Catholic Review of: Making Sense Out of Suffering

 Peter Kreeft has written Making Sense of Human Suffering in order to address these questions about the  true meaning of suffering as it pertains to the Catholic faith.  The book is deeply theological but readable.  I have encountered many a book that is way over my head.  Don't get me wrong, I love a challenge but with a three year old in tow, a book becoming too heady causes me to put it down.  Not this book.  A great help was the authors 'conversations' with a ‘reader’ throughout the book.  Kreeft answers fictional questions from a challenging reader in order to answer any questions that may arise for the real person reading his book.  I smiled when Kreeft anticipated the readers thinking through the characters questions because some of them were my questions!  I also enjoyed going through the various myths that we encounter in our present day and age.  For example, understanding atheism, demythologism, and the like are all necessary in order to claim and progress toward the Christian meaning of human suffering.

 

This is a book that I will read again and again.  Re-reading isn't something I do often.  There are just so many great insights throughout the book that it is impossible to grasp it all during the first reading.  I highlighted and underlined throughout and desire to talk to my loved ones about my findings.  This is a book that inspires and makes you think.  It is challenging yet understandable.  It does provide the best basis for the reason for human suffering that I have ever read and although I may have known the end answer, I needed to read all the information that lead to the One whom suffered the most.

 

You can purchase this book here.