Nascent Thinker | Contemplations Along The Way

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 … (Read more)