Pagan, Shinto & Spiritual Book Reviews June 2016

Last updated on: August 29, 2016 at 10:46 am by Megan Manson

Pagan, Shinto & Spiritual Book Reviews June 2016 2016-08-29T10:46:30+00:00 Megan Manson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Death, dark goddesses and urban folk religion are some of the common themes among the books reviewed this month…

Stephen Baxter, Evolution
(Gollancz; New Ed edition 2003)

Every culture has some sort of origin myth; the story of where their people came from and what makes them special. In this book, Stephen Baxter attempts to tell perhaps the grandest origin story of all – the tale of the rise, and ultimate destiny, of the entire human race.

Evolution is a hard sci-fi novel spanning 600 million years, chronicling the development of humans from simple proto-primates who lived alongside dinosaurs, all the way to our distant descendants. There’s a big jump between the Roman era and the near future, which is important: by basing his story on the scanty remains of prehistory and speculations about the unknown future, Baxter gives himself room to exercise a lot of creative freedom. While Evolution is based on quality palaeontological and archaeological research, it never loses sight of the fact that it is science fiction, and as such there are plenty of surprises in there even for readers with a good knowledge of Earth’s evolutionary history.

Another tactic employed by Baxter to transform what would otherwise be a tedious account of the laborious process of evolution into an exciting epic is to tell personal stories. At every stage of human evolution in the book, we follow the hardships and successes of a particular individual (who, even at their most primitive, is always given a name). Baxter’s skill as a storyteller means that we find ourselves emotional invested in every character we come across, even the shrew-like Purgatorius creatures at the novel’s beginning who have little of the complexity of their later descendants. We share in their successes and, more often than not, their struggles. While there is a little repetition of these stories, particularly in those of earlier human ancestors, they are still unique and intriguing enough to sustain interest throughout this long book. My absolute favourite part of Evolution was reading the story of an individual named “Mother” living in the Sahara 60,000 years ago, who is perhaps the first Homo sapiens to truly think like a modern human. Not only is Mother’s character one of the most complex in Evolution, but this part of the story touched on the development of language, art and religion. Baxter’s interpretation the rise of abstract thought in this manner is fascinating.

Many have criticised Evolution as a depressing read. And it’s certainly true that Baxter portrays humans for what we are: animals, and highly successful ones, whose success comes partly from our ability to kill and dominate. Gang rape, infanticide, genocide and slavery are routine occurrences in this story, and one could say that Baxter’s outlook of humanity is bleak. But there is an added level of complexity here: all the brutalities committed by humans and their ancestors have a cold but undeniable logic to them. On many occasions, the atrocities are key to human evolution. When you think about it, most origin stories and creation myths told by humans tend to be bloody and brutal; it seems only natural that one based on science would be similar. What’s more, there is a sense of triumph that, despite all the hardships our characters face from nature and from their fellow species, they manage to survive and procreate, allowing the story of the human race to continue.

So why have I chosen to include this novel, rooted very firmly in science without a shred of mysticism, in my Pagan & Spiritual book reviews? Firstly, because it’s a book that, like religion, tackles the Big Questions – where did we come from, why do we do the things we do, and where are we going? Secondly, Pagans in particular often take an interest in the history of early man and our relationship with nature, which explored in depth here (although any Pagans who take a more romanticised view of this may be in for a shock). Thirdly, Pagans are probably going to appreciate one of the key messages Evolution expresses: that mutual cooperation, both with our fellow man and the natural world, is essential to our survival as a species. And finally, because I see Evolution as a universal origin story – an epic based on scientific research that unites the whole human race, emphasising not merely our savage nature but also our ingenuity, cooperation, curiosity, tenderness for those we love, and ability to survive despite outrageous odds against us.

Previous Post

June 19, 2016

“Choosing” Gods Verses “Being Chosen”

Next Post

June 30, 2016 The Merits Of “Pagan Standard Time”

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art, Craft & Expression Musings & Miscellaneous Nature & Science News & Reviews Ritual & Festivals Secularism, Politics & Human Rights Shinto & Japanese Religion Uncategorized

Select a Month August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the Shield of Faith protect believers from?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The need for armor Earthly wealth Physical attacks The fiery darts of the enemy