The most recommended books about creation myths

The Essence of French Country Life.

I was nervous. Could this sequel match the excellence of Lindy Viandier’s debut memoir? It certainly did. 

The author tells us about her pastoral learning curve as she and her husband, Mr. V, settle into their idyllic Burgundian country home. And her enthusiasm is infectious. 

Lindy’s descriptions of their animals and local events are charming, exuding gentle humour as she recounts hilarious tales about her quirky neighbours. Equally funny are her stories about Mr. V plus workmates, who attack the renovations of their home with enviable French verve. How Lindy creates her culinary masterpieces in the kitchen with lumps of house raining down on her beats me. And yet she does.

The author has an exceptionally lyrical style. Words flow effortlessly as she creates a literary framework that invites the reader into her world. Together, we learn, laugh, and celebrate the delicious recipes she… show more.

This is another book I came to via teaching; looking for new ecofictions, I put out a call on twitter and this title kept being mentioned by people I trust. When I read it, I was blown away by Hunter’s slim, powerful novel.

With the South of England underwater, Britons are forced to flee north to displacement camps, suddenly finding themselves fighting in supermarkets for supplies and walking the roads with their children.

I first read it for its depiction of eco-catastrophe and refugee crisis and its fascinating echoes of the fuel and food shortages of the pandemic. But as I reread it each year, I more insistently see it as a book depicting new motherhood as a crashing, overwhelming flood from which one emerges perhaps a year later, a haunted, dazed survivor.

I first learned about Penelope Farmer’s Beginnings: Creation Myths of the World while reading Megan Hunter’s The End We Start From. In her short book, Farmer has compiled fragments of myths from around the world, and she organized these brief excerpts into sections that describe the beginning of the world, the origin of the earth and Man, flood and fire mythologies, the origin of death and food plants, and the end of the world. To see such different (and, sometimes, intriguingly similar) mythologies from diverse cultures sharing fundamental interests is inspiring in itself, and for such a quick survey of our world’s origin stories, the book is cosmic in scope and a wonderful jumping off place for additional research.

This is Paula Gunn Allen’s modern-day retelling of many Native American tales. They feature talking animals, shape-shifting bears, and creation stories. Here, we see how the underneath comes to the surface in wondrous and awe-inspiring ways. The ordinary walks with the extraordinary. In fact, the ordinary is extraordinary. Allen sees power in these tales for women, and that’s what I loved about this book. These stories are part of a female shamanic tradition; they are in many ways medicinal. 

Recently we have been blessed to meet the author of this amazing book. Together we discovered our shared interest in love as a way of life and upon our meeting we traded books on the topic.

This read is a refreshing perspective and guide for our journey in life. Rick Nichols depicts the characters of The Wizard of Oz to all be heroes on life's journey giving valuable insight on how to live a truly love-centered life that builds on heart-centered courage, faith, and grace.

Magic comes alive in the storytelling of Dorothy’s journey, as well as the author's near-death experience, definitely eye-opening and heart warming. Powerful insight is shared revolving around the belief that Love and acceptance are keys to healing ourselves and the world.

In this book, catholic Cardinal Christoph Schonborn tackles hard questions concerning religion and evolution by developing a carefully reasoned "theology of creation." When I first read it, I was intrigued by his disagreement with some of his fellow Catholic thinkers, a disagreement that illustrates the range of positions that one can take on these issues, even if one shares the same general perspective. Schonborn considers such questions as: Can we still speak intelligently of the world as "creation" and affirm the existence of the Creator, or is God a "delusion"? How should an informed believer read the Book of Genesis? Are human beings a part of nature or elevated above it? Is everything a matter of chance or can we discern purpose in human existence? 

The Cardinal argues that science and a rationally grounded faith are not at odds and that what many people represent as "science" is really a… show more.

This fascinating book presents science side by side with creation stories drawn from every part of the world. Ghosh’s scientific explanations of the origins of our universe are succinct and clear. He tells us what is known about our beginnings, what is supposed, and what we do not know and may never understand. And he lays out creation stories from many parts of the world along with information about the cultures from which those stories came. How Did It All Start? is perfect for older children or for adults who want to deepen their understanding of both the science and the myths that surround our beginnings.

Gregg Braden is an example of one who has discovered how to live the spirituality within science. In this brilliant and insightful work, he links our genetic code to biblical alphabets to prove the unity of the human race and the idea that we are all greater than our beliefs. Braden shows that deep within our genetic code, held in the sanctuary of the DNA, is the universal message that traverses humanity—all cultures, all races, all genders: the name of God. Applying this message to our lives, we can transcend our beliefs, our biases, our conditioning to create a more harmonious condition of living for all of humanity.

I grow weary of hearing religion and science pitted against one another in popular discussion, especially when it comes to discussing the origins of the universe. That’s why I appreciated Brown’s interweaving of the two in his discussion of the Bible.

In his exploration of the creation stories of the Book of Genesis, he finds commonalities between religion and science and also tensions that ultimately enrich them both. I finished the book with a greater sense of the world's wonder and beauty.