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In His Image
THE VOICE OF GOD IS A HEARTBEAT AWAY In Fearfully & Wonderfully Made, Philip Yancey and Dr. Paul Brand revealed how God’s voice is encoded in the very structure of our bodies. In His Image takes up where its predecessor left off, beckoning us once again inward and onward to fresh exploration and discovery. Yancey and Brand show how accurately and intricately the human body portrays the Body of Christ. In five sections―Image, Blood, Head, Spirit, and Pain―the acclaimed surgeon and the award-winning writer unlock the remarkable, living lessons contained in our physical makeup. This Gold Medallion Award-winning book will open your eyes to the complex miracle of the human body, and the even more compelling spiritual truths that it reflects.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
46 people are currently reading
675 people want to read
About the author
Paul W. Brand
16 books97 followersDr. Paul Wilson Brand, CBE (17 July 1914 – 8 July 2003) grew up in India, studied medicine in London, and practiced orthopedic surgery in India and the United States. He achieved world renown for his innovative techniques in the treatment of leprosy.
He was a pioneer in developing tendon transfer techniques for use in the hands of those with leprosy. He was the first physician to appreciate that leprosy did not cause the rotting away of tissues, but that it was the loss of the sensation of pain which made sufferers susceptible to injury. Brand contributed extensively to the fields of hand surgery and hand therapy through his publications and lectures, He wrote Clinical Mechanics of the Hand, still considered a classic in the field of hand surgery
He also wrote popular autobiographical books about his childhood, his parents' missionary work, and his philosophy about the valuable properties of pain. One of his best known books, co-written with Philip Yancey, is Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants (1993), republished in 1997 as The Gift of Pain.
Before his death in 2003, he received many honors, including the prestigious Albert Lasker Award and appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
He was a pioneer in developing tendon transfer techniques for use in the hands of those with leprosy. He was the first physician to appreciate that leprosy did not cause the rotting away of tissues, but that it was the loss of the sensation of pain which made sufferers susceptible to injury. Brand contributed extensively to the fields of hand surgery and hand therapy through his publications and lectures, He wrote Clinical Mechanics of the Hand, still considered a classic in the field of hand surgery
He also wrote popular autobiographical books about his childhood, his parents' missionary work, and his philosophy about the valuable properties of pain. One of his best known books, co-written with Philip Yancey, is Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants (1993), republished in 1997 as The Gift of Pain.
Before his death in 2003, he received many honors, including the prestigious Albert Lasker Award and appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
October 21, 2014
I didn't love reading this book, although I did enjoy Philip Yancey's introduction and several portions of the book itself have stuck with me. The book was written by Dr. Paul Brand, a renowned hand surgeon and leprosy expert. In it, Dr. Brand draws some insightful connections between human anatomy/physiology and the church. For example, in the "pain" section, he discusses our body's natural redistribution of weight/stress to avoid pain and injury. We change our grip, stride, gait, etc. because repeated pressure on the same spot will cause damage. He then states that the church (the body of Christ) needs the same adaptation. We fail to redistribute stress by putting too much pressure on our leaders (pastors, missionaries) and, when they fall short, we respond with rejection instead of giving them a chance to "limp." We also overlook certain members who are undergoing repetitive, everyday stress, instead of redistributing their stress by taking on their burdens. There were lots of these cool connections throughout the book, as well as lots of fascinating/compelling/extremely gross stories from Dr. Brand's decades in India treating leprosy patients.
I really liked the story, again from the "pain" chapters, where Dr. Brand recounts the story of Pedro, who was one of the rare leprosy patients who lacked sensation of pain in his left hand for 15 years, yet the hand suffered no damage (pain being a protective mechanism of the body that leprosy patients lack and, as a result, suffer substantial disfiguring injuries). As it turned out, Pedro had a tiny birthmark on the edge of his palm that retained its sensitivity. This single spot, viewed as a defect when he was a child, protected his whole hand when he developed leprosy. Dr. Brand then stated the need for what has become a large and institutional church to retain similar patches of sensitivity, for "prophets, whether in speech, sermon, or art form, who will call attention to the needy by eloquently voicing their pain."
Another cool connection was in the "blood" chapters, where Dr. Brand related the physiology of "wise blood" (a Flannery-O'Conner-coined term that refers to the process by which, after antibodies have locked away the secret of defeating each disease, a second infection of the same type will normally do no harm) to communion. Dr. Brand writes of both:
I really liked the story, again from the "pain" chapters, where Dr. Brand recounts the story of Pedro, who was one of the rare leprosy patients who lacked sensation of pain in his left hand for 15 years, yet the hand suffered no damage (pain being a protective mechanism of the body that leprosy patients lack and, as a result, suffer substantial disfiguring injuries). As it turned out, Pedro had a tiny birthmark on the edge of his palm that retained its sensitivity. This single spot, viewed as a defect when he was a child, protected his whole hand when he developed leprosy. Dr. Brand then stated the need for what has become a large and institutional church to retain similar patches of sensitivity, for "prophets, whether in speech, sermon, or art form, who will call attention to the needy by eloquently voicing their pain."
