The Problem of Pain

The Problem of Pain was published in 1940, when rumblings of a second war were shaking Europe. Given that the author had served in the military during WWI, do you think the historical context of this book influenced its message? If so, how?

What is the relationship between free will and evil, as the author sees it? Why doesn’t God intervene to keep humans safe and free from evil?

Imagine a world in which human beings lacked free will. What would that world look like? What would God’s role in the world be? Does your estimation of that world align with what Lewis imagines in the text?

What is the primary purpose of human pain and suffering? Why, according to Lewis, is it necessary for us to experience pain in order to become what God wants?

Describe the conception of hell presented in the book. What examples does Lewis provide to support his idea of what hell is like? What does he say that hell ultimately is?

Describe heaven as Lewis understands it. What does the author say heaven is like? Is it different for every person, or the same? How does Lewis’s perception differ from traditional perceptions of heaven?

On two memorable occasions, Lewis breaks the barrier between author and audience to address the reader directly: once in the chapter on hell, and once in the chapter on heaven. Why might Lewis have done this? What is the effect on the reader?

Why does Lewis describe himself as a “baboon” when relating his past as an atheist? What purpose does his description serve, in terms of the relationship between the author and the reader?