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C. S. Lewis: The Problem of Pain (2015) 4 stars

The Problem of Pain is a 1940 book on the problem of evil by C. …

A Theological Examination of Pain

3 stars

Lewis explores the existence of suffering from an explicitly Christian theological lens with only fleeting glances of a more philosophical viewpoint. If you already ascribe to a Christian belief, then what's presented here will likely mesh with your existing knowledge to produce a more whole comprehension of the whys and role of suffering in our world. If you aren't, then I don't know if there's that much here for you; not that the insights aren't applicable outside of a Christian context, but rather because I think that context so forcefully holds the entire examination together.

It was a very interesting book, though; I agreed with a bunch of it, it provided a few things I will continue to mull over in the years ahead, and there were a few things I think Lewis missed the mark on. While I don't think that this book is the #1 treatise on the theology of suffering, I do think it's competent, coherent, and insightful enough to be an excellent driver for conversation and exploration of the topic.