Another cool connection was in the "blood" chapters, where Dr. Brand related the physiology of "wise blood" (a Flannery-O'Conner-coined term that refers to the process by which, after antibodies have locked away the secret of defeating each disease, a second infection of the same type will normally do no harm) to communion. Dr. Brand writes of both:
There is a sense in which a person's blood becomes more valuable and potent as that person prevails in numerous battles with outside invaders. . . . The blood of Jesus Christ has overcome. It is as if he went out of his way to expose himself to temptation, to encounter the stress and strain you and I will meet -- to gain wise blood for our benefit.
February 20, 2016
Reading this book brings a whole new way of understanding God's designs in the human body.
The metaphorical writing reveals comparisons between both spiritual health, and physical.
The author pointed out unique perspectives that I would have never considered had I not read the book. Although, as a young person who has been newly introduced to the subject of biology and health, I at times would have appreciated a more simplistic method of understanding basic facts.
Nevertheless the book has redeemed itself in my eyes, simply because it never claimed to be a "health textbook" boggled down with various facts and rules. It is eloquent and illuminating, giving its readers the opportunity to appreciate life's parallels, revealing God's omnipotence in the way we are created. Overall, an interesting read!
-Abigail
The metaphorical writing reveals comparisons between both spiritual health, and physical.
The author pointed out unique perspectives that I would have never considered had I not read the book. Although, as a young person who has been newly introduced to the subject of biology and health, I at times would have appreciated a more simplistic method of understanding basic facts.
Nevertheless the book has redeemed itself in my eyes, simply because it never claimed to be a "health textbook" boggled down with various facts and rules. It is eloquent and illuminating, giving its readers the opportunity to appreciate life's parallels, revealing God's omnipotence in the way we are created. Overall, an interesting read!
-Abigail
February 11, 2025
Its a book about the human body and how each in every part of that human body relates to a spiritual thing or a religious thing more specifically how it connects to god and jesus christ yada yada, a typical #blessed book.
March 15, 2021
A beautiful look at the human body and how the human body is analogous to the Body of Christ, the church. It is really well written. The chapters that really shine are the ones that deal with pain, specifically the chapter that deals with how the church should respond when parts of the body of Christ are in pain.
May 27, 2008
Very good and sophisticated read. Dr. Paul Brand and Phillip Yancey co-wrote this book in the first person of Dr. Brand, using Dr. Brand's medical knowledge and experience to explain the interworkings of the human body and parrellel those to the body of Christ. Through learning about he human body, for me, this really brought some good insight into understanding what the incarnation and crucifiction mean to our faith, what it really means to us to be a part of the body of Christ and how we should function as the body of Christ.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2021
For a reader who has never read much beyond high school biology, this was a fascinating glimpse into the amazingly complex system that is the human body. It’s not a deep discussion of the body though; it’s a mix of biographical sketches, scientific facts, and Scripture vignettes. You will get glimpses of life during the London Blitz, on a medical mission in India, and in various surgical wards. Then you will be reminded of the deep love God has for every believer and every believer should have for each other. I enjoyed most of it.
Just like in Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Yancey and Brand occasionally draw to complex a lesson from an illustration. There is no question that the body is an illustration of the church and how it should work. But attempting to find parallels in each system strains that too far sometimes. It's either that or the authors spent so much time explaining the physical side of the illustration that there isn’t time to build a similar case for any particular lesson from scripture. All of that makes it hard to really study the Bible lessons he is trying to teach. There are very few verse references for any personal study. It's almost as if the author just expects you to accept his conclusions drawn from years of experience. I don’t doubt that the authors are deeply dedicated wise Christians, but I do wish that they had shared more Bible knowledge to balance out the experience-drawn wisdom they present here.
There are a few sections that might be a bit much for those who are squeamish about medical or dissecting details.
Just like in Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Yancey and Brand occasionally draw to complex a lesson from an illustration. There is no question that the body is an illustration of the church and how it should work. But attempting to find parallels in each system strains that too far sometimes. It's either that or the authors spent so much time explaining the physical side of the illustration that there isn’t time to build a similar case for any particular lesson from scripture. All of that makes it hard to really study the Bible lessons he is trying to teach. There are very few verse references for any personal study. It's almost as if the author just expects you to accept his conclusions drawn from years of experience. I don’t doubt that the authors are deeply dedicated wise Christians, but I do wish that they had shared more Bible knowledge to balance out the experience-drawn wisdom they present here.
