July 28: The Problem of Pain: Chapter 3-4

On Sunday, July 28, we'll continue our discussion of The Problem of Pain. We will discuss Chapters 3-4: "Divine Goodness" and "Human Wickedness." We are taking it slowly with this book so that we can deepen our understanding of Lewis's view of the intellectual problem raised by suffering.

From Ch 3, "Divine Goodness," ¶ 4:

When the relevant difference between the Divine ethics and your own appears to you, you will not, in fact, be in any doubt that the change demanded of you is in the direction you already call "better." The Divine "goodness" differs from ours, but it is not sheerly different: it differs from ours not as white from black, but as a perfect circle from a child's first attempt to draw a wheel. But when the child has learned to draw, it will know that the circle it then makes is what it was trying to make  from the very beginning.

From Ch 3, "Divine Goodness," ¶ 8:

If God is Love, He is, by definition, something more than mere kindness.

Word Study from Ch 3, ¶ 14:

The Impassible speaks as if it suffered passion . . .

impassible: incapable of suffering or experiencing pain

Michael Ward explains the question addressed by The Problem of Pain and the book's main thesis in this 4-minute Hillsdale College video.

Arend Smilde provides his notes on quotations and allusions in The Problem of Pain on his Lewisiana.nl site.

The Problem of Pain has ten chapters. We will discuss the chapter(s) in boldface:

Preface

Ch 1: Introductory

Ch 2: Divine Omnipotence

Ch 3: Divine Goodness

Ch 4: Human Wickedness

Ch 5: The Fall of Man

Ch 6: Human Pain

Ch 7: Human Pain, continued

Ch 8: Hell

Ch 9: Animal Pain

Ch 10: Heaven

Appendix

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