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The Problem of Pain (C.S. Lewis Classics) [Paperback]

C. S. Lewis
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Book Description

1 Jun 1996 C.S. Lewis Classics
Why Must Humanity Suffer?

C.S. Lewis, the master apologist, tackles the question that has plagued humanity for centuries. If God is both omnipotent and good, how can we explain the pain and suffering that people experience daily? And what of the suffering of animals, who neither deserve pain nor can be improved by it? With compassion and insight, C.S. Lewis proposes reasonable answers to these critical theological problems, sharing his wisdom with those who seek true understanding.



Product details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Pocket Books; 1st Touchstone Ed edition (1 Jun 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0684823837
  • ISBN-13: 978-0684823836
  • Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 13.7 x 1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,957,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

‘It is really a pleasure to be able to praise a book unreserverdly, and that is just what I can do with The Problem of Pain.’
Guardian

‘A really remarkable book. It says so many things which seem to me to need saying today. It will help many people to revise what they had taken for granted and face possibilities which had not occurred to them.’
Spectator

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

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 insight, C.S. Lewis offers answers to these crucial questions and shares his hope and wisdom to help heal a world hungering for a true understanding of human nature.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
67 of 68 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Comforting and uplifting 25 Jun 2006
By Pieter Uys HALL OF FAME TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
This beautiful little book is on a par with the author's well-known classic Mere Christianity, as it addresses many profound questions that those in search of truth must have grappled with. Lewis was not an academic theologian so he writes for the ordinary person, which makes his words easy to understand.

The introduction deals with the 3 elements found in all developed religions: The experience of the Numinous (A sense of awe), the Sense of Morality, and the Numinous as the Guardian of Morality. Christianity contains a fourth element: A Redeemer who reconciles fallen mankind to the Righteous God.

The chapter Divine Omnipotence places the problem in context: God's goodness against the problem of suffering. How can a loving God allow this? Here Lewis discusses the implications of free will and co-existence in a common medium or external world. The next chapter, Divine Goodness, deals with the nature of divine love. Love is sterner and more splendid than mere kindness. Simple happiness in the here and now is not what God has in mind. Love may cause pain but only in order to alter and improve the object of love.

The chapter Human Wickedness looks at the state of the human psyche. Our character is, in its current state, not well. Lewis discusses our problems by examining a set of 8 very prevalent illusions. Following from this, The Fall Of Man investigates the abuse of free will while at the same time refuting Monism and Dualism. He suggests that the fall represented humanity's loss of status as a species, and that a new species had then willed itself into existence. But remedial or corrective good exists even in our present debased condition.

The next two chapters deal with Human Pain. When souls become wicked they will use free will to harm one another. The human will becomes truly creative only when it aligns itself with the will of God. Christianity demands that we correct a misdirection of our nature. The author advances 6 propositions that are necessary to complete the understanding of human suffering.

The chapter titled Hell addresses the seemingly cruel doctrine of hell. Pain mostly leads to redemption but may unfortunately also lead to unrepentant rebellion. This means that some individuals will ultimately prefer darkness to light. The author also discusses the apparent disproportion between eternal damnation and transitory sin, pointing out that some souls do not want to be forgiven.

The chapter Animal Pain is speculation as Lewis admits, but such fascinating and plausible possibilities are presented here. If you love your pets and animals in general, be sure to read it! It will give you hope and peace of mind as to the mercy and justice of a righteous God.

The chapter titled Heaven contains more speculation but of a most awesome, gripping and mind expanding nature. Lewis explores the idea of an eternal special relationship of each individual soul with the Divine Majesty, an eternal dance of joy in splendid diversity. This is not the unconscious nirvana of Pantheism but a condition of maximum distinctiveness of the individual in a higher form reunited with God.

The Appendix is a note on the observed effects of mental and physical pain, supplied by R Havard, MD, from clinical experience. The Problem Of Pain is filled with compassion and illuminating insight. It is highly instructive and edifying, making a convincing case for the profound meaning of life. In addition, it is the perfect antidote for the hedonism and nihilism that are running rampant in the world today.
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading- as either prevention or cure 27 Nov 2002
By William Fross VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
Another Lewis classic- I would recommend this to everyone: it offers a compassionate and well-thought through approach to, as Lewis calls it, the Problem of Pain. However, the Problem of Pain being the huge philosophical and emotional maze that it is, I doubt that everyone will be entirely satisfied by it: and for that reason, though I would offer it to someone suffering, I'd recommend people read it before 'bad stuff happens', if they can.

I'd also highly recommend CS Lewis' book Grief Observed- an incredibly powerful, emotional book. Lewis writes after his wife's death, and is forced to face up to the reality of suffering in relation to his beliefs. While this book, the Problem of Pain, offers a more rational answer, a Grief Observed shows how Lewis coped with suffering emotionally.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great spiritual food 5 Feb 1999
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
"The Problem of Pain" contains such extraordinary spiritual nourishment. Through the process of wrestling with the role of pain, Lewis gives a truly inspirational explanation of the interaction between God and humans (while also giving wonderfully realistic descriptions of most Christians' struggles!) That said, I would agree with reviewers who said that this book in *not* particularly comforting for those suffering from great grief (Lewis himself said much the same, late in his life.)

This book has given me so much encouragement and, at the same time, challenged me greatly. I am a better Christian for having read it. My copy is underlined, often quoted, and much loved.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended by a friend
This was recommended by a friend, & is well worth reading. This was recommended by a friend, & is well worth reading
Published 3 months ago by G. A. Windridge
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb
This is one of Lewis' finest; which is saying something given the quality of his writing and the clarity of his insight.
Published 3 months ago by Robert Bottamley
3.0 out of 5 stars Meh
The book is well written but I don't find any of the arguments particularly influencing. It's a pile of arguments that don't persuade me.
Published 3 months ago by Laurence T
3.0 out of 5 stars Okay
Did not realize it was so philosophical just difficult to read have read several of the paragraphs over a number of times, maybe it's just me perhaps one needs a certain brain to... Read more
Published 5 months ago by M A Zakko
4.0 out of 5 stars Much to consider
It is very important to remember when reading this, as with much of Lewis' apologetic work, that this is a layman's view, not a theological treatise. Read more
Published 23 months ago by S. Meadows
1.0 out of 5 stars profoundly disappointing
It seems to me that one of the great barriers to Christian faith is pain and suffering. There can, of course, be no complete understanding of why God allows or even causes this. Read more
Published 24 months ago by lex
4.0 out of 5 stars Classic C.S. Lewis
The book is yet another classic by C.S. Lewis, in which he wrestles with the concept of pain in a world that a loving God exists. Definitely worth the read.
Published on 24 Oct 2010 by R. Selim
5.0 out of 5 stars A timeless book: always and everywhere relevant
Lewis deals with a timeless issue in this book: why is there suffering and pain? In the UK, this issue has come centre stage in moral debates. Read more
Published on 11 May 2008 by Aquinas
5.0 out of 5 stars A tricky problem
C.S. Lewis was a rare individual. One of the few non-clerics to be recognised as a theologian by the Anglican church, he put forth the case for Christianity in general in ways that... Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2005 by Kurt Messick
5.0 out of 5 stars The World is Often a Bad Place...
The Problem of Pain makes one point very clearly--the world has gone off course. It is often a bad place. Even children experience excruciating suffering at times. Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2001
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