Book recommendation

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I have met a fellow who is about 50 years-old and is a former Lutheran. He was apparently devout enough to consider the seminary when he was young. I’m not sure what kind of instruction or influence he received (eg. fundamentalist, evangelical, or main line), but fell away from the faith. He is now a self-professed agnostic. He is a thoughtful questioning man, and obviously has not heard of reasonable ways to think about faith. He is also now quite depressed, particularly since he has a painful chronic medical condition and can’t make sense of his sufferings.

I had a brief conversation with him on spiritual topics (I’m his doctor). He is actually eager to read about spiritual things and expressed to me a willingness to “re-examine the question.”

He has never read CS Lewis, and I thought that could be a good place for him to start. However, I wonder if there is not a Catholic equivalent. After all, why not bring him all the way home?..For some reason I don’t think Chesterton is the right choice for him (I have only read “Orthodoxy,” though). I think he needs some step-by-step, methodical answers, presented gently, the way CS Lewis does in “Mere Christianity.”

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Maybe Dr. Peter Kreeft’s Making Sense of Suffering.

Or books on suffering of the saints like the one about Mother Teresa after she passed away or Padre Pio’s letters to his spiritual director.
 
That’s a great recommendation. Thank you very much and God bless you,
 
Throughout the following book, the concept of suffering is addressed, and the ways in which God wants to help us in our suffering.
Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life’s Most Difficult Problems*
by Anthony deStefano

Table of Contents:
  1. I Wish I Could Believe
  2. Why Should I Get Involved?
  3. What’s In It For Me?
  4. I Can’t Take It Anymore!
  5. Am I a Terrible Person?
  6. This Stress is Killing Me
  7. Okay, I Admit It: I’m Afraid
  8. Sometimes Being Smart Just Isn’t Enough
  9. Will I Ever Be Happy Again?
  10. Why Am I Here Anyway?
 
Thank you very much, Daisy Bee. That looks like a great recommendation too; I will check it out.
 
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