There are a few sections that might be a bit much for those who are squeamish about medical or dissecting details.
April 15, 2023
This book was surprisingly relevant and not outdated, despite its numerous explanations of the science of the human body's systems (written four decades ago). I admire Brand, a medical missionary and hero of mine, and envy Yancy's close contact with him in writing it. Thanks to both for this work which has reaped the fruit of positive spiritual formation for me.
I found the last chapters on pain especially helpful, though the entire book was engaging. I recommend this book to any followers of Jesus Christ, especially those interested in medical science or ecclesiology.
I found the last chapters on pain especially helpful, though the entire book was engaging. I recommend this book to any followers of Jesus Christ, especially those interested in medical science or ecclesiology.
September 24, 2017
Excellent! Such fascinating insights into our physical body which is compared to our spiritual body & Christ's body, the church. Blood equals life, thus God's emphasis on it in Bible, (tourniquet arm, when blood flows...life!) brain is the head (God),and He directs us as brain directs us through nerves/cells, we need pain, think of leprosy patients who lose their limbs bc they don't feel pain, air equals Spirit....soo interesting!!!!
March 10, 2022
This book, the sequel to the brilliant "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" and the center book in the trilogy which includes "Pain: the Gift Know One Wants," is better than the latter and lesser than the former. But like those books it strikes a wonderful balance between spiritual insight and medical wonders of our marvelous and fearfully designed body. While this book focuses a little more on the spiritual applications (and there is a little overlapping between the three books) this book is also full of many breath-taking passages which leaves one breathless in wonder and awe, not only our bodies only, but more importantly, the God who made them. Examples are many and one which comes to mind is the passage about the red blood cells within our bodies and how when they became tired and worn out they are recycled (by the spleen) but what was maybe even more amazing, how the spleen resurrects certain un-recyclable parts and turns them into taste buds and hair follicles.
December 16, 2017
This book was such an incredible depiction of God's creation of us- and the connection of the mind, body, and spirit.
Dr. Brand does an amazing job at making these deep insightful connections of the body from his medical standpoint, to the mind, and to the soul, and how it all points back to God and shows His glory.
Dr. Brand does an amazing job at making these deep insightful connections of the body from his medical standpoint, to the mind, and to the soul, and how it all points back to God and shows His glory.
November 19, 2022
An incredible peek into the human body and how it helps the Christian understand the body of Christ. I’ve read this book before, and listened to it on audiobook this time. The narrator was good, but a strange choice for a British missionary to India. Yancey does a great job kneading together the wisdom and experiences of Dr Paul Brand - what a modern hero!
December 31, 2019
I took my time rereading this book. I love the experiences of the doctor relating to the body, then the spiritual implications from the theologian. I love reading about anatomy and connecting to the spiritual.
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August 3, 2020Those who do not appreciate this book may simply not understand it. The Body of Christ is not an analogy. It is a living organism with which the human body is in kind; both emanating from the nature of God. To understand the workings of one, is to understand the workings of other.
October 23, 2023
When the renowned "leprosy doctor" Paul Brand and writer Phillip Yancey team up, the result is a book with a storyteller's heart, a scientist's precision, a theologian's passion, and a healer's compassion. Absolutely excellent.
September 25, 2024
i enjoyed this book a lot! Though sometimes I struggled to understand some medical vocabularies here. I soldiered in though. I love how Paul Brand harmonize his medical experiences and discoveries to Biblical truths. It was amazing!
September 1, 2017
A companion to Fearfully and Wonderfully Made showing
the marvels of the human body. Written by a medical doctor.
the marvels of the human body. Written by a medical doctor.
November 19, 2017
This is a refreshing read of how our bodies are testimonies to the imagination of Creator God.
January 5, 2018
Provides an interesting look at the human body and the author's view of how it relates to the Trinity.
June 27, 2019
Must read..
And re-read
And re-read
January 14, 2021
Beautifully written. Powerful. My husband and I read it out loud together. We loved it so much we bought one to give away and am sending out copy to another person.
March 16, 2021
Some books are blessings - like giving glasses to someone nearsighted. Fascinating and thought- provoking.
September 3, 2021
So good! The human body is such a miraculous work of creation, and this book describes it in a phenomenal way. It’s a must read!
December 4, 2021
An incredible book. Dr Brand has perspective on lifev and sauce
January 9, 2022
Simply superb! I highly recommend it!
