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The Problem of Pain

C.S. Lewis

4.09 · Rating details · 43,274 ratings · 1,637 reviews

For centuries people have been tormented by one question above all: If God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain? And what of the suffering of animals, who neither deserve pain nor can be improved by it?

The greatest Christian thinker of our time sets out to disentangle this knotty issue. With his signature wealth of compassion and ...more

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Paperback, 176 pages

Published by HarperOne (first published 1940)

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Mar 27, 2019 Matthew rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019, own, non-fiction, spiritual

“’Where will you put all the mosquitoes?’-a question to be answered on its own level by pointing out that, if worst came to worst, a heaven for mosquitoes and a hell for men could very conveniently be combined.”

This is not your Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis. This is Professor Lewis teaching a theology course. The material is interesting and thought provoking, but the delivery can be a bit dry and heavy at times. Throughout, though, there are little gems like the quote above to make you smile.

“’Where will you put all the mosquitoes?’-a question to be answered on its own level by pointing out that, if worst came to worst, a heaven for mosquitoes and a hell for men could very conveniently be combined.”

This is not your Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis. This is Professor Lewis teaching a theology course. The material is interesting and thought provoking, but the delivery can be a bit dry and heavy at times. Throughout, though, there are little gems like the quote above to make you smile.

At one point, Lewis was an atheist, but over time through his intellectual inquiries and deductive reasoning became a Christian and wrote a series of spiritual books to help explain (Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce to name a few). The Problem Of Pain is the first one that I have read, but I will say with this one his approach is definitely analytical – very unlike a church service where they preach to the emotions. This is like going to a calculus class instead of listening to a sermon – so be aware if you decide to read.

Also, as mentioned, this is a book written by a former atheist about Christian ideas. I will not pass judgement on the content or what readers should make of it based on their own spiritual beliefs. I will only say that if you are a hardcore atheist and reading anything with a Christian angle annoys you, then do not read this. If you are an atheist, but like to read about religious concepts, it is worth giving a shot. If you are a Christian, I cannot guarantee that you will like it as it is pretty heavy – not your typical Sunday discussion with your church peers. If you are a Christian theologian, then I would say that you have to read this! If you are another religion entirely, I cannot say for sure if you will find this interesting or not . . .

I already mentioned this is not your Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis – if your only experience with Lewis is Narnia and you really know nothing else about him or his spiritual writings, I suggest doing some research ahead of time before trying out this book or you may be very disappointed.

I am giving it 3 stars – the only deduction being because of my struggle to stay interested in his delivery. Other than that, some interesting food for thought! ...more

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Mar 02, 2009 Manny rated it it was ok

Shelves: linguistics-and-philosophy

Well, it's not like I really disagree with C.S. Lewis's argument here. I just think that the essential points are summed up rather more succinctly in the first few minutes of Monty Python's "Happy Valley" sketch:

STORYTELLER: Once upon a time, long, long ago, there lay in a valley far, far away in the mountains the most contented kingdom the world has ever known. It was called Happy Valley, and it was ruled over by a wise old king called Otto. And all his subjects flourished and were happy, and

...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Louize rated it really liked it · review of another edition

SPOILERS AHEAD

Pain posted a serious objection to Christianity (and to Heavenly authority in general), aggravated by claiming that Love is the essence of God. The Problem of Pain focuses on one question, but thoroughly argues on every aspect.

"If God were good, He would make His creatures perfectly happy, and if He were almighty He would be able to do what he wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both."

In other words, why would an SPOILERS AHEAD

Pain posted a serious objection to Christianity (and to Heavenly authority in general), aggravated by claiming that Love is the essence of God. The Problem of Pain focuses on one question, but thoroughly argues on every aspect.

"If God were good, He would make His creatures perfectly happy, and if He were almighty He would be able to do what he wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both."

In other words, why would an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving God allow people to experience pain and suffering?

Firstly, Lewis set his arguments by identifying God, as conceivable as possible, and his purpose through the subject of divine omnipotence and divine goodness. He argued that since we are beings of free souls and have the luxury of free will, we take advantage of the fixed laws of nature to hurt ourselves and one another. Yet, even though God is omnipotent and can do whatever he pleases, removing pain leads to a meaningless universe.

"Nonsense remains nonsense even if we talk it about God."

"Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free-wills involve, and you will find that you have excluded life itself.”

God’s idea of good is unlike ours; His moral judgment must, therefore, differ from ours. Where God means love, we only mean Kindness. But love is not mere kindness. Let us have a mental note how much confusion between love and kindness is related to our modern thinking.

