I loved the specificity and nuance that the author brings to this subject. As a disabled Christian I have been hurt by other Christians in the past and I feel like the voices of disabled Christians haven't been heard. I thought that it was helpful that the author had experienced disability herself and could write from a place of both personal experience and academic interest. I would recommend this book to other Christians who are struggling to understand what the Bible says about disability.

Finding this book incredibly hard to put down. Love, love, love it!! After a few hours of diving in, I still cannot put it down. It is sweet medicine for this weary soul!!

Hurting Yet Whole
Reconciling Body and Spirit in Chronic Pain and Illness
by Liuan Huska
InterVarsity Press
IVP
Christian
Pub Date 08 Dec 2020


I am reviewing a copy of Hurting Yet Whole through InterVarsity Press and Netgalley:


If you are dealing with Chronic Pain or Illness, I’d highly recommend hurting Yet Whole.


What if the places we fear the most about our bodies, the vulnerability to illness or pain is the exact place where God meets us most fully?



The author Liuan Huska went through years of chronic pain herself and wondered wondered why God seemed absent and questioned some of the common assumptions about healing. What do we do when our bodies don't work the way they should? What is healing, when one has a chronic illness? Can we still be whole when our bodies suffer? The Christian story speaks to our experiences of pain and illness. In the embodiment of Jesus' life, we see an embrace of the body and all of the discomfort and sufferings of being human. Countering a Gnosticism that pits body against spirit.


In this book Huska takes her readers on on a journey of exploring how healing is not an escape from the limits of the body, but becoming whole as souls in bodies and bodies with souls. As chronic pain forces us to pay attention to our bodies' vulnerability, we come to embrace the fullness of our broken yet beautiful bodies. She helps redefine what it means to find healing and wholeness when you are experiencing on going pain.



I give Hurting Yet Whole five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I have read many books on suffering, many. One thing I find amazing is that even when they have a lot of things and topics in common, not one story is the same as the other. I appreciate a lot how the author expresses her own struggles, dissapointment and how they express their faith even in the middle of the darkness. I´m always inspired and encouraged by this kind of book. Thankful for the vulnerability shared here.

1 star
I have a chronic disease and I am a Christian, so I was very excited to read this book. Unfortunately, the authors theology is off.
I tried to finish it but I just couldn't get past some of her views.
This book is a huge pass for me.

As someone deeply in love with practical theology, I loved this book! (And I don't say that often.) It's real, raw, and relatable, and it dives deeper into the heart of the matter than surface theology and prosperity gospel could ever even pretend to. The truth about God is that He's always bigger than our understanding of Him, and if He is in charge of our lives, then they are woven together into a story we can't even fathom. Our call is simply to live it, as best we can, and recognize the gifts that our limitations give us - gifts that we can share with others.

I have a background in healthcare chaplaincy and my own story of chronic illness. I have spent years trying to explain to others that my life (and theirs) isn't as miserable as it seems from the outside. I've had, and continue to have, my losses, but my life is not a loss. There's a calling on it just the same as there is every life, and I don't have to wait until everything's perfect to step into that...because my unique brokenness is already perfect for it. And so is yours.

I appreciate this author's insight and wisdom, as well as her in-depth research and the drawing in of many stories besides her own. Perhaps with the chorus of voices, the reader will finally be able to understand that wholeness is just when all your broken pieces fit in Jesus's hand, which they always do - when you can both embrace and surrender them.

Anyone is church leadership needs to read this book; particularly if you're a part of the evangelical tradition. For too long we've put productivity over people and this is a great call to arms to rethink healing and how we view wholeness. It's also really nicely written and easy to read.