May 6, 2025
هذا الدمج الفريد بين الفنيات الطبية من جراحٍ محترف والمفاهيم اللاهوتية من رجل مرسل مختبِر يعد حتي الآن من أعمق ما قرأت.
يتلامس جداً مع العاملين في المجال الطبي وكل من لهم نشاط خدمي.
يتلامس جداً مع العاملين في المجال الطبي وكل من لهم نشاط خدمي.
February 14, 2012
This book, first published in 1984, was a sort of sequel to Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey's book "Fearfully & Wonderfully Made," but I'm reading them in reverse order.
Dr. Brand devoted almost all of his long medical career to treating lepers, first at a mission hospital in India, and later in Louisiana. Although it is co-written, "In His Image" is written in the first-person, from Dr. Brand's perspective.
If you read this book, you might find yourself in awe of your own body. You might find yourself agreeing with the phrase "fearfully and wonderfully made," which would have been a perfect title for this book if Brand and Yancey hadn't already used it for their first book. And if you're a Christian, you'll probably come to the conclusion that the Apostle Paul's metaphor of the Christian community being the body and Christ the head was more apt and profound than you ever realized before.
The descriptions of the way the body works are amazing; the anecdotes from Dr. Brand's practice gripping.
The chapters on pain are particularly compelling, given the fact that Dr. Brand devoted his life to treating people who can't feel pain and suffer greatly as a consequence. Yes, pain is a good thing.
He shows great respect for what most of us think as irritants. Consider his thoughts about a blister that came upon him while gardening:
My dermis, formerly mashed flat and vulnerable, now has soothing relief from stress as the forces of my spade are gently absorbed by this new structure. Such an adaptation can easily go unappreciated or, worse, be viewed with irritation. But it is a startling phenomenon, requiring the coordination of millions of cells.
Reading "In His Image" was refreshing, particularly in comparison with some of the other books I've read lately.
And now I've read "Fearfully & Wonderfully Made," which somehow is the same book in Goodreads. They definitely are two different books, but certainly the subject matter is the same. I would say that "Fearfully" is not quite as good as "In His Image," but if I had read them in the proper order, I would have said that "In His Image" was even better than "Fearfully," and that would have been more apt.
These books even helped me as a health journalist. Reading them was like a mini-course in anatomy, and a very well-taught one.
My favorite quote from the book is actually from G.K. Chesterton, cited in Chapter 10, "Freedom": "The more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild."
Well said, Mr. Chesterton.
Dr. Brand devoted almost all of his long medical career to treating lepers, first at a mission hospital in India, and later in Louisiana. Although it is co-written, "In His Image" is written in the first-person, from Dr. Brand's perspective.
If you read this book, you might find yourself in awe of your own body. You might find yourself agreeing with the phrase "fearfully and wonderfully made," which would have been a perfect title for this book if Brand and Yancey hadn't already used it for their first book. And if you're a Christian, you'll probably come to the conclusion that the Apostle Paul's metaphor of the Christian community being the body and Christ the head was more apt and profound than you ever realized before.
The descriptions of the way the body works are amazing; the anecdotes from Dr. Brand's practice gripping.
The chapters on pain are particularly compelling, given the fact that Dr. Brand devoted his life to treating people who can't feel pain and suffer greatly as a consequence. Yes, pain is a good thing.
He shows great respect for what most of us think as irritants. Consider his thoughts about a blister that came upon him while gardening:
My dermis, formerly mashed flat and vulnerable, now has soothing relief from stress as the forces of my spade are gently absorbed by this new structure. Such an adaptation can easily go unappreciated or, worse, be viewed with irritation. But it is a startling phenomenon, requiring the coordination of millions of cells.
Reading "In His Image" was refreshing, particularly in comparison with some of the other books I've read lately.
And now I've read "Fearfully & Wonderfully Made," which somehow is the same book in Goodreads. They definitely are two different books, but certainly the subject matter is the same. I would say that "Fearfully" is not quite as good as "In His Image," but if I had read them in the proper order, I would have said that "In His Image" was even better than "Fearfully," and that would have been more apt.
These books even helped me as a health journalist. Reading them was like a mini-course in anatomy, and a very well-taught one.
My favorite quote from the book is actually from G.K. Chesterton, cited in Chapter 10, "Freedom": "The more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild."
Well said, Mr. Chesterton.
