2 - 2.5 stars

Hmmm this one was interesting. I was unprepared for how religious and god focused this text was going to be, and as a nonreligious person it felt on the too much side. Typically I don’t mind reading about religion or spirituality but it felt like I was being hit over the head with all of the repetitiveness. I will say there was also a foundational focus that I really enjoyed, which was that our bodies resilient with its coordinated urgency in healing itself, that in the beginning and end we are designed to not only heal ourselves from physical wounds and ailments but also from social and emotional ones. I was really into that idea of resilience in the physical and spiritual sense and I feel like if there was more of a focus on that, in less in your face ways, I would have maybe enjoyed this more. The stories that were told were interesting but again I was left with a preachy feeling and less of me organically learning something and having spirituality weaved into the “lesson”.

ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Unique book and one I haven't seen the like in Christian non-fiction. It can be a bit gory, but not for fun--it all serves a point to illustrate the focus of healing, I promise. But that being said, don't read while eating!

So fascinating and SO IMPORTANT for anyone that loves God to learn and know and remember - that our bodies minds and souls are connected and each matter.

There is much we can learn from the workings of the human body. There is also much that we do not yet know. This does not mean we cannot benefit from the knowledge available to us, the interconnectedness of the body systems as well as how we can use this knowledge to apply to human relationships. Learning about how the body heals gives us profound insights into healing human relationships all around. At the same time, their shared Christian beliefs enable them to relate to healing far beyond the physical domain, especially pertaining to the repair of relationships in a community. McLaurin begins with a dramatic retelling of a serious that happened during a family ski trip. Her husband Andrew was badly wounded and had to be rushed to the hospital. It so happened that the physical wounds coincided with emotional hurts arising from Andrew's work situation. That was a significant moment that motivated McLaurin to apply what she knew about healing to a societal level. Co-author Bem also had her traumatic moments when her husband Julio developed polycythemia. In the midst of her family struggles, many friends and fellow believers flooded them with multiple acts of care and love, creating an environment that facilitates healing and recovery. Going through the four stages of physical healing, a physician and a geneticist share their expertise and knowledge about how the human body functions before and after a wound, and how it heals. The four stages (overlapping but distinct) of healing are:

1) Hemostasis (clotting)
2) Inflammation
3) New Tissue Formation
4) Remodeling

Calling these essential signposts for proper healing, if any of the steps are missed out or didn't follow the correct order, more serious complications may occur. With Bem's intricate knowledge of cells recovery in molecular genetics, we can learn to apply what we know about science into the larger world of people relationships. The authors also gave readers a powerful spiritual meditation practice for us to pray as we go. Called RAIN, this practice is about:

- Recognizing what is happening
- Allowing the experience to sink in
- Investigating it gently
- Nurturing the wound

Each chapter starts off with a Bible passage or spiritual insight to prepare the way for what is ahead. Closely following the four stages of healing, we read about several anecdotal experiences about wounds incurred during the course of normal living. There are instances of how Covid-19 harms the body and disrupts the body's natural immune and inflammatory systems, leading to hyperinflammatory responses. Stress too contributes to such disordered behavior. Recognizing the importance of managed inflammation, we learn of how controlling our emotions can lead to overall emotional health. More importantly, we learn of several spiritual practices that we can adopt toward holistic healing. St Ignatius of Loyola's Examen helps us address our inner being much better than some of the popular positivistic apps out there. The imaginary technique called "Table of Significant Others" (TOSO) creates "cultural humility" and openness. There are also instructions on overcoming racism that is beyond protests and pronouncements, something that requires new hearts rather than new movements. From ancient practices of the spiritual monastic fathers to modern practitioners like JP Moreland, we have a powerful resource to aid the healing and restoration of our souls and our relationships.

My Thoughts
There is so much good stuff in this book that I find it hard to decide which to highlight. There is basic medical knowledge on how the body functions and what the healing process looks like. Learning the four phases of healing in itself is worth the price of the book. Not only does it clarify the healing process, but it also enables us to marvel at the amazing design of the human body. The body in itself is an intelligent organism. Learning about how it works instructs us in many other ways. The authors use this basic standpoint to spring toward other areas of applications pertaining to healing in the mental, physical, emotional, social, relational, spiritual, and other domains.

