In the face of suffering, is it possible to believe in God? In this heartfelt and thoughtful new book, revered Catholic columnist Sidney Callahan answers yes, offering a reflection on suffering from a Christian perspective. Taking on C.S. Lewis and other traditional writers, she introduces the reader to new insights from fields such as the psychology of human emotion and evolutionary biology. Drawing from her own harrowing experience of a mother's loss, she shows that Christians view suffering in a different way, with the expectation--in the face of all evidence to the contrary--that we are created to experience joy. Topics include Sept. 11, traditional justifications, a new story of God and creation, Jesus--man of sorrows, suffering and joy in Christian practice, the emotions, prayer, and transformation.

In the face of suffering, is it possible to believe in God? In this heartfelt and thoughtful new book, revered Catholic columnist Sidney Callahan answers yes, offering a reflection on suffering from a Christian perspective. Taking on C.S. Lewis and other traditional writers, she introduces the reader to new insights from fields such as the psychology of human emotion and evolutionary biology. Drawing from her own harrowing experience of a mother's loss, she shows that Christians view suffering in a different way, with the expectation--in the face of all evidence to the contrary--that we are created to experience joy. Topics include Sept. 11, traditional justifications, a new story of God and creation, Jesus--man of sorrows, suffering and joy in Christian practice, the emotions, prayer, and transformation.