Which C.S. Lewis book explores the problem of suffering and pain?

The Problem of Pain is the C.S. Lewis book that explores suffering and pain.

Published in 1940, the work is a Christian apologetic study of why pain exists in a world created by a good and powerful God. Lewis discusses topics including divine omnipotence, human freedom, sin, animal pain, and hell. He approaches the subject philosophically and theologically rather than as a personal memoir.

The book appeared during the Second World War, when questions about suffering had immediate significance for many readers. Lewis’s argument is often discussed alongside Mere Christianity, but the two books have different origins and purposes. Mere Christianity developed from radio talks and presents a broad introduction to shared Christian beliefs, while The Problem of Pain concentrates on one major theological problem.

The title should not be confused with A Grief Observed, Lewis’s later, much more personal response to the death of his wife Joy Davidman. The latter was published under a pseudonym during its first appearance and has a different emotional and autobiographical focus.