Then there is the direct parallel to our relational healing, how we need time, focus, and intentionality to create an environment that promotes healing. Healthy responses are needed in the face of mounting challenges. Prompt actions will promote healthy recovery instead of simply brushing over deep wounds. Extending a hand of reconciliation is like fibrin strands that promptly form over a cut to enable healthy tissues to form. On top of these, we get some brief descriptions of basic spiritual practices that had been used through the centuries.

There are also lots of things that we have yet to learn about this fascinating physiology of the human being. This is a fantastic book filled with medical know-how and spiritual reflections about healing and restoration of the human body and spirit. As more people engage online via social media, the potential for even more wounds increases. This makes books like this even more crucial to keep in check the negative effects of the ills of society. The American author, Helen Keller once said: "Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." This book aids us in the latter.

Thank you, Jennie and Bem!

Jennie Anderson McLaurin is a public health pediatrician with degrees in medicine, public health, and theology. She writes, speaks, and teaches on topics of public health, bioethics, health disparities, faithful medicine, intersections of science and faith, and issues of childhood.

Cymbeline (Bem) Tancongco Culiat is a scientist, entrepreneur, and educator. She is an expert in the genetic and molecular basis of mammalian development, diseases, and disorders.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Designed to Heal is a compelling read. I was fascinated by the use of wound healing as metaphor for social and personal healing. The book is relatable and understandable, even to the lay person.

As a professor, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book for any course investigating the intersection of the fields of biology, medicine, sociology, behavior, and/or theology.

Designed To Heal is definitely positioned on the better side of bad, and the bad side of amazing. Let me explain. I received much value from it. Jennie McLaurin and Cymbeline (Bem) Tancongco Culiat offer a tremendous amount of scientific insight. This, I think, is the book’s best attribute. There is no doubt that these remarkable women are experts in their field.

Understanding the miraculous four stages of wound restoration is simply awe-inspiring. McLaurin, as the narrator, then moves into a slightly metaphoric realm drawing parallels between the way our bodies heal and how communities recover from trauma. She calls these “our corporate bodies”.

I quite appreciated the analogue. This second shift from hard science to the softer psychological domain is also useful. At times, reaching for a connection seemed belaboured. Elsewhere, her bridging of the two worlds appeared to lift off the page with glistening clarity. As a reader, I felt I was still receiving a heap of value.

…Then came what I’m tempted to call the “Christy” bits. I mean to make no personal attack on the book’s authors. They demonstrated a great level of vulnerability and depth. My heart went out to them as they shared intimate accounts of personal tragedy and weakness. That takes character!

I did feel, however, that lurking behind this third movement from science and social psychology to church life redundant and driven by a proselytic agenda. I don’t mean to be harsh but that was my honest impression.

It might’ve been different if I was warned, so to speak, in the description. I still would’ve likely read it, only now, prepared for a strong Christian perspective. Despite being an Atheist, I can still recognize merit in that. Bill Haslam’s recent release, for instance, was entirely about personal faith; and I enjoyed it immensely. I realize that Designed To Heal has already gone out to publication, but for future projects, I’d strongly recommend bearing this in mind. At least make some indication in the description. The delivery landed somewhat ingratiating.

3 out of 5 stars. Many thanks for the advanced copy.

I remember some particularly gnarly cuts and scrapes from my youth. Playing hard at the driveway basketball hoop with my dad or sister, rollerblading up and down our hilly street, or the skinned sides and elbows from goalkeeper practice on hard astroturf. My body can tell stories of wounds, healing, and what physical echoes remain.

In Jennie McLaurin's insightful, generous, and story-filled "Designed to Heal" (with Cymbeline "Bem" Tancongco Culiat), we learn that our bodies are made to restore themselves. A deep cut or scrape is the beginning of a magnificent process set to work by the biological healing agents intricately knit into our bodies. The healing process is not always easy, often painful, and in many cases, leaves us marked with a scar that tells a story. So it is with our life together in community. We experience disruption, then a turning back to one another, and finally repair to deepen our connections and draw us closer together as God's beloved people.

Jennie employs a deep knowledge of the body and numerous stories of caring for children, migrant workers, and the marginalized worldwide. All of this to illuminate how God designs us to heal, not only from wounds but also from our communities' ruptures. Her stories put practical examples to the body's healing process that would otherwise be beyond a layperson like me. As I began reading this book, I was honestly concerned I might not know all I need to about medicine or anatomy to comprehend the theme of healing. Jennie does a fantastic job of making the nuances of medical care approachable and applicable to our daily lives and our shared life together.

As we work through the phases of wound healing, we begin to see that similar processes can occur in our communities. Specifically, there are many examples of how the church and organizations can heal and restore after the immense disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. If there is ever a time that we collectively need to consider the work of healing, it is now. And while the COVID-19 pandemic has been so difficult for so many, it presents us with the beautiful reality that God has wired us for this kind of restoration. God is about the redemption and repair of all creation. We experience this day after day as we embrace God's love.

One of my favorite portions of these chapters is the connection between medical expertise and spiritual practices that can aid inter- and intrapersonal healing. From the Ignatian tradition of the Daily Examen to the acknowledgment of the power of indigenous healing rituals, we see that recovery involves more than a bandage and bed rest. Healing comes from integrating body, mind, and soul — the whole person, being made whole by their Creator's hand.

As a pastor, I am immensely grateful for Jennie and Bem's gift of refreshed language for healing and restoration. We need it. Having experts of this caliber connect their scientific background with their deep abiding faith helps us see that God uses our whole person to love our neighbors and enemies. May you find this resource as a healing balm for the wounded souls of our communities, stitched and restored back to wholeness by God's love.

I've never read a a science book with such soul care, nor a spirituality book with such scientific overlay. What makes Designed to Heal distinct is that the book uses scientific authority to evince the parallel authority of God's intentional design of each Imago Dei reader. I appreciate Dr. McLaurin's commitment to explaining the science and having confidence that the reader can understand or take steps to understand the complexity of the human body; she doesn't hold back. Nor do she and Dr. Culiat hold back in their vulnerable sharing about their life wounds and trials, giving we the readers a sense of closeness to them, as well as a sense of trust in them.

This book is well suited for a wide audience: the injured reader, the recovered reader, the parental reader, the teenage reader, the med-school reader, the seminary reader, the happenstance reader. Read this book to know God's grace is that we heal and transform, echoing the Eden of old.

Healing of physical wounds and heart wounds -- the analogy is inspired and inspiring! The book is packed with wonderful scientific facts and spiritual truths, plus powerful personal stories -- all pointing to the Master Designer and Lord of Peace.

This book intrigued me from the beginning, mostly from the medical perspective of the body’s intricate but simple pattern of healing. However, the more I read, the more I realized this book is more complex and I could easily read it multiple times, each time from a different perspective; it is a book that digs into the link between physical, mental and spiritual healing and each layer interacts with the other. This book is applicable to so many different relationships, and wounds, in each persons life. Very worthwhile read!

Arriving not a moment too soon, this book is timely, well-crafted, clearly written and engaging. I found understandable explanations and hope on every page.

Each chapter describes a part of the healing process that is triggered the moment the human body is injured. Then the authors explain how the process can get stalled or derailed, and how this can be applied to the wounds we experience as part of our communities: family, neighborhood, religious, professional, and civic.

This has been a season of conflict in every sphere of life, and having a physiological analogy for relational healing is helpful to sort it out. And even more importantly, the book gives new language for beginning conversations about healing in a community.

Two concepts really stood out: the first is that practicing and cultivating ongoing outrage (even against what is truly wrong) can damage a soul the same way the body is damaged by chronic inflammation. Inflammation is an important part of the body’s first line of defense, but if uncontrolled it can damage what is healthy. So can outrage, if it becomes the habitual and default response to every situation.

Secondly, I learned how important it is to keep the boundaries of a wound cleanly defined, thus avoiding a situation called “proud flesh.” Proud flesh occurs when the initial tender and nutrient rich tissue laid down as a base layer just continues to grow and grow and spread outside the wound site, easily bleeding at every small bump. Too many times when I experience conflict in one area of life, I then find I am overly sensitive in what should be strong and healthy areas of my life. Left uncorrected, this condition may require surgical “re-wounding” in order to re-establish the edges of the wound and restart proper healing.

There are questions for group discussion at the back of the book that follow the experience of a hypothetical, extended family dealing with conflict. This helps expand the chapters, and give room for application. I found this more engaging than the standard comprehension and “what do you think” type questions.

I am looking forward to other titles by Drs. McLaurin and Culiat and hope more is forthcoming.

In Designed to Heal, the authors use the body’s healthy wound-healing process and its aberrations as models for emotional, relational and spiritual wound-healing. It is fascinating how they are able to present a simplified description of an intricate process that can easily be visualized. They show analogies through stories of real people to whom readers can relate, as they narrate their own life journeys. This, to me, gives their book authenticity. I was particularly moved by one author’s sharing of a childhood experience and its impact on her.