"Kindness cares not whether its object becomes good or bad, provided only that it escapes suffering", while Love "would rather see [the loved ones] suffer much than be happy in contemptible and estranging modes".

Recognizing the distinction between love and kindness illuminates what it means to be the object of God’s love. Because God loves us, he will not rest until we are purely lovable. To not want pain, therefore, is to not want His love.

"Love, in its own nature, demands the perfecting of the beloved; that the mere 'kindness' which tolerates anything except suffering in its object is, in that respect, at the opposite pole from Love."

Next, he establishes his argument for the total corruption and the sin nature of man, as without a sin nature there is no reason to be corrected. How a bad creature could come from the hands of a good Creator? The most obvious answer is that it did not: man, and the rest of creation, was initially good, but through the abuse of freedom, man made himself an abominable, wicked creature he is now.

"The world is a dance in which good, descending from God, is disturbed by evil arising from the creatures, and the resulting conflict is resolved by God's own assumption of the suffering nature which evil produces. The doctrine of the Fall asserts that the evil which thus makes the fuel or raw material of the second and more complex kind of good is not God's contribution but man's".

Pain, through trials and sacrifices, teaches us to rely on God, to act out of spiritual strength, to act for purely heavenly purpose and to accept our discipleship.

"Human will becomes truly creative and truly our own when it is wholly God's, and this is one of the many senses in which he that loses his soul shall find it."

If distressful feelings disguise itself as thought, all nonsense is possible- faith in God is challenged, we object to His goodness, and worse, we doubt His existence. All of those seemed valid to a suffering soul, due to the sway of unbearable pain.

"We are not merely imperfect creatures that need improvement: we are rebels that need lay down their arms".

In conclusion then, pain is not a mere influence to make a creature's submission to the will of God easier. Remembering Prophet Isaiah’s words in the Bible, chapters 46-53, God has called him prior to his birth. He was molded and polished through physical pain, trials and humiliation to be equipped for God’s divine purpose.

When I first considered reading this book, I asked myself if I am lucid enough to absorb Lewis’ arguments. I ended up quoting him and taking notes more than I usually do. But then, I realized that I am merely to review, not write an abridge version. The Problem of Pain is a difficult read; it is not for the casual reader and you should expect to be intellectually challenged. But the big difficulty is much smaller compared to the bigger lessons within. ...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Traveller rated it liked it

Shelves: religion-worldview, philosophy

< -<-<- < -<-<- This or.... This or...this->->-->->- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pPoRn...

Personally, I lean more towards the latter camp. Lewis does at least make a good, solid, and sophisticated effort to address the problem of: "Why does God allow so much pain and suffering, if He is really a loving God, and if He really does exist?"; - which is why Lewis gets 3 stars, even if I don't completely agree.

I remember quite liking his argument at the time I read ...more

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May 16, 2007 RC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: missing, religiousstudies

It says something that after so many years C. S. Lewis is still one of the foremost Christian apologists of our time. The Problem of Pain is a difficult question every religion has to deal with, and one which has been especially difficult for Christianity. Some religions have the luxury of explaining pain as something deserved - a result of bad behavior from a previous life, or perhaps pain and suffering are caused by a malevolent deity in opposition to a good and loving God. Christianity has no ...more

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May 23, 2013 Winston Jen rated it did not like it

Shelves: apologetics

CS Lewis is held by many to be the premier Christian apologist of the 20th century. Unless one is morbidly naive, or has yet to encounter the counterarguments to Christianity in particular and theism in general, I honestly cannot see where his appeal lies.

How CS Lewis should have died.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9EQS-...

The Problem of Evil is an insurmountable one for Christians (and all other theists who believe in a perfectly loving, all-powerful and all-knowing god). There have been ...more

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Nov 16, 2008 Toe rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction

Apology for the existence of pain and suffering. Lewis's comfortable, easy style speaks to me in most all of his books. This is no exception.

Memorable quotes:

"Love, in its own nature, demands the perfecting of the beloved; that the mere 'kindness' which tolerates anything except suffering in its object is, in that respect, at the opposite pole from Love. When we fall in love with a woman, do we cease to care whether she is clean or dirty, fair or foul? Do we not rather then first begin to care? ...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Kjersti rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own

I absolutely loved this book. I laughed, I blurted out loud "HA!"s between classes and generally forgot about time and place. It's very, VERY good book. My only concern with this review is on my side; I had a goal to get through it in three days, which I did. Thus, there were some parts I read through without the attention I probably should have devoted to it. I don't usually like writing reviews where the fault is with me; but alas, here I am.

