Church of Birds
An Eco-History of Myth and Religion
by Ben H. Gagnon
As humanity steadily decimates the global bird population, scientists and scholars are discovering that birds may have played a greater role in shaping human evolution than primates. Our distant ancestors imitated birdsong to develop language and followed bird migration flyways around the world, consistently settling in prime bird habitat. Church of Birds is an eco-history of human evolution that’s supported by recent scientific discoveries, ancient myth, and sacred texts. Across dozens of cultures, migratory birds were seen as divine agents of a benevolent sun, delivering seeds to the landscape in spring and guiding souls to a heavenly paradise in the fall. These mythic roles were ultimately incorporated into Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
REVIEW
5 out of 5
This was a fascinating dive into history, religion, and myth. Very well-written and researched, this is so accessible to the lay reader. Although I’m familiar with how birds play into some creation myths, I never really made the connection with how birds played into things in the actual scientific side of human evolution. I was absolutely fascinated, and got really wrapped up in learning about how bird song and human speech are so intertwined. The way Gagnon presents everything makes me feel like I’m back in college sitting in my favorite mythology classes, listening to my professors who were both knowledgeable and passionate lecturing. The topic just springs to life before your eyes, while well-researched, it’s also so easy to read and understand. Definitely a book I’ll be keeping around to reference again, and using the extensive bibliography to do some further research on my own as well!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ben H. Gagnon has won awards as a newspaper reporter, editorial writer, documentary filmmaker, long-range city planner, and most recently as a novelist for his work of historical fiction, People of the Flow: A Journey into Ireland’s Ancient Past, published in October 2019. Gagnon has been a speechwriter, a campaign manager for open space, co-producer of the State of the World Conference at the Aspen Institute, and a DJ on public radio in Colorado and Massachusetts. His website, churchofbirds.com, features the colorful work of illustrator Catherine Masters. He lives in Charlemont, MS.
