Small name to the front free endpaper, near fine in a near fine dust jacket with light rubbing. Before doing so, however, he sets the stage, providing background information on what he perceives to be the origins of religion. Blessed are the poor, but by social justice and alms, we are to remove poverty wherever possible. To do so would be pithy and fail to do justice to the weight of the problem. Buy the problem of pain by c s lewis online at alibris. Beasts are incapable of sin or virtue, so they can neither deserve pain nor be improved by it.
It is really a pleasure to be able to praise a book unreservedly, and that is just what i can do with the problem of pain. Lewis book the problem of pain cs lewis study series alan vermilye. Mere christianity is a theological book and is considered a classic of christian apologetics, the transcripts of the broadcasts originally appeared in print as three separate pamphlets. The problem of pain by clive staples lewis read online on. Lewis, june 1996, touchstone books edition, paperback in english 1st touchstone ed edition. Lewis asserts that pain is a problem because our predetermined, human minds selfishly. All about c s lewis podcasts to help you enjoy reading. Lewis essay question on our facebook page where fellow bookworms are always glad to help. The problem of pain, the abolition of man, miracles, mere christianity, the screwtape letters, the great divorce written in the spare time between his oxford tutorials fully engage modernity and, for that reason, strike a cord with all those who share modernist assumptions that is, with almost everybody.
The main characters of this christian, non fiction story are. Lewis in which he seeks to provide an intellectual christian response to questions about suffering. In the natural world creatures prey upon one another 2. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden. At no point does lewis give a concise oneliner as the answer to the problem of pain. With his signature wealth of compassion and insight, c. The problem of pain, cs lewis vision christian store. Lewis offers answers to these crucial questions and shares his hope and wisdom to help.
The book addresses an important aspect of theodicy, an attempt by one christian layman to reconcile orthodox christian belief in a just, loving and omnipotent god with pain and suffering. Miethe and a great selection of related books, art. Rowan williams it is really a pleasure to be able to praise a book unreservedly, and that is just what i can do with the problem of pain. For lewis, the joy of heaven is the ultimate consolation for all pain experienced on earth. He explains so well and in an easy to understand format why pain exists in the world we live in and how we can cope with it. Lewis questions the pain and suffering that occur everyday and how this contrasts with the notion of a god that is both omnipotent and good. The problem of pain answers the universal question, why would an allloving, allknowing god allow people to experience pain and suffering. Csl20517 this podcast covers one of the important and helpful theological books that c s lewis wrote, entitled the problem of pain. Before lewis attempts to solve the intellectual problem raised by suffering page 10 he describes the origin of religion and how it creates the problem of pain. Lewis, in which lewis argues that human pain, animal pain, and hell are not sufficient reasons to reject belief in a good and powerful god lewis summarizes the problem of evil as follows. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 176 pages and is available in paperback format. I first read the problem of pain when i was an impressionable teenager in search of the meaning of life.
Pain, then, in and of itself is not completely bad or evil. Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. Many people find it hard to accept a god who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent but also allows all the suffering we see in the world. Click here for the complete unabridged audio version of the problem of pain peter faurs study guide to c.
There is a paradox about tribulation in christianity. Lewis the problem of pain ten easy answers week one problem of pain, week two problem of pain, week three problem of pain, week four problem of pain, week five problem of pa. Lewis, an anglican, intended to describe the christian common ground. 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. If god is good and allpowerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain. The first edition of the novel was published in 1940, and was written by c. The problem of pain is a 1940 book on the problem of evil by c.
He believed that to enter heaven is to become more human than you ever succeeded in being on earth. Lewis week six chapter nine animal pain the christian explanation of human pain cannot be extended to animal pain. The guardian for centuries christians have been tormented by one question above allif god is good and allpowerful, why doe. Does the pain in the world demonstrate that god is. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The case for christianity 1942, christian behaviour 1943, and beyond personality 1944. It was written to answer the intellectual problem raised by suffering and pain in world created by a good, allpowerful god. An answer to this critical theological problem is found within these pages. Lewis, one of the most renowned christian authors and thinkers, examines a universally applicable question within the human condition. Lewis, in which lewis argues that human pain, animal pain, and hell are not sufficient reasons to reject belief in a good and powerful god. Cs lewis is the ideal persuader for the halfconvinced, for the good man who would like to be a christian but finds his intellect getting in the way.
It can come from the hand of a good, loving, and powerful god who desires the best for his creation, who genuinely allows for us to be free agents who make. If youre writing a the problem of pain essay and need some advice, post your c. Lewis week five chapter seven human pain, continued there are six additional propositions about human pain that need to be considered to round out the discussion. Lewis touchstone edition 1996 of the 1940 book he seeks to provide an intellectual christian response to questions about suffering.
In the first section, he gives three elements of religion, and a fourth that. Lewis in matched bindings, all three with slight age toning to interiors, all essentially as issued. Lewis wrote the problem of pain during the first autumn and winter of wwii. It is the darkness outside lewis, problem of pain, 626. Cs lewis, the greatest christian thinking of our time, sets out to offer answers to these crucial questions with a wealth of compassion and insight. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the problem of pain. The problem of pain by c s lewis, first edition abebooks. Lewis ends the book with a look at hell, pain in animals and heaven.
In the natural world life is sustained through the death of other things 3. It fuels the flame of doubt and sometimes undermines the believers faith. I find i am constantly realising that i owe many of my most basic convictions about christian faith to lewiss imagination. Free download or read online the problem of pain pdf epub book. Lewis was an atheist in his 30s because, he says, he believed then that the universe was mostly empty space, dark, cold, and almost entirely unpopulated. Lewisthe great british writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, christian apologist, and bestselling author of mere christianity, the screwtape letters, the great divorce, the chronicles of narnia, and many other beloved classicscontemplates the essence of love and how it works in our daily lives in one of his most famous works.
Anyway, i loved the the problem of pain when i first read it. Lewis institute atlanta continued from previous page. The most concise and accurate way to grasp the essentials by c. The book was read chapter by chapter to the inklings, the literary group he met with weekly, which included charles williams and j. In the problem of pain, lewis grapples with the problem of suffering in a world creating by an ultimately good and powerful god. If god were good, he would make his creatures perfectly happy. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. All pages are intact, not marred by any notes, underlining or highlighting. Lewis asserts that pain is a problem because our finite, human minds selfishly believe that painfree lives would prove that god loves us.