Irish philosopher and priest Dr Brendan Purcell has spent years endeavouring to unravel what makes us human, investigating the mystery of human origins and exploring the drama of human existence. In this work written in his honour, the contributors offer their own valuable insights into the human voyage of self-discovery.

They guide us through some of the teachings of significant authors, such as Plato, William of Ockham, John Henry Newman, Walker Percy, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Eric Voegelin, Bernard Lonergan, Patrick Kavanagh, Chiara Lubich, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Emmanuel Levinas.

They also offer us reactions on topics such as faith and science, religious freedom and dialogue, Trinity and creation, language and human symbolism, bodiliness, art, holiness and conscience.