I like how reading the book made me pause to muse on my own scars, on my body and in my heart. I did see the parallels between physical and emotional/spiritual healing.

The book is the result of a collaboration between a medical doctor and a scientist, both of whom are rooted in their faith. On occasion they refer to Christian belief. However, you need not be of the same faith to appreciate the book. To heal—ourselves, our relationships and our communities—is a universal desire.

I am glad that I received an advance e-copy of the book from NetGalley to review.

Designed To Heal is a provocative look at the process of healing, both at the cellular and the corporate level. This work examines the intricacies of repairing wounds, beginning with an examination of medical healing and continuing with the scientific aspects of repair at the molecular level.
Just as importantly, wounds of the physical, emotional, and religious nature are investigated. Written with intriguing examples, the authors introduce their personal stories, reflecting on their own painful experiences in life and the ultimate healing that occurs over time. This is an excellent exploration of the body’s ability to heal from wounds acquired throughout a lifetime. An important point for Christians is to heed the message of healing in our neighborhoods, churches, our schools and in our society, More than a treatise on healing, this is a celebration of life’s ultimate ability to restore health and stability to the body. Beautifully written and clear in its message, our shared injuries of heart and soul can be regenerated and transformed through unity. The acknowledgment that we are interconnected can transform our spiritual and physical bodies, once again, into triumph.

What a book!!!

“Designed to Heal” has given me food for thought and tools for growth two, three and now four weeks after finishing it. At its core, it’s provided, through biological and societal examples, a shift in my understanding wounds (of all kinds) and the many layers of healing that bring about restored and functional health. Each part is vital and necessary, if only we can learn to aid the process and not get in our own ways to inhibit healing; physically, emotionally, spiritually, and as a society.
Not only do our bodies do miraculously specific work to recover from wounds in specific time frames and specific layers, “Designed to Heal” has taught me that we each have emotional and spiritual gifts to be a part of those same layers and processes of healing on interpersonal, corporate and societal levels.
“Designed to Heal” is an extraordinary work by two women who I highly respect in their scientific fields and careers. Their journeys as women, mothers, wives, daughters, friends, scientists, and professionals are woven into this beautiful work. The success in their careers precedes them. Their vast applied wisdom as healing related to the microscopic levels in the body and applied to healing of our hearts, minds and world are tools I’ve gone back to and reread over and again.
I was fascinated by the blockbuster movie style descriptions of the biological processes of the body and was entirely engrossed. On a macro level, this book will be a valuable tool for any person in Any Sort of leadership or for anyone who may like to figure out a different way to process conflict in their lives. Without a doubt, brand new ideas and applications for conflict-resolution and emotional healing can be gleaned from this work. I look forward to the continued conversations and health it will bring about.
I would hope this is not the last work these two brilliant women will write, and look forward to being guided in more wisdom by them.

It should be a MUST textbook for parents, teachers, police, government officials, students, employees, corporate leaders, church leaders, doctors, bus drivers, every human! I tried to marathon-read Designed to Heal but after Chapter 2 I realized that in order to truly learn and digest the “instructions” on how to live a peaceful, angst-ridden, harmonious, and joyful life with one’s self and with others at home, in the community, school, workplace, at church - each chapter has to be fully digested, pondered, and even meditated upon, short of conducting an “internal workshop”. Only then can you move on to the next chapter.

God designed the human body to dynamically heal in pre-designed synchronized stages, with each element playing an important role in the healing process. The authors cleverly juxtaposed the physical healing process with corporate healing, demonstrating its parallelism with healing broken relationships in families, workplaces, communities.

Even if only less than 0.1% of the world’s adult population reads this book but truly “lives” the lessons to heart by contributing to healing within their families, workplaces, and communities, then others in their respective circles will learn from them and emulate them, creating a viral spread! There would be much less anger, hatred, intolerance, and wasted energy. The release of Designed to Heal is very timely in light of the strong enmity that currently pervades every fiber of society.

Designed to Heal is a clear thesis of how our bodies are innately and amazingly created to heal wounds, and that those same principles can work in our human relationships when they are damaged. By better understanding each process, we can heal our lives and our communities more effectively.

The authors Jennie McLaurin and Cymbeline (Bem) Culiat, have a fascinating and detailed, yet understandable book for laymen. They come at this subject from two different fields, as Jennie is a Pediatrician, and Cymbeline is a Molecular Geneticist, but they are united by their faith and shared experiences.

