responding to the problem of evil

The problem of evil is a topic that many school students will encounter in their RE classes at school. Its a regular topic, which I've introduced to year 7 (11-12yr olds), year 9 (13-14yr olds) and GCSE classes (14-16yr olds). I know its also look at in many a-level (16-18yr olds) syllabuses. Its also one of those frequently asked questions by those who question belief in God. Yesterday I got myself a copy of Raging with Compassion: Pastoral Responses to the Problem of Evil by John Swinton (HT to jim gordon). What makes this book different is that rather than trying to establish arguments in defence of God and attempt to explain possibles causes of evil and suffering, he instead attempts to 'present ways in which evil and suffering can be resisted and transformed by the Christian community' and so he's interested in 'how we can build communities that absorb suffering and enable faithful living even in the midst of evil' (4). The argument of the book outlines four christian practices - lament, forgiveness, thoughtfulness and friendship - which he argues 'sustain faith in a loving and powerful God and encourage hope that life has meaning and purpose, despite the way things appear' (244). Philosophical responses remain utlimately unsatisfactory to the person or persons experiencing or facing evil and suffering. It will be interesting to see how the argument of the book would work in the classroom