September 24, 2016
ايت ايز يانسي :D الكتاب اللى ندّمنى انى مدخلتش علمى علوم كنت هفهم كتير من المكتوب! الموضوع طلع اكبر من مجرد رموز! اللغه دايما بتخدع بالسطحيه.. التعليق المصاحب ل3 /4 الكتاب هو : احمدك من اجل اننى امتزت عجبا!! :) انا مكنتش اعرف انى معجزه كده :) ..
December 1, 2014
Pain is important.
We always want to be recognized when we suffer in pain. Many times we instinctively accuse God of not knowing our pain but looking on Jesus, we know God took on the limitations of time and space, pain and sorrow.
It would’ve been easier for God to abolish pain rather than to share it but pain exists as proof not of God’s lack of concern, but because it has a place in creation significant enough that it cannot be removed without great loss.
God’s identification with our pain is complete.
When He healed people, Jesus chose not to perform miracles en masse, but rather one by one, touching each person he healed individually.
Jesus was setting right what had been disrupted.
When Jesus rose again, He appeared to His disciples in a changed body than one that hung on a cross. But His scars remained. That’s how Thomas’ doubts were set at ease, when he felt the scars in His hands. He carried with Him remembrances of His visit to earth in the form of scars. He absorbed pain and the wounded image of humanity on Himself. Our pain became His. The same way we also carry His death, so that His resurrection may also be revealed in our body.
Contains Some Excerpts from ‘In His Image’
We always want to be recognized when we suffer in pain. Many times we instinctively accuse God of not knowing our pain but looking on Jesus, we know God took on the limitations of time and space, pain and sorrow.
It would’ve been easier for God to abolish pain rather than to share it but pain exists as proof not of God’s lack of concern, but because it has a place in creation significant enough that it cannot be removed without great loss.
God’s identification with our pain is complete.
When He healed people, Jesus chose not to perform miracles en masse, but rather one by one, touching each person he healed individually.
Jesus was setting right what had been disrupted.
When Jesus rose again, He appeared to His disciples in a changed body than one that hung on a cross. But His scars remained. That’s how Thomas’ doubts were set at ease, when he felt the scars in His hands. He carried with Him remembrances of His visit to earth in the form of scars. He absorbed pain and the wounded image of humanity on Himself. Our pain became His. The same way we also carry His death, so that His resurrection may also be revealed in our body.
Contains Some Excerpts from ‘In His Image’
February 10, 2017
Read this a long time ago, 1984! I wish I'd kept my copy with this particular cover. I am sentimentally attached to it, remembering exactly where I was spiritually and physically, when I read it. I was a new Christian and my world expanded in a way the senses can't describe. It's easy to recall this moment even now, 33 years later.
I sat with my best friend on Pompano Beach on a blazing afternoon, our low chairs beached at the shore, the lukewarm water washing over our tan toes. I can see the oil and feel the sweat on my skin. We only had about an hour to spare between our classes at the community college, and our part time jobs at Albertson's grocery store.
I was lifted and inspired by the short, readable, yet profound biological and spiritual comparisons. This is what I remember. I really need to read it again, for the sake of nostalgia.
I squealed, announcing to my friend Dara, much to her vicarious amusement, because she had always been a Christian, not grasping a dramatic born again experience, this, "How can anyone study the human body and not believe in God?!"
I sat with my best friend on Pompano Beach on a blazing afternoon, our low chairs beached at the shore, the lukewarm water washing over our tan toes. I can see the oil and feel the sweat on my skin. We only had about an hour to spare between our classes at the community college, and our part time jobs at Albertson's grocery store.
I was lifted and inspired by the short, readable, yet profound biological and spiritual comparisons. This is what I remember. I really need to read it again, for the sake of nostalgia.
I squealed, announcing to my friend Dara, much to her vicarious amusement, because she had always been a Christian, not grasping a dramatic born again experience, this, "How can anyone study the human body and not believe in God?!"
December 27, 2016
Just finished "In His Image" by the late Dr. Paul Brand who was credited with groundbreaking advances in the treatment of leprosy both here and in India. It is a two volume set of his renowned "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" and the lesser known follow up "In the Likeness of God". Stunning, fascinating and expansive is his description of the human body and it's reflection of the Creator God who lovingly and meticulously designed it. Best non-fiction I've in quite awhile.
"He was despised, the lowest of men: a man of pains, familiar with disease, One from whom men avert their gaze—despised, and we reckoned him as nothing. But it was our diseases that he bore, our pains that he carried, While we counted him as one stricken, touched by God with affliction." - Isaiah 53
"He was despised, the lowest of men: a man of pains, familiar with disease, One from whom men avert their gaze—despised, and we reckoned him as nothing. But it was our diseases that he bore, our pains that he carried, While we counted him as one stricken, touched by God with affliction." - Isaiah 53
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews