In His Image (by Paul Brand with Philip Yancey)

(Amazon UK link)

I very much liked re-reading the book ‘Fearfully and Wonderfully Made’ by Dr Paul Brand (in conjunction with Philip Yancey) about three months ago. So I decided to re-read the sequel, ‘In His Image’. I have both these in a compilation volume called ‘In the Likeness of God’, which I read at one sitting just over 17 years ago.  I recalled that both books were well-written and extremely interesting, but not much more.

‘In his image’ delves more deeply into the concept that we were made in God’s image, and that our individual bodies have counterparts - metaphorically speaking, for the most part - in the worldwide and local church. It’s no accident that the church is known as the ‘Body of Christ’. We are God’s agents in the world, and if we are to function as intended, we need to be linked to each other as well as directly to God.

That’s about as far as it goes in general understanding; Paul Brand takes the metaphor to its extremes, and in doing so manages to be both educational and inspiring. ‘Fearfully and Wonderfully Made’ looks at the way we’re made and how our different systems work together. ‘In His Image’ is more about communication. 

So the first section looks at what we mean by ‘likeness’. Using anecdotes as well as medical language, Brand explores  how ‘likeness’ can be passed from person to person, not just via genetics but sometimes by manners of speech or quirks of language. It also discusses some of the incredible surgeries that can be done to aid victims of serious burns or illnesses that can ravage skin, particularly faces. 

The second section is about blood. There’s a lot of detail, some of which I found too technical, about how blood cells and plasma function. But I was very struck by some of the analogies drawn by the author. He looks at blood as power, as the life force; he demonstrates what is meant in the Bible by blood ‘cleansing’ us: a strange phrase at first glance. 

Then the author looks at the head, and in particular the brain, and what is meant by spirit. Finally he gets back to one of his favourite topics: that of pain. He acknowledges that some chronic pain does not seem to provide any useful function, while repeating how important most pain is, in alerting us to problems. Dr Brand worked for many years with leprosy patients who had lost all sensation of pain; this would lead to them exerting too much pressure on limbs, or being unaware of dangerous nails on the ground, or even rats biting. So he knew from many experiences how important it is that our bodies are tuned to be aware of potential damage. 

I found the book very interesting, but not as mind blowing as I did the first time. I’m not sure why. Perhaps I had subconsciously recalled some of it; perhaps it was assimilated in my mind, so that instead of being incredible revelations, it was reminders of the analogies and metaphors. And some of the medical descriptions, particularly parts about animal experiments, made me feel rather squeamish. 

Still, I thought the book well worth re-reading, and would recommend it highly to anyone who would like to explore the idea of being made in God’s image, and what the implications are of the idea of the Body of Christ.

Review copyright 2024 Sue's Book Reviews