Each chapter begins with a compelling real-life episode of some accident or condition (for example in one chapter they describe medical work with Lepers in Hawaii) that leads to the specific point of the chapter on how our bodies addresses traumas and wounds. They then describe its parallel in relationships, whether from childhood emotional abuse or cultural wounds such as racism and political strife. For example, in one chapter they explain inflammation in the body, and how it is a natural response for trauma, but if it gets out of control it can do great damage. They then discuss all the anger from political divisions and unrest that keep communities worked up into states of rage that similarly do damage to how we live together as a society.

I found each of the introductory stories fascinating and compelling, and they made it much easier to understand the description of the medical science of wounds, which is a subject I previously knew little about. The biological aspect of the book all by itself is worth reading, and then it's application to our communal human interactions was even better. Each of them contributes examples of physical and emotional wounding from their own lives to underscore how clearly they understand and have experienced these principles personally. They fit the discussion into a broader picture of Faith and healing in ways that go beyond our natural understanding. I loved the quote recounted from Medical School, when the professor wrote on the chalkboard “On the Fifth Day, God created Pus.” Their view of Faith is Judeo-Christian, but they also mention working with Native folk traditions believed by Latino migrant workers, and there is much to learn and consider even if you do not share their worldview.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone interesting learning more about the amazing story of how our bodies heal, and applying those principles to mending our relationships and culture.

The whole idea of wound healing covers a wide expanse. As someone who treats physical wounds as a profession, I found the content to be quite accurate and well covered by a non-textbook. It actually provided excellent teaching points that I can use with my patients (and already have).

But this is not the point of this book, in my opinion. Rather, the authors adeptly use the science of wound healing as a starting point to begin to understand the deeper wounds we all incur throughout our lives that need healing--superbly weaving it into these difficult emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds that many times escape true healing. As women of faith and leaders in their individual scientific fields, they are unafraid to address the spiritual side of healing and rightly compare the science with faith. This is refreshing at a time when the whole idea of science and faith sharing the same framework is avoided. There is nothing that hints of proselytizing. Merely a blending of their personal and professional experiences that mixes quite well, in my opinion.

Highly recommended for anyone dealing with wounds of any kind who knows there is no quick fix to the wounds that bind us, but need a hope that all is not lost for healing.

"What if our corporate bodies were oriented to healing the way our physical bodies are?"

So many resources I've read about healing relationships and dealing with wounds within a community have come off as annoyingly over-simplified or unrealistic. I wondered if I could finish a book on this subject without becoming frustrated on those points. McLaurin and Culiat overcame these reservations by illustrating in great detail the human body's response to injury and disease. They struck an excellent balance of sharing the beautiful, intricate details of healing at the microcellular level and keeping the material accessible and enjoyable. The explanations and applications were clear and practical, with a nuanced approach.

Each chapter included an in-depth exploration of our bodies' healing systems from our time in the womb until old age. These provided excellent illustrations for learning about less visible social/relational ("corporate") wounds of varying magnitude. Though I lack an advanced scientific background, the descriptions of physical wounds and disease and their aftermath were easy to follow and helped me understand the implications for social wounds.

This book is a practical tool for maintaining or rebuilding healthy relationships in familial, business, faith-based, and community settings. It is certainly worth rereading. I highly recommend this book.

This book rains grace on the wounded and inspires the healer. It provides a rare glimpse into the amazing healing power available to our minds and bodies, and it should be required reading for any health practitioner. But it doesn't stop at the individual. Our troubled families and communities ache for these words. This book is a source of hope to be read again and again..

This book is faith, science and poetry rolled into one! I'm not a scientist, so I really had no idea how intricately and precisely the body works to heal wounds. In fact, while reading this book I watched a small wound on my leg heal in just the steps the authors described... who knew? But then the authors take that process and turn it outward on the world. How would our families, communities, churches and world be better off if we did what our bodies instinctively do: clot the blood (stop a crisis), defend against more hurt (inflammation), bring in help (build new tissue) and make a scar (hopefully one that is flexible and healthy). They describe how and why things can go wrong along the way in the body and in life. I practically cheered in the scar chapter, reading about some very special wounds that heal differently (no spoiler here... you need to read it!) Really interesting book. It's not a difficult read at all, but it's a deep subject, and beautifully written in a poetic way. I would especially recommend it for a small group study in a church or book club, Enjoy!