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This short book, originally written in the 1970s as a college thesis, consists of a preface, an introduction, three parts, and fifteen Chapters. Chapters include topics such as disharmony, the call, suffering, rebirth, faith, forgiveness, discipline, and healing, and end with references and a bibliography. It uses a number of stories from the Jerusalem Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, as well as research from the 1970s on psychology, to explore the relationship between the two in the development of man.
For example, the text examines Jonah as running away from God, a storm of life, consisting of our ego, the depth of suffering as a symbol of the self and of suffering, and his rebirth as a second chance from God and as a shadow aspect of himself. Other works include people's need for community development, a look at sin and evil, the value of forgiveness, the rituals of the past and present, and humanity's many healing practices.
Using the nomenclature of biblical times and the 1970s, the text examines the term "man" to encompass all of humanity. The biblical stories provide thorough examples of each topic, and the author does a nice job of integrating them into the psychological work of this period. There is a focus on healing through suffering and healing practices. This is a foray into traditional Christianity and traditional practices. The book's psychological aspects reflect the period's thinking, providing an interesting contrast to current psychology. The biblical work is especially valuable and may offer a path of meaning for readers.