Synopsis

In The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis, one of the most renowned Christian authors and thinkers, examines a universally applicable question within the human condition: “If God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain?” 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.

Review

The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Soul refreshing. I’d recommend this book to anyone.

The Story
So many gems. Rich and dense. Even for 162 pages, it’s definitely one to take your time with.

Starts with a look at forms of the human condition through the lens of pain as experienced and perceived. Such as grief, sadism, masochism, revenge. Then takes a deeper dive of applicability, nuance, collective suffering, virtue, and growth.

Main Chapter titles:
-Divine Omnipotence
-Divine Goodness
-Human Wickedness
-The Fall of Man
-Human Pain
-Human Pain, Continued
-Hell
-Animal Pain
-Heaven

Themes:
-Perplexities of misfortune.
-Personal responsibility for sufferings.
-Consequence of alienation from the truth.
-Sentience.
-The composite of pain and measurability in consciousness.
-Understanding what is ethical and what is just.

-The ability to choose in light of consciousness.
-Martyrdom and self-submission.

-What can be proved to be palatable?
-Will against the appetite.
-Righteous indignation and paradoxical demands.

-What is willfulness, what is contradictory, and what is ignorance?

-Then what is there for consequence, judgment. Merit, admiration, duty, and virtue.
-Divinity of God and being forsaken.

The Writing
A bit of a riddle, classic philosophical C.S. Lewis, especially parts at the beginning, but comes full circle to tell the complete perception of pain as we know and view it.

There were also chapter titles beginning with quotes from Shakespeare and Aristotle which were insightful.

Really a lot to glean from this book.

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