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Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God's Image by Philip Yancey, Paul W. Brand
cat_book_lady's review against another edition
5.0
Is it possible to give 10***?? Completely humbling. Completely convicting. This undelible TREASURE of a book will not only leave you in utter awe and wonderment at the miraculous complexities of the human body, but you will marvel at a man who dedicated his life to the healing of the most undesirable lepers on earth. Dr. Brand studied these outcasts and loved them thoroughly, finding renowned medical breakthroughs that would restore their hands and feet, and ultimately their souls. He considered it an honor to work with them, and he was eternally grateful at the opportunity to serve the people that society ashamedly shuns. That journey through his life was unbelievably fascinating, but it pales in comparison to the sojourn he takes you on as he describes the miracle of the human body that only God could create.
From the cells to the eyes, ears, skin, heart, lungs, bones, blood, kidneys, hormones, and brain...from the senses of taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound...to the gift of pain and the body in motion - each is described so meticulously perfect that you almost disbelieve how all the systems can work so perfectly together. Yet, you know they do simply because you experience your own human body every day.
And then, as if this wasn't inspiring enough, he then - through the help of Philip Yancey as his co-author who traveled with Dr. Brand for 10 years - compared each system to the body of Christ, each with its own purpose and function, none being more important than another since all are crucial to the homeostasis of life.
This is bar none one of the best books I have ever read as it put my life in perspective against the people our world considered worthless and disgusting. I had never considered all the intricacies of each part and parcel of our body and how each was designed for a specific, critical purpose just as we have all been made for a specific purpose in the body of Christ. I had to confront my own biases and prejudices thanks to Brand's convicting life on my own, and this book has made me a richer, humbler, and better person towards my fellow humans. I cannot recommend this book highly enough as it will literally change your life, and that is not hyperbole. That is truth.
From the cells to the eyes, ears, skin, heart, lungs, bones, blood, kidneys, hormones, and brain...from the senses of taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound...to the gift of pain and the body in motion - each is described so meticulously perfect that you almost disbelieve how all the systems can work so perfectly together. Yet, you know they do simply because you experience your own human body every day.
And then, as if this wasn't inspiring enough, he then - through the help of Philip Yancey as his co-author who traveled with Dr. Brand for 10 years - compared each system to the body of Christ, each with its own purpose and function, none being more important than another since all are crucial to the homeostasis of life.
This is bar none one of the best books I have ever read as it put my life in perspective against the people our world considered worthless and disgusting. I had never considered all the intricacies of each part and parcel of our body and how each was designed for a specific, critical purpose just as we have all been made for a specific purpose in the body of Christ. I had to confront my own biases and prejudices thanks to Brand's convicting life on my own, and this book has made me a richer, humbler, and better person towards my fellow humans. I cannot recommend this book highly enough as it will literally change your life, and that is not hyperbole. That is truth.
rachelsnowden's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely LOVED this book! When I first read the description, I was afraid it might feel a little forced or cheesy, but it was absolutely beautiful. In some ways, I liked the writing from the earlier version where, while less polished, felt a bit more like just the voice of Paul Brand. But the whole book was both interesting and informative while also just being beautiful and insightful and wise, really bringing to life in some very impacting ways the analogy of the body of Christ.
adamrshields's review against another edition
4.0
Summary: An allegory about the body and the body of Christ.
Describing this as an allegory is not quite right, but I heard Yancey describe it as an allegory in a podcast interview and I think that gets at a truth that other descriptions do not. There is not an allegorical story here (like Pilgrim’s Progress), but the book is largely taking the wisdom of Paul Brand’s years as a surgeon and a researcher into Lepersy and uses that knowledge to apply to the individual Christian life and the body of Christ.
Philip Yancey has rewritten and modernized the two books Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image into a new and updated book, Fearfully and Wonderfully. The science and many of the illustrations are recent, but the wisdom and stories from Brand are those from the older books.
Even though I read the older ones as a teen, I still regularly think about the central ideas, especially around pain frequently. I am not sure I would have picked this book up if it were not part of the Renovare Book Club, but because it was, I started reading the hardback. I sent the hardback to a friend and finished the book in audiobook.
I am a bit mixed on the updating. The metaphors and illustrations and science are current. But the whole book is also in Paul Brand’s voice and he passed away in 2003. The voicing is not particularly distracting, but I do find it a bit odd, but I don’t think the alternative of writing it in a different voice would have necessarily been better.
That being said, Fearfully and Wonderfully is a great book of spiritual wisdom. The spiritual wisdom of this sort is not about persuasion, but insight. No one is going to be persuaded to become a Christian because of the spiritual insights into science by a doctor even if he was an accomplished doctor. Instead, I think this type of spiritual insight should be seen as expanding on the understanding of people who are already Christians.
I think this would make an excellent book to discuss in a small group or a Sunday school class. I think the balance of personal story, science, and spiritual work keeps the book moving and interesting. And I think that Yancey, in Brand’s voice, particularly hits a number of theological points that are particularly helpful in our current cultural era.