As for content, CS Lewis has, as always, very well ...more

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Jan 30, 2019 Addy S. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: christian

This was a beautiful, beautiful book. C.S. Lewis really dives into the topic of pain and suffering with Biblical focus. Highly recommend to those questioning, ‘Why must we suffer?’

five stars

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May 12, 2010 Amy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: c-s-lewis

ON POINT!
This book was a really interesting and poignant analysis of pain and the Christian response to it. I read it alongside A Grief Observed because I wanted to know if Lewis's "intellectual" answers stood alongside his "emotional" ones. (That is one of the greatest oversimplifications of either book I could possibly make but that is how I started out.) I quickly realized the two are almost incomparable. They aren't intended to be comparable. While A Grief Observed was a heart-wrenching and ...more

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Jan 13, 2010 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it really liked it

Shelves: worldview, religion-theology

*Just* as good as Mere Christianity, but not quite as easy to understand. I would say that this book is probably more relevant in our culture now than when it was first published.
I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone, because it seeks to give answers to questions that everybody asks at some point.

The idea behind this book is "why do we have pain in our life?" or more specifically, "If God is supposed to be good, and powerful, and "in charge," why does He allow suffering?" If ...more

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Nov 11, 2013 BrokenTune rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed

Review was first posted on Booklikes:
http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/...

I first read The Problem of Pain when I was an impressionable teenager in search of the meaning of life. How I got to C.S. Lewis, however, is a long story that I'll reserve for another post/review.

Anyway, I loved the The Problem of Pain when I first read it. I couldn't put it down.

When I started clearing my bookshelves last year in attempt to de-clutter, I came across my old and dusty copy of the book again and Review was first posted on Booklikes:
http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/...

I first read The Problem of Pain when I was an impressionable teenager in search of the meaning of life. How I got to C.S. Lewis, however, is a long story that I'll reserve for another post/review.

Anyway, I loved the The Problem of Pain when I first read it. I couldn't put it down.

When I started clearing my bookshelves last year in attempt to de-clutter, I came across my old and dusty copy of the book again and started to re-read.

What I love about The Problem of Pain - actually, all of Lewis' books I've read - is his use of language and his use of similes, which make it easy to follow his argument.

In The Problem of Pain, Lewis elaborates on the meaning of divine goodness, human pain, animal pain, heaven, hell - not necessarily in this order, though - and tries to explain from his Christian point of view what divine love is, what pain is, why humans can feel pain, and that there is a divine purpose to suffering.

When I first read this almost twenty years ago, I could accept the possibility that there may be a substance to the arguments he puts forward. Having re-read this now, I still admire Lewis' use of language and the elegance of his argument but I find it very difficult to be persuaded by it. Now, the argument that there is a purpose to suffering that allows the individual to grow or improve spiritually seems little more than wishful thinking.

Of course, my take on this may sound rather pessimistic. However, where Lewis draws from Thomas Aquinas and other sources of formal religious Christian teaching, I feel much more aligned with other schools of thought that would choose kindness towards living beings over the particular form of patriarchal tyranny of divine love that Lewis describes.

(Sidenote: Btw Jack, how dare you say that the newt has no self! For all we know, he might.

Seriously, I'm not impressed by an argument that starts with the notion that we cannot know what God's intentions are or indeed know anything that is outside of the human experience, and which then categorically denies that non-human living beings have a notion of the "self". ) ...more

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Jun 28, 2017 Allison Tebo rated it really liked it

Shelves: devotionals-theology

We’ve probably all wondered this or asked the question at least once in our lives. Why does pain exist? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why would a loving God allow us to experience pain in any capacity?

By the end of this book, any who read it ought to be not only enlightenment but, more importantly, humbled.

If, by some chance, this book doesn’t answer the question sufficiently for you, it should encourage you to surrender our questions, release our puffed up assumptions, and hand over ...more

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Jun 05, 2019 Bobbie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, christianity

This book is very thought provoking and I got a lot out of it. Some parts were a little difficult for me to grasp so I believe I will want to buy my own copy to refer back to and reread in the future. This is the first I have read by C. S. Lewis and I hope to read more by him.

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Nov 20, 2016 Jon Nakapalau rated it it was amazing

Shelves: psychology, classics, cultural-studies

What is the purpose of pain? C.S. Lewis examines this question and gives his interpretation of what pain tries to teach us.

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Mar 20, 2013 Elevetha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: 2014, ponderings, bloody-brilliant, favorites, steeped-in-reality, classic, to-buy, christian

4.5 stars. Nearly perfect.

One of my favorite quotes (not from the chapter "Heaven", in case you were wondering.)

"One can imagine a sentient picture, after being rubbed and scraped and re-commenced for the tenth time, wishing that it were only a thumb-nail sketch whose making was over in a minute. In the same way, it is natural for us to wish that God had designed for us a less glorious and less arduous destiny; but then we are wishing not for more love but for less.”

I started reading this on a ...more

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Oct 24, 2013 Kris rated it liked it

Shelves: religion-christianity, books-owned, c-s-lewis-related, reread-in-2015

Great discussion, but still so many unanswered questions. Reread in April 2015. Reread again June 2016.

You can tell this is one of Lewis's early books. Written in 1940, I could feel that he hadn't worked out a few of the specifics within his beliefs on Christianity yet. And some of his other ideas I flat-out disagree with (so sad to me whenever I see him trying to cram in Darwinian macro-evolution and discredit the creation story).

I can see why many feel inevitably dissatisfied with this read. ...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Hope rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: christianity, non-fiction

I've struggled for weeks to try to write an overview of this complex book. Lewis does much more than try to explain human suffering. In fact, my most important takeaways had to do with what it means to be human and how human flourishing is impossible without a right relationship to our Creator.

Just as the members of the Trinity live in perfect, mutual, self-giving love, so mankind can only find real joy when living in selfless unity with God. Rejection of God's sovereign authority over His ...more

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Jul 02, 2017 Kells Next Read rated it liked it

Shelves: christianity, c-s-lewis, christian, audio-book

My continue exploration of this prolific and articulate author. So many gems in this one.

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Mar 20, 2010 Chad Warner rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: christian, non-fiction

Lewis addresses the problem of pain, which he describes in this way: "If God were good, He would make His creatures perfectly happy, and if He were almighty, He would be able to do what he wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both."

As a Christian, I've often wondered about this issue, especially when friends are diagnosed with cancer or the country suffers terrorist attacks. It's a difficult question, and although I accept the explanation ...more

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May 12, 2009 booklady rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2001, non-fiction, philosophy, 2012, classic

First read September 12-14, 2001. The problem of pain is that it isn't a problem in the way we think it is when we first begin to look at the entire subject. The book reminded me of looking at the negative image of a familiar picture.

If I thought to read about pain to seek its alleviation, I might have saved myself the trouble. In my second reading of The Problem of Pain I was again surprised and impressed by Lewis. I could highlight most of the text. He pulls no punches, cuts me no slack. I ...more

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Feb 16, 2017 Grace Crandall rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

There's something incredibly comforting about C.S. Lewis's writing style. He explains things well and clearly, but on the points he's unsure about he's honest. (Actually he's always honest, blazingly so, in a way that's doubly endearing and challenging, but perhaps that's beside the point).

Though it's technically a point-by-point defense of Christianity against the 'pain and suffering in the world proves the absence of a good god' argument, The Problem of Pain never seems like just a bit of ...more

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Oct 30, 2009 Mike (the Paladin) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-theology

One of the questions many Christians hear often is, "If there is a good and omnipotent God how can He allow pain and suffering?"

Here C.S.Lewis gives a cogent discussion of this "problem". While it will not satisfy all I suppose (especially in cases where the questioner doesn't wish to be satisfied) I believe for the thinking reader there will be some insight.

I know that for most Christian believers there is a great deal of insight and and some discussion of questions that most of us have run ...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Chris rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own-print, own-ebook, read-in-2011, spiritual, favorites

This was my 50th read of the year, and it should have been my first. Well, I also read Mere Christianity this year, so perhaps this should have been my second. At any rate, wow. I was reading someone else's reviews (of a different book -- I don't remember which) where they stated that they only give 5 stars to "life changing" books. That is indeed what I am doing in this case, or at least, what I hope I am doing since only time will tell if my life has really been changed.

My wife has a chronic This was my 50th read of the year, and it should have been my first. Well, I also read Mere Christianity this year, so perhaps this should have been my second. At any rate, wow. I was reading someone else's reviews (of a different book -- I don't remember which) where they stated that they only give 5 stars to "life changing" books. That is indeed what I am doing in this case, or at least, what I hope I am doing since only time will tell if my life has really been changed.

