of attitude in both himself an his wife as their journey around the British Isles progressed, moving. That rather than people to be viewed with suspicion and fear even, their rituals frightening and threatening, he records the Pagans he met, some of them previously Christians who had left the Church for any number of reasons, as open, hospitable and with a profound love of the natural world.
My only two niggles, small as they might be, {i} instead of the occasional hint here and there I'd be interested to have learnt more about the alleged connection between Paganism and Celtic Christianity and {ii} the shortest chapter in the book, I'd like to have known a tad more about Forest Church, apparently a contemporary movement with roots in the Christian tradition of engagement in nature {maybe Mr T will know more/have some books???}
So, what does Mr T make of it?
Yes, there are other things you can read on the Forest Church tradition...
I enjoyed The Shaken Path enormously as it helped give some shape to my own thinking and experience in inter-faith circles and how that relates to engagement with Pagan tradition and thought. It is a surprisingly easy read and not at all laden with jargon or heavy theological terminology and yet Cudby is very clear as to which elements of Christian doctrine and practice echo with the practice he encounters during the journey he takes around the country. The reading is therefore a pleasure, no diving around in dictionaries to look stuff up and provides a good set of reference points for engagement in dialogue with Pagan folks."
Copyright ... Felicity grace @ Pen and Paper
A book belonging to Mr T, an ordained minister in the Church of England, who thought I might find it interesting reading, I had worried that I might find it a bit dry or academic and/or that it would concentrate on only one of the Pagan paths. However ...
Beginning with an account of the author's own journey of faith and the sabbatical that led him on a journey the length and breadth of the British Isles, there were then a few chapters devoted to a look at Paganism in general before the author branched out, taking a deeper look at the beliefs and practices of several of the various different Pagan paths; namely Wicca & Witchcraft, Druidry, Animism & Panpsychism, Shamanism and Heathenism, all the accounts based {phew!} on first-hand conversations with devotees of the various paths themselves.
Written from a neutral perspective, I thought The Shaken Path easily readable and highly enlightening, its author open and fair minded, the change of attitude in both himself an his wife as their journey around the British Isles progressed, moving. That rather than people to be viewed with suspicion and fear even, their rituals frightening and threatening, he records the Pagans he met, some of them previously Christians who had left the Church for any number of reasons, as open, hospitable and with a profound love of the natural world.
My only two niggles, small as they might be, {i} instead of the occasional hint here and there I'd be interested to have learnt more about the alleged connection between Paganism and Celtic Christianity and {ii} the shortest chapter in the book, I'd like to have known a tad more about Forest Church, apparently a contemporary movement with roots in the Christian tradition of engagement in nature {maybe Mr T will know more/have some books???}
So, what does Mr T make of it?
Yes, there are other things you can read on the Forest Church tradition...
I enjoyed The Shaken Path enormously as it helped give some shape to my own thinking and experience in inter-faith circles and how that relates to engagement with Pagan tradition and thought. It is a surprisingly easy read and not at all laden with jargon or heavy theological terminology and yet Cudby is very clear as to which elements of Christian doctrine and practice echo with the practice he encounters during the journey he takes around the country. The reading is therefore a pleasure, no diving around in dictionaries to look stuff up and provides a good set of reference points for engagement in dialogue with Pagan folks."
Copyright ... Felicity grace @ Pen and Paper
July 3, 2020
This is a brave, fair-minded, thoughtful, interesting, challenging book. The author describes himself as a Christian but the book is written from a very neutral perspective. I doubt if any pagans, who are treated very sympathetically, would have any objections to what is expressed. Christians should not, and there will be some who do not, but I suspect that some will have difficulty with it.
July 14, 2022
Paul Cudby offers a gentle, interesting guide to modern paganism for Christians. His respectful tone and approach shines throughout, offering a great model for interfaith dialogue. He honestly acknowledges points of difference and disagreement, but avoids mischaracterising, ridiculing or patronising those he disagrees with. I learnt a lot from this book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews