The Big 5: Books on Suffering

I'm sidelined today with terrible back pain.  I'm nearly immobile, and can't move without wincing.  Ugh.  So it's a good day for books on suffering.  What are your big 5 books on suffering?  These can be books on suffering in general or something specific like the loss of a baby.  If your friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer and asked you for something to read on suffering, what would it be?  If you woke up in agonizing back pain and needed a refresher on what God does through pain in your body, what would it be? 

PLEASE, refrain from turning this into a comment thread on my back pain.  I know a few of you care about me and want to share my pain.  But I want this to be a resource thread in the future, so just list and discuss books.  Go!

Comments

[Jeff T]

The Crook In the Lot by Thomas Boston
Trusting God by Jerry Bridges

[David Reimer]

First things into my head, not rank ordered:

- C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed
- Dorothy Soelle, Suffering
- David Watson, Fear No Evil
- John Wenham, The Goodness of God
- Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

[John Mark]

1) Jesus and Holocaust--Joel Marcus
2)Evil and the Justice of God---Wright(although i like the talk on ITunes God, the Tsunami, and 9/11)
3)Walk On---John Goldingay
4)Lament for a Son--Wolterstorff
5)A Grief Observed--Lewis

[Zach Nielsen]

1. How Long O Lord - D.A. Carson
2. Suffering and the Sovereignty of God - Various Authors
3. When God Weeps - Joni Ereckson Tada
4. Deceived By God? - John Feinberg
5. The Hidden Smile of God - John Piper

[ryan]

Three of mine have already been said so I will just give the two that have not.

1. A Grace Disguised- Jerry Sittser
2. Shattered Dreams- Larry Crabb

[Bill Poore]

When the heavens are silent.Ron Dunn

Unlocking the mystery of your emotions by Dr.Archibald Hart.

Reaching for the invisible God.Philip Yancey.

Sometimes mountains move.C.Everett and Elizabeth Koop.

Help for your grief.Dr.Arthur Freese.

Surprised by suffering

[Josh Montague]

1. How Long, O Lord? - Carson
2. The Hidden Smile of God - Piper
3. The Reason for God - Keller
4. Where Is God When It Hurts? - Yancey
5. Shattered Dreams - Crabb (thanks for the reminder, Ryan!)

When is Boyd, Sanders, or Pinnock gonna show up?

[Steve McCoy]

Some good lists guys.

Ryan, this isn't only helpful for the largest number of books listed, but also because when we see books repeated over and over it adds more weight to those choices. So everyone please list all 5 on your personal big 5 list.

[Todd Pruitt]

Definitely have to have...
Carson - How Long O Lord?
Piper - Hidden Smile of God
Tada - When God Weeps
Boston - The Crook in the Lot

I would add...
Currid - Why Do I Suffer?
Bruce - From Grief to Glory
Ferguson - Deserted by God?
Morley - God in the Shadows
Derek Thomas - Mining for Wisdom

[Steve McCoy]

My list...

Carson's How Long O Lord
Crabb's Finding God
Feinberg's Deceived by God
Lewis' Grief Observed
Fernando's A Call to Joy and Pain (pastoral suffering)

[tony sheng]

Lewis - A Grief Observed
Frankl - Man's Search for Meaning
Gonzales - Deep Survival

[David Cooke]

1. God on Mute by Pete Greig

2. Reaching for the Invisible God by Philip Yancey

3. When God Weeps by Joni Eareckson Tada /Steve Estes

4. God meant it for Good by R T Kendall

5 To the Usual Suspects by John Goldingay

[Todd Pruitt]

Man! I totally left off "Finding God" and "Shattered Dreams" by Larry Crabb. Those are both outstanding!

[BK]

1. A Grace Disguised - Jerry Sittser
2. The Healing Path - Dan Allender
3. Disappointment with God - Philip Yancey
4. How Long, O Lord? - D.A Carson
5. A Grief Observed - C.S Lewis

Not yet read but meant to be very good:
A Thorn in the Flesh - Pablo Martinez

Not exactly a book on suffering but on the place of the emotions in a Christian's life:
Cry of the Soul - Tremper Longman & Dan Allender

[Keith Walters]

1. The Cup And The Glory - Greg Harris
2. The Hidden Smile of God - John Piper
3. How Long, O Lord? - D. A. Carson
4. The Life and Diary of David Brainerd - Jonathan Edwards
5. Suffering and the Sovereignty of God - John Piper et al.

I am sure that not many have heard of the Greg Harris book he is a professor at TMS and is working on a series of which this is the first book. It is phenomenal and has shaped my life nd thoughts in many ways.

[Chris Meirose]

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God - Piper/Taylor
NOT the Way It's Supposed to Be - A Breviary of Sin - Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. (technically about sin, but sin leads to suffering!)
A Place Called Surrender - Dan Roelofs
Living with Grief - Doka/Davidson
Caring for Souls - Shields/Bredfeldt

Big Chris
http://wasecachurch.org

[ryan]

Sorry Steve understand your point. Then here is the rest of my list, including one that has not been listed yet.

How Long, O Lord? - DA Carson
A Grief Observed - C.S. Lewis
A Tearful Celebration - James Means

[Jay Risner]

A Son to Me - Wolterstorff
A Grief Observed - CS Lewis
When Your Father Dies - Two ex-campus crusade staffers...I can't remember their names. The book is not well written, but for some reason very cathartic.
When the Darkness will Not Lift - Piper (more on depression than suffering, but...)
Where is God When It Hurts - Yancey

[Desiree]

Is God Really in Control? - Jerry Bridges
Trusting God - Jerry Bridges
Spiritual Depression - D. Martin Lloyd Jones
any of Joni Ericson Tada's books
When I Don't Desire God - John Piper

[Jeff Patterson]

Suffering & the Sovereignty of God
The Hidden Smile of God, John Piper
How Long O Lord?, D.A. Carson
The Life and Diary of David Brainerd
The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis

Really intrigued to someday soon read A Call to Joy and Pain by Ajith Fernando as he seems to have a healthy grasp of the ~18 passages mixing joy and suffering in the NT (inseparable), and he lives the message daily to the ends of the earth

[Terry B]

Holding on to Hope...When God doesn't make sense, James Dobson

[Danny Strong]

1. Suffering and the Sovereignty of God - I haven't read the whole book, but Piper's essay on the cross as the reason for suffering is worth having.

(For me the best books on suffering are about people who have suffered as the rest of my list reflects)

2. To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson

3. The Life and Diary of David Brainard

4. The Autobiography of John G. Paton

5. Either The Brothers Karamazov or War and Peace

[Tim Melton]

Making Sense Out of Suffering by Peter Kreeft

This one is excellent. Shhhhh. He's Catholic.