by Graeme K Talboys
Published by O Books (2006)
Description
It's not surprising that the Druid Way is one of the fastest growing
religions in the world. It's one we, in the West, all used to follow.
Thrown into turmoil by the Roman Empire and then squashed by
monotheism, it has nevertheless always survived in some form. But it is
poorly understood and often dismissed, rarely treated seriously in
religious discourse. Graeme K. Talboys offers an intelligent and
well-researched exposition of the origins, history, metaphysic,
doctrine and practice of modern Druids. A thorough exploration of
Celtic history and beliefs is followed by an analysis of their view and
its modern relevance. Massively comprehensive but very accessible, all
students of religion and serious seekers will find this the definitive
guide to what Druid means and how to be one today.
Review
This is a well structured and a thoughtful piece of work, written by someone who is sensitive to the material and the context. It isn’t ground breaking, like the last book I reviewed, ‘Presence’, which had me digging deeper and ordering books from the bibliography.
What it is though, is interesting and a good place for someone who is more than just a beginner on this path. ‘Way of the Druid’ does go into some depth, more than those who usually tread this ground. The introduction shows this deeper thinking and indicates just why the reader might like to continue.
But just what is this ground? Talboys suggests that to really understand the way of the Druid, one must not only understand the Celts and their culture, but one should have a grasp of their place in the historical context. This he sets out well. Taking us through history, he then explains how Druidry survived, and tells us something of its revival too. On the way, he offers an analysis of the Celtic metaphysic, the way they viewed the world, before discussing whether or not it is a religion.
The chapters entitled ‘Teaching’ and ‘Deity’ work well, and there are interesting insights into the way Druids practice today. And one can plainly see the fit from the historical summary. Overall, a well structured and informative guide, I suggest either for a beginner who has a real feel for the area, or for someone who has already put more than a toe in the water.
So what didn’t I like about it? Well just two things really, and an open ended question.
First, there is the cover price:£17.99 for the paperback. Its quite expensive, even though I understand the arguments of the small publisher and distributor. (It is available at a lower price from Amazon, see boxes to the right - Reviews Coordinator)
The other dislike was concerning the chapter ‘Is the Druid Way a religion?’ This is technically hard, especially when he decides to try to give us an answer to the question ‘What is a religion?’. In this mildly confusing chapter there are still good points made. ‘We need mystery in our lives’. True. But on page 97 he tries to distinguish between ‘sacred’ ritual and ‘pragmatic’ ritual. He says that Buddhist pragmatic ritual are not sacred because ‘they do not aspire to direct communication with the divine.’ I have truly experienced a sense of ‘the numinous’, the sacred, around Buddhists, their temples and rituals. Where does that leave me?
We do get a definition of religion, adapted from a piece by my old professor, Ninian Smart. But to use the word religious when defining religion, would not have gotten me many marks.
Nitpicking maybe, but I disagree here. However, this is not my main point. The real issue is whether or not the author really needed to get into this dangerous and somewhat academic territory.
Lastly, and although it seems like an academic question, Mr Talboys does takes us into the realms of reincarnation, albeit briefly. My question here, and its is not clear from the context, what is it that reincarnates? Are we talking about a fixed entity, like a soul? Or would it be more akin to a pattern of energy, as our ‘non sacred’ Buddhist thinkers would have us believe. This is key to our understanding of self in the Druid Tradition.
Should you buy this book? Depends exactly where you are. I recommend it for reading if you are in either of the categories above. But get it from the library and see whether or not you can live without it before spending your £18.00!
Paperback 291 pages
Publisher: O Books
ISBN: 1905047231
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