Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God's Image

Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God's Image

World Magazine Book of the Year Short List Discover this updated and combined edition of two bestselling books! The human body holds endlessly fascinating secrets. The resilience of skin, the strength and structure of the bones, the dynamic balance of the muscles―your physical being is knit according to a pattern of stunning purpose. In Fearfully and Wonderfully , readers will find: Completely revised and updated editions of Gold Medallion winners Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image together in one volume; - A new preface that introduces both volumes for a new era; and - A discussion guide at the back of the book to jumpstart group conversations on the topics covered Join renowned leprosy surgeon Dr. Paul Brand and bestselling writer Philip Yancey on a remarkable journey through inner space―a spellbinding account of medical intervention, pain and healing, and the courage of humanity. Discover here the eternal truths revealed by our seemingly ordinary existence. The human body is a window into the very structure of God's creation and a testament to God's glory. "The reader comes away in awe of the fearful and wonderful construction of the body God has given to each of us, an appreciation for the spiritual realm it illustrates, and a reverence for the God in whom both find their source." -- Christianity Today "Beautifully written, absorbing, and highly readable (even for the nonbiologically inclined), the book is tremendously successful in developing a metaphor the New Testament uses more than thirty times to refer to the universal church. The reader gains not only spiritual lessons but a sense of awe and wonder at the human body's complex physiology and anatomy." -- Religion Today "Fascinating reading for anyone interested in the workings of the human body." -- Insight "I have long loved the collaboration between the marvelous theologian Philip Yancey and his mentor―orthopedic, humanitarian surgeon Paul Brand. What a blessing to reread this work after thirty years, to immerse myself in the story of Dr. Brand's work with leprosy patients in India and the Bayou, and in the resultant lessons about the miraculous workings of the human body, the beauty of human friendship and caring, the profundity of God's love. Brilliant, charming, and wonder inducing, this is a modern classic of science and faith." -- Anne Lamott, author of Traveling Mercies, Bird by Bird, and Hallelujah Anyway "God's imaginative genius with his physical creation always has astounding parallels in the spiritual realm, and it's no different with the epitome of his creation, the human body. In their timeless Christian classic Fearfully and Wonderfully, my friend Philip and his coauthor Dr. Brand draw amazing parallels between our bodies and the Body of Christ that leave the reader startled and breathless with wonder. This remarkable book had a profound impact on my life when I first read it years ago, and its insights will astonish you for sure!" -- Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends International Disability Center "This book is a testimony to the peculiar mystery of God's presence―the Word made flesh, as John's Gospel names it. For people whose spiritual lives have been too disembodied, Dr. Brand's attention to living bodies invites us to return to our true selves. At the same time, Yancey has rendered enfleshened truth about our existence in words. I pray you can receive this combination of wisdom and craft as the gift that it is―a word in season, inviting each of us deeper into the life that is really life." -- Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, author of Reconstructing the Gospel "I have greatly appreciated my friend Philip Yancey's work over the years. I enthusiastically commend this book in which Philip offers his wisdom and the wisdom of Dr. Paul Brand to a new generation of readers. I anticipate that it will be of great value to Christians and non-Christians alike." -- John M. Perkins, cofounder, Christian Community Development Association, president emeritus of the John Perkins Foundation "This is a stunning, wondrous book by two of my favorite people. I remember reading Phil Yancey in India, as I lived in a village of folks who had leprosy, which is also where I heard about Dr. Brand. Mother Teresa used to say that in the poor we can see Jesus 'in his most distressing disguises.' This book unpacks what that means and invites every one of us to marvel at the image of God in every person. Dr. Brand is a legendary medical doctor, and Philip is a doctor of the soul. Together they have written one of the greatest books on life . . . in a world where far too many lives are disgraced and desecrated. May it make you a champion of life, just as both of these men have been, and may we be death's greatest adversary." -- Shane Claiborne, cofounder of The Simple Way and Red Letter Christians, author of Beating Guns "In a world divided by races and faces, healers Philip Yancey and Paul Brand knit us together by blazing a magnif