On Suffering: An Inter-disciplinary Dialogue on Narrative and the Meaning of Suffering

In this book, a diverse array of scholars agree that discussions of suffering must move beyond mere academic postulations that assert suffering as a phenomenological "given," an experience so naturally inherent that no human response can augment fundamentally its impact. Such approaches too often render apathetic responses to real human tragedies. The authors here explore both the inward experience of suffering, the myriad causes of suffering, and how, in some cases, such suffering can be articulated, understood, and even overcome. Here, the dialogue becomes a debate between those embracing a meta-narrative to frame the experience of suffering, and those promoting personal narratives amid concrete historical circumstances as the key to any effort to "make sense of" suffering.