David Capes
It’s been a while now since I’ve read the book, and we’re going to read it again before you come but my recollection is, he deals also with the pain of animals in the animal world as well, doesn’t he?
Amy Orr-Ewing
Let’s not do too many spoilers! But yes, he was quite concerned about whether animals would be in heaven. And actually, it’s quite interesting, isn’t it? When you think about the narrative of the Narnia stories, the centrality and the warmth of animals, of all God’s creatures, there’s just such a love for creation there, which is pretty beautiful.
David Capes
Yeah, it really is. And, you know, I do know some people that are in animal rescue, working with a variety of different animals. And so there are people that have those kind of questions. We are supposed to be tending this world and caring for it in the godliest way. We’re supposed to be like God in tending the world, and yet we look the other way and aren’t really concerned when animals suffer or other people suffer. It’s very personal to us.
Amy Orr-Ewing
And obviously that’s an interesting strand for some people. But Lewis also in The Problem of Pain, delves into questions like, if God were loving, why wouldn’t he intervene and stop the atrocity from happening in the first place. Why wouldn’t a loving God do that? Those questions that so many people, including children ask. I think all my children have asked me that question at some point. Anyone who wants to help their children grow up in the Christian faith, this is really helpful and deeply practical. Though on one level it sounds a bit philosophical.
David Capes
Some people say, Well, you can only ponder the question of suffering. You can’t really solve it. I know I’ve heard that kind of statement before from people in philosophy and theology. In fact, answering the question is far more difficult, maybe above our pay grade. But it is right. It is good for us to ponder that and to think about it.
Amy Orr-Ewing
I think I would maybe put it this way, because sometimes to say something like that can just sound a bit like, well, therefore we shouldn’t try to really think about it. Or maybe it would be lacking in faith to try and reason in some way around this question. But actually the Bible does ask the question. The Psalmist cries out, why did the wicked prosper? There are so many iterations of the question of suffering in Scripture. And one of the things I think Lewis does well is that he’s not claiming that there’s a slam dunk philosophical proof or mathematical proof that will forever answer every person with regard to this question. But he’s saying we can’t necessarily answer every angle and every degree of it, but there is something we can say. There is quite a lot we can say. And, as Christians, there’s quite a lot that the Christian faith has to offer through a loving God in a broken world that is true and that makes sense of our reality.
That is a contrast to the alternatives, whether they be materialism, the idea that there’s no God or the other views about suffering put forward by other faith positions. The Christian position on this, on the question of suffering, is unique, and it’s beautiful. So, it may not be comprehensive, in the sense that, of course, there’s a massive mystery. We’re still left with pain and question marks, but it’s not that there’s nothing to say. And often, I think, in the church, even within evangelicalism, the tendency has been to just maybe say, oh, it’s a mystery, and we shouldn’t try to think too hard about it. As if there would be a fear that in engaging in thoughtful study about this, it might lead us away from God. And you know, Lewis’s approach suggests the opposite. That actually what the Christian faith has to say makes sense. Even though, of course, it’s still a dilemma, of course it’s still painful, of course it’s still really difficult. But it makes the most sense of the possible explanations.
David Capes
You talked about the fact that he’s writing in the 1940s and 50s. That’s a long time ago. The world is very different now than it was, and yet there’s a relevance there. Is he looking into the future or is it that he’s just talking about timeless truths that anyone can recognize if they think about it hard enough?
Amy Orr-Ewing
Well, it’s interesting. Lewis’s own experience is of childhood bereavement, the horror of boarding school and being bullied and actually genuinely traumatic childhood experiences. He went to the front in the First World War. He experienced that war and was wounded. He came then to Oxford as a Northern Irish person, felt like he was an outsider amongst colleagues, and then suffered bereavement of the love of his life.
So, though it is a different age and time, take any one of those experiences. You’re talking about childhood trauma, trauma from war, grief and bereavement. A lot of those things are relatable to people in wealthy Western societies today. And he would obviously say that he’s writing about and drawing on timeless truths. And I will look at this in the lecture. I think the extent to which he’s making applications into the cultural moment, there might be some changes in how I would approach things, to how he did there. But the core fundamentals that he’s explored have definitely stood the test of time, and that’s fascinating.
David Capes
We’re looking forward to the lecture. It’s going to be September 21st, 2024. We hope people will be here for it. You can find out about details for that, when we start registration. There is registration for it, because we have a limited bit of room, but we expect between 400 and 600 people to be there, which is fantastic. But we also know that people who can’t be in Houston for this can join us on YouTube and either stream it live or watch it later. If you need help with information, the address is info@lanierlibrary.org. info@lanierlibrary.org and just ask how you can stream the lecture. Dr Amy Orr- Ewing, we’re so grateful for you being a part of this today.
Amy Orr-Ewing
Thank you! I’m looking forward to it.
David Capes
Thanks so much for being with us today here on The Stone Chapel Podcast.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
