The concept of suffering plays an important role in Christianity, as it relates to issues such as moral conduct, spiritual advancement, and ultimate destiny. Indeed, the emphasis on suffering is omnipresent in the Gospel of Mark where, it can be argued, we are shown how to “journey through suffering” (Ditzel 2001) like the “Son of the suffering man” (Mark 8:32), Jesus. Christ. Although theologians have suggested that Mark was written to strengthen the resolve of the early Christian community (Halpern 2002, Mayerfeld 2005), the underlying morality is not lost on the modern reader grappling with multiple challenges to faith facing to suffering. In his article “A Christian Response to Suffering,” William Marravee (1987) describes suffering as an “experience over which we, men and women, continue to stumble and fall.” How we perceive God is crucial to how we perceive suffering according to Marravee, who describes the disparity between a view of God as an "outsider" and the biblical image of God – where God is an "inside" who suffers with us in our struggle. This essay seeks to explain the Christian view of suffering and the purpose that suffering can have in our lives. Suffering is an individual's fundamental affective experience of pain or distress, often as a result of one's physical, emotional, or spiritual circumstances (Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy 2006). ). Suffering can be classified as physical; for example pain caused by a knee dislocation, emotional; for example the grief caused by the death of a loved one, or spiritual one; which is described as the state of being separate from the blissful nature of your divine self (soul). Suffering physically or emotionally is often unavoidable; however, it can be said that spiritual liberation... middle of article ...... is distributed in the Theology 101 course at the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, April 22, 2008. Marravee. W, 1987, “A Christian Response to Suffering”, Review for Religious, no. 46, pp. 256-260. Mayerfeld. J, 2005, Suffering and moral responsibility. New York: Oxford University Press. Pope John Paul II (1984), Apostolic Letter: SALVIFICI DOLORIS, [Online], Libreria Editrice Vaticana, available at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/ hf_jpapl_11021984_salvifici-doloris_en.html [April 27, 2008].Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (2006), Suffering [Online], Metaphysics Research Lab, available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pleasure/ [May 3, 2008].Trip, D (1999), “The Christian View of Suffering” [Online], Exploring Christianity. Available at: http://www.christianity.co.nz/suffer4.htm [Accessed April 18 2008].