Book Review: Making Sense of Suffering by Peter Kreeft

Pages: 184
Pub­lisher: Ser­vant Books
Year: 1986
Author: Peter Kreeft

First of all, this is a book every­one should read, espe­cially Chris­tians (and espe­cially if you’re inter­est­ing in “suf­fer­ing”). Along with C.S. Lewis’ The Prob­lem of Pain, this book is one of the most insight­ful books on suf­fer­ing writ­ten in recent mem­ory (and if you haven’t read The Prob­lem of Pain, you should read that too). Peter Kreeft would say that he’s only repeat­ing what’s been said before, in books and by authors who have been long ignored, and if that’s the case, all the bet­ter. This is a book which con­fronts and con­tra­dicts the mod­ern under­stand­ing of suf­fer­ing, it’s source and it’s pur­pose (i.e. it has no purpose)–and some peo­ple won’t like this (I’ve met them).

Kreeft begins by sur­vey­ing the major answers given to the “prob­lem” of suf­fer­ing, open­ing his book with a focus on the ten most pop­u­lar, and most repeated answers (under the head­ings: Denials of God’s real­ity, Denials of God’s power, Denials of God’s good­ness, and Denial of evil). He then pro­ceeds to slowly explain and reveal the mys­tery of evil and suf­fer­ing by tak­ing “clues” from our most saga­cious philoso­phers, artists and prophets, all of which — reli­gious or oth­er­wise — point to and cul­mi­nate in one man–Jesus. It is in Jesus that we find our answer to evil and suf­fer­ing, says Kreeft (and rightly so!), and with this focus Kreeft goes on to show a few rea­son­able answers to why evil and suf­fer­ing exist in our world. His most unpop­u­lar sug­ges­tion, but I believe one of his most true, is that suf­fer­ing is often used by God to (re)orientate our atten­tion and focus on Him. In talk­ing with many peo­ple, this sug­ges­tion is often Kreeft’s most uncom­fort­able, for most peo­ple seem to assume that suf­fer­ing is caused by sin, and is there­fore evil, and is some­thing God could not use (strange group of peo­ple I know). How­ever, from Abra­ham to Jesus and beyond, Kreeft’s obser­va­tion seems to hold true to real­ity and to our own experiences.

Clos­ing by explain­ing how how Moder­nity can’t under­stand­ing suf­fer­ing, Kreeft has writ­ten an incred­i­ble lit­tle book on suf­fer­ing; one that I could not rec­om­mend more. Read this book.

Related posts:

1. Book Review: The Unaborted Socrates by Peter Kreeft
2. Book Review: Three Approaches to Abor­tion by Peter Kreeft
3. Book Review: Between Allah and Jesus by Peter Kreeft
4. Book Review: Socrates Meets Jesus by Peter Kreeft
5. Book Review: Between Heaven and Hell by Peter Kreeft