This is one that I will pick up on kindle when it is on sale at some point in the future and read it again.
Describing this as an allegory is not quite right, but I heard Yancey describe it as an allegory in a podcast interview and I think that gets at a truth that other descriptions do not. There is not an allegorical story here (like Pilgrim’s Progress), but the book is largely taking the wisdom of Paul Brand’s years as a surgeon and a researcher into Lepersy and uses that knowledge to apply to the individual Christian life and the body of Christ.
Philip Yancey has rewritten and modernized the two books Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image into a new and updated book, Fearfully and Wonderfully. The science and many of the illustrations are recent, but the wisdom and stories from Brand are those from the older books.
Even though I read the older ones as a teen, I still regularly think about the central ideas, especially around pain frequently. I am not sure I would have picked this book up if it were not part of the Renovare Book Club, but because it was, I started reading the hardback. I sent the hardback to a friend and finished the book in audiobook.
I am a bit mixed on the updating. The metaphors and illustrations and science are current. But the whole book is also in Paul Brand’s voice and he passed away in 2003. The voicing is not particularly distracting, but I do find it a bit odd, but I don’t think the alternative of writing it in a different voice would have necessarily been better.
That being said, Fearfully and Wonderfully is a great book of spiritual wisdom. The spiritual wisdom of this sort is not about persuasion, but insight. No one is going to be persuaded to become a Christian because of the spiritual insights into science by a doctor even if he was an accomplished doctor. Instead, I think this type of spiritual insight should be seen as expanding on the understanding of people who are already Christians.
I think this would make an excellent book to discuss in a small group or a Sunday school class. I think the balance of personal story, science, and spiritual work keeps the book moving and interesting. And I think that Yancey, in Brand’s voice, particularly hits a number of theological points that are particularly helpful in our current cultural era.
This is one that I will pick up on kindle when it is on sale at some point in the future and read it again.
tivara101's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Jesus' mission was not chiefly a crusade against disease (if so, why did he leave so many unhealed in the world and tell followers to hush up details of healings?), but rather a ministry to individual people, some of whom happened to have a disease. He wanted those people, one by one, to feel his love and warmth and his full identification with them. Jesus knew he could not readily demonstrate love to a crowd, for love usually involves touching.
lady_mair's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve been savoring this book slowly throughout the year. How appropriate that this is my last completed read for 2021. God is a marvelous creator and this book has only grown my awe of his design, particularly looking at the human body.
bickleyhouse's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to Dr. Paul Brand, I have learned to look at pain through new eyes. Dr. Brand spent most of his life serving leprosy patients in India. The main issue with leprosy is that the patient cannot feel pain. They don't lose limbs because they simply fall of, which is what was believed when I was a child. They lose limbs because they don't feel pain and can't tell when they have injured themselves. This results in infections that can't be felt, which results, eventually in limbs being lost, and hands and feet being grotesquely drawn into claw-like shapes.
In Fearfully and Wonderfully, Dr. Brand, with some help by well-known author Philip Yancey, gives us some marvelous insight on the human body, from the skin to the brain. I learned so much about our "fearfully and wonderfully made" bodies.
Then, Dr. Brand takes this information and transforms it into spiritual knowledge as he compares the human body to the Body of Christ. Just as our body has individual cells that all have unique jobs, so the Body of Christ has individual members/cells that all have jobs to do.
I can't begin to do it justice in this brief review, but I am grateful to the Renovare Book Club for having us read this book this year.
As he is closing the book out, Dr. Brand left us with this statement. "We are what Jesus left behind." We are his hands and feet, we are his Body, left here to do his work.
In Fearfully and Wonderfully, Dr. Brand, with some help by well-known author Philip Yancey, gives us some marvelous insight on the human body, from the skin to the brain. I learned so much about our "fearfully and wonderfully made" bodies.
Then, Dr. Brand takes this information and transforms it into spiritual knowledge as he compares the human body to the Body of Christ. Just as our body has individual cells that all have unique jobs, so the Body of Christ has individual members/cells that all have jobs to do.
I can't begin to do it justice in this brief review, but I am grateful to the Renovare Book Club for having us read this book this year.
As he is closing the book out, Dr. Brand left us with this statement. "We are what Jesus left behind." We are his hands and feet, we are his Body, left here to do his work.
harveyfam4's review against another edition
5.0
Marvelous book. I highly recommend this for those interested in the human body and the Body of Christ. What an insightful and awe inspiring read.
dozylocal's review
3.0
3.5 stars
A really interesting book that weaves together stories from Dr Brand's life imcluding experiences as a doctor working with leprosy patients, interesting facts about the human body and how it works, and parallels between our human body and the church. It's not heavy reading at all and I think Yancey got the balance just right. There were also interesting lessons and insights for the church to be gained from how our body works.
A really interesting book that weaves together stories from Dr Brand's life imcluding experiences as a doctor working with leprosy patients, interesting facts about the human body and how it works, and parallels between our human body and the church. It's not heavy reading at all and I think Yancey got the balance just right. There were also interesting lessons and insights for the church to be gained from how our body works.
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