Marvelously Made: Gratefulness and the Body

Sadly many Christians throughout the centuries haven't had a positive view of their bodies. This, in turn, has been picked up by American culture to such an extent that theologian Sallie McFague wrote: "The most prevalent spiritual disease of our time is not wanting to be here, not wanting to be in a physical body."

This author of Marvelously Made: Gratefulness and the Body, Mary C. Earle, is a minister, retreat leader and writer who has courageously and patiently battled a pancreatic condition for years. She sees the body as the temple of God and a worthy vehicle for divine revelation and spiritual transformation.

Earle begins with a paean of praise for all the miracles and marvels of the body. Then she gives thanks for "the life of God (that) creates, sustains, and renews our cells day by day." The hub of this paperback is a series of meditations on the major organs of the body along with prayers and practices to deepen and enrich explorations and dialogue (Morehouse Publishing, 2012).