I bought the book Making Sense Out of Suffering by American Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft while on retreat a few weeks ago. I highly recommend it. Kreeft is clear, concise, humble and full of wisdom.
Kreeft does not attempt to provide a conclusive explanation for suffering in the world, but rather looks at clues that together point to possibilities. He first explores and debunks ten easy and common answers to the problem of suffering. He then goes on a journey where he explores seven clues from philosophers including Socrates, Boethius, Freud and C.S. Lewis, seven clues from artists and eight clues from the Hebrew prophets until finding a point of convergence for all these clues: Jesus Christ.
The book is written mostly in a standard narrative form, but at times Kreeft writes in dialogue. He enters into dialogue with a reader which he creates to present objections to his statements and difficulties in the problem at hand.
I recommend this book especially to those who have endured great suffering in their lives. It will not give you the secret knowledge you yearn for to make sense of it all, but it will definitively illuminate the conundrum which suffering is. Though Kreeft is a Catholic and finds in Jesus Christ a way to make sense out of suffering, the book is not an exclusively Catholic book. It’s a philosophical work.
Suffering truly is a mystery. Much has been written about it and all the explanations in the world will not suffice to heal a hurting heart, but Kreeft does magnificent work in Making Sense Out of Suffering by exploring the topic while being respectful of people’s suffering and not explaining it away with some rational explanation. If you have the time and desire, I recommend you read this book.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In