Evil and Suffering Bible Study
Prepared by Skylar Hamilton Burris

I originally wrote this study for a small discussion group at the University of Virginia.  You are welcome to use it for personal or group study, but you may not publish it or sell it. All original material in this study is copyrighted. You may make copies of the material for your group.  To access the Self-Quizzes and Leader's Guide, you will need to download two PDF files.  The PDF files are password protected.  The password is "shadowlands". (I have found password protection necessary to prevent wholesale copying of materials by other websites.) If you like this Bible Study, please consider helping to support the free resources provided by this website. Also, if you find the study useful, I would love to hear how it benefited you or your group. Just e-mail me at SSBurris@msn.com.

Introduction:

Nonbelievers will often ask Christians: "If there is really such a thing as a just God, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?"  It is a question every Christian must deal with, either on a personal or an intellectual level.  This study is designed to delve into the issue of evil and suffering. It provides no pat answers, but should spark serious discussion on the subject and provide a number of insights.  It deals with several questions: What is evil? Why does it exist? How can we survive suffering? How do we respond to evil? How do we respond to the suffering of others? 

Each week's lesson begins with a series of "discussion sparkers."  Many of these questions are controversial.  I do not provide direct answers, and no doubt different denominations will have different teachings on some of these issues. But I do provide scripture verses and passages from other books which I think will be helpful in sparking and directing the discussion. You may not want to use all of the passages I have listed, or you may want to add some of your own.  Feel free to use this study as a jumping board, and add or detract what you will.

Format of the Study:

The study is divided into seven weeks. Weightier topics are given two weeks each.  You may shorten the study to four weeks by condensing these topics to just one week each and eliminating the film viewing. Each week:

• Hand out questionnaires. Participants should answer these "discussion sparker" question privately at the very beginning of the session.  If participants like, they may share their answers, but please also allow them to keep them private if they so desire. 

• As discussion progresses, bring in the relevant passages. Verses are provided from the Bible as well as suggested passages from various books.

• Note:  Sometimes, the subjects discussed are so weighty that a second week is allotted for continued discussion. In this case, the second week will not include the second step.

Outline:

WEEK # 1-2: DOES EVIL EXIST, AND IF SO WHY?

WEEK # 3: HOW DOES OUR FAITH SURVIVE SUFFERING?

WEEK # 4: WHAT IS OUR CHRISTIAN DUTY WITH REGARD TO SUFFERING?

WEEK # 5 - 6: WHAT IS THE PROPER CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO EVIL?

WEEK # 7: PIZZA AND A MOVIE (read below)

You may wish to conclude your group by picking a time to meet in a more social atmosphere to watch the movie Shadowlands (based on C.S. Lewis's own experience with suffering, an experience which deeply affected his response to suffering as a Christian apologist). It is a superb, moving film starring Anthony Hopkins and Debroah Winger. You might order pizza together and discuss the movie afterwards.

Self-Quizzes:

Click here to download the self-quizzes as a PDF file.  This file is password protected.  The password is "shadowlands".

Leader's Discussion Guide:

Click here to download the Leader's Discussion Guide as a PDF file.  This file is password protected.   The password is "shadowlands". If you like this Bible Study, please consider helping to support the free resources provided either by shopping through the links on this website or by making a direct donation.

Recommended Reading:

The Leader's Guide will make reference to and discuss certain ideas introduced in the following books.  It is not necessary for every participant to purchase or read these books, but it is a good idea for the Leader to have one copy of each on hand.  If you do choose to purchase these books, please do so by following the links below, so that I may earn a small commission to help support this website and these free materials. The versions shown below are the editions I refer to in the guide, but in some cases these are not available and I have therefore linked to other editions.

• C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed. New York: Bantam Books, 1961.

• C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co, 1952.

• C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co, 1961.

• Harold S. Kushner. When Bad Things Happen to Good People. New York: Avon, 1981.

  (Note: This last book is not Christian. It is written by a Rabbi, but I suspect most Jews would consider his theology unsound.  Including it in this list does not mean I endorse his theology.  However, he does make some good points worth noting, and, more importantly, he introduces arguments which, even if untrue, Christians must learn to confront. )

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