My wife has a chronic illness with which, much of the time, the pain and fatigue is so intense and persistent that it keeps her bedridden. Seeing her in all that pain and being utterly helpless to do anything substantial for her is superlatively difficult. I think, "God, why are you allowing this to happen to her?" Then, while I'm trying to fill in for what she is unable to do on her own, I (selfishly, and with plenty of guilt afterwards) get overwhelmed and frustrated and find myself thinking, "God, why are you allowing this to happen to ME?! What did I do wrong or what am I not doing right? What good can possibly come of this whole situation? What good is it that I try to be an obedient Christian if I'm still left with this misery?"

Of course, there are the quieter moments, when at least part of the house is clean, we don't desperately need to make a trip to the grocery store, all 4 kids aren't screaming and I start to feel some peace. In these moments I think, "Ok, God. I think I might see at least one angle here. Maybe you're trying to show me that I can make it through this in one piece because something even bigger that I would have previously thought impossible or at least insurmountable is coming up in my life. Maybe you're showing me that I too can be content in all things. Maybe that's the point here, at least for me." This thinking is (at least) incomplete and (at best) partly wrong (knowing me, it's probably wrong on multiple levels, but it's only part of my story so let's keep moving).

Reading The Problem of Pain helped me to put together a bunch of pieces that I had previously learned and combine them with some new things hadn't quite sunk in before, and made me realize that I was focused on the wrong thing: me. Certainly there's the fallacy of self-sufficiency to consider: "The creature’s illusion of self-sufficiency must, for the creature’s sake, be shattered; and by trouble or fear of trouble on earth, by crude fear of the eternal flames, God shatters it ‘unmindful of His glory’s diminution’." (pg.95) But more than that, I was focused on what all this means for me, when the fact that there is pain and the fact that I am not perfectly comfortable in life does not have to be about a lack of faith on my part or a lack of provision by God -- it's actually part of an unimaginably intricate and complex process by which my wife, me, my kids and all those encounter us are also being changed in some positive ways. God may not have "brought this on us", but he is certainly using everything to further his Will, even our situation. Besides, if we were all comfortable here, how would we feel any desire for heaven?

"The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home." (pg. 116)

Reading this book helped me get to the point where now I really do believe that my job is simple: realize that I'm just a human that is reliant on Him, ask Him for help with all of it (little and big), and remember that this life isn't the end -- as a forgetful person I need constant reminders that there is something unimaginably better waiting for me and my family. The tougher moments are my reminders, and now I will try to think more about the purpose of the reminder and what is on the other side. ...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Ellen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Of the fourteen Lewis books that I've read (the others being The Chronicles of Narnia series, The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce), this is definitely the one of which I hold the most conflicted opinion. So much of what he said about the way the Lord uses difficulties in the lives of men to produce good in and for them, and about how dying to self is the only path to genuine life, was so true, and so well and beautifully expressed -- but I have ...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Alana rated it really liked it

Shelves: christian-living

I can add no further review to any works of C. S. Lewis than other far more intelligent minds have already said but as for my personal response, I found it very thought-provoking, in such a way that I will have to read it again to really understand the depth of everything he has to say. The issue is so deep and all-consuming for humanity and Lewis' approach so detailed that I cannot possibly take it in all at once. He unabashedly asks tough questions and explains logically his positions so that ...more

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Jan 25, 2009 Maureen Wagner rated it it was amazing

As usual, Lewis's book doesn't disappoint. He gives interesting Christian perspectives on suffering without resorting to trite comments of "turn the other cheek" and "if God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it". A very worthwhile read, especially for Christians and C.S. Lewis fans.

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Jan 18, 2016 Morgan rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-ve-read-in-2016

I don't agree with everything, but still, there's a lot of good to be learned from it. I find it interesting that the more I read of Lewis's nonfiction the more I understand of his fiction.

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May 21, 2019 Pamela Shropshire rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, on-my-kindle, religion-christianity

Of all the philosophical arguments about the existence of God, this is probably the one most frequently raised. I mean, it’s obvious, right? Everyone has experienced pain at some time, or has witnessed a loved one in pain, or at least has looked around and seen the poverty and suffering in the world around them, and being human, asked why. Why - if God exists, and if he is a loving God as Christianity claims - why would he give us bodies that develop illnesses and grow old and eventually die?

...more

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Aug 28, 2019 Brenton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

While there are problematic and overly simplified parts, the more I read this book the more I think it brilliant, central to Lewis' thought about many things.

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About C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis

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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge ...more

Books by C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7)

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The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #6)

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Quotes from The Problem of Pain

“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.” — 4167 likes

“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.” — 2291 likes

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Trivia About The Problem of Pain

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