The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus by Lee Strobel Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
Book Review: This book helped me become a Christian
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always been the kind of person who felt a need to know and understand "Truth." In college, I majored in philosophy and minored in comparative religion. By the time I was in my thirties, I was thoroughly steeped in nihilism and cultural relativism. On some level I probably still wanted to know Truth, but essentially I had given up. Besides, it didn't seem that important to my everyday life. Then. . . ('Jaws' theme) . . . mid-life hit and I realized that you (probably) only get one chance to figure all this out. So I started on what I came to call my mildly manic, mid-life spirit quest. I started reading philosophy again. I started studying the new physics. I started exploring Buddhism and reading New Age "stuff." I went to every weird event I could find, like healing workshops on Mount Shasta and past-lives seminars in Maine. While I was doing this my 19-year-old daughter became a Christian. She began trying to drag me to Christ, and I would occasionally go to church with her just to humor her. But something about what I heard moved me deeply. My spirit felt called, but my intellect was convinced that we were being suckered by the greatest hoax in history. I felt split in two, so eventually I just started to pray this prayer: "Dear God, show me your truth. I need to know what you want me to believe. I need you to hear me and answer my prayers. I need to know -- and, by the way, you can't really want me to be a Christian, can you? I mean, who can really believe this stuff?" Enter Lee Strobel. I had been praying about this for a few confusing months when I went to a service at Willow Creek Church this summer. Lee talked about his own search a little, and then he said: "Maybe you're someone who has taken the opinions of your professors in college as facts. But I invite you to really seek out the facts, to search out the truth for yourself." I went to a bookstore and there was his new book, "The Case for Christ." I took it home, read it that afternoon, bought several of the books he had referenced, and read them cover to cover. For the first time in a long time I began to feel like my head and heart might be able to sign a truce. I can't exactly say that when I opened "The Case for Christ," I was a skeptic, and when I closed it I was a Christian, but that comes close to capturing the truth. This book created a bridge between my head and my heart. It lit the path toward resolving deep conflicts between intellect and spirit. Before reading "The Case for Christ," I didn't think they could be reconciled. After reading it, I knew they could be.When I called my daughter in California to tell her I had become a Christian, she could hardly believe it! Then she said, "I should have known for you, it would take a book."Book Review: A feigned "skeptic" preaches to the choir!
Summary: 2 Stars
This book claims to validate the Gospel accounts through a convergence of history, science and archaeology. Strobel says he interrogated the world's most authoritative New Testament scholars on the Gospel's reliability as a no-nonsense, investigative journalist. And to his credit, Strobel does ask some good questions.But the scholar's explanations are often lacking. Yet, Strobel unconditionally accepts them all, thus undermining his "skeptical" posture. Perhaps, because Strobel is a pastor at Willow Creek Church?
For example, Matthew claims that King Herod ordered the murder of all the boys in Bethlehem under three years old. The other Gospel writers don't mention that atrocity, and no archaeological records document it, either. "Doesn't that make this story suspect?" Strobel asks. "No," replies his expert. Since Herod had a known reputation for brutality, his massacre didn't draw attention. So, that substantiates the event?
Another controversy concerns Mark's description of Jesus' appearance after his resurrection. The earliest, most reliable copies of Mark don't include verses 16:9-20, and suggest a later author added them as a postscript. "Isn't that more likely?" asks Strobel. "No," replies his authoritative expert. But instead of explaining its absence, he points out where Mark 16:7 predicts that Jesus would appear to Peter. And since Luke confirms that appearance, the mysterious source of the postscript is thereby irrelevant!
There's also the conflicting stories in all four Gospels about who first discovered the empty tomb, how many angels were present, which disciple verified Jesus' absence, and so forth. That should raise doubts because ALL the accounts can't be simultaneously true. But STROBEL suggests to his expert that the contradictions make all four accounts more plausible. Otherwise, they'd stir suspicions of plagiarism. Not surprising, the scholar graciously accepts his interrogator's pat solution!
Strobel doesn't pretend to be a good skeptic. His experts claim to resolve all loose ends, not with hard evidence, but with contrived "how-it-might-have-been" solutions. It's too bad that I couldn't ask the questions!
Book Review: Very Good.
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading this book, I must say that I have more of a grasp on some of the evidences regarding Christianity. It was definately not "offensive" like the previous review stated. I must say that I find the previous reviewer's remarks typical; going into a long diatribe trashing the book, offering no real response to the issues raised in the book with the exception of casually refering to a PBS site for "the real majority opinion". I may question some of the techniques used by the author, but I don't have a problem with most of the arguements being raised. If I did, I would certainly have a mind of my own and refute them in my review. I rate this book based on the content of it, not Strobel's presentation (which I think is fine).Book Review: Well written, thorough and entertaining
Summary: 5 Stars
Traditionally, texts on Christian evidences & apologetics are interesting, but dry and unappealing to the layman. Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ" breaks from tradition and offers us an informative look at apologetical evidences that is clear, concise and very entertaining. Written in the form of a narrative, the reader is taken on a journey with Lee to many parts of the nation in order to interrogate leading Biblical scholars on the reliability of the Scriptures, the archeological evidences for the facts of the Bible, the notions perpetuated by the 'Jesus Seminar', the facts of the death and Resurrection of Christ and other such topics. In these exchanges, he attempts to put these men to task with questions and objections that many skeptics would have (he himself being a former skeptic and athiest) concerning Christianity.
I found this book to be fresh in its approach and, for the most part, satisfying in its conclusions. Occasionally, however, I sometimes thought that Lee could have been a bit more tenacious on some issues since he sometimes accepted the explanations of the scholars too readily or offered an explanation himself that the scholars didn't take the time to elaborate on. Even so, I recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians alike.
Book Review: simplistic, dishonest, and very disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
In a time when "source criticism" has provided new insights into the period, and equally well-intentioned people are reaching sometimes provocative conclusions about the reality and the identity of Jesus, this book is profoundly disappointing. I would adopt the description of an earlier reviewer, that Mr. Strobel is "preaching to the choir". The questions posed to advocates ( a better description than 'scholars' ), are softballs that make a Larry King interview look incisive. The failure to acknowledge the possible illegitimacy of helpful passages in ancient writings is dishonest and unforgiveable. I will blame myself for not investigating the author before purchasing the book. I regret supporting this work, and strongly advise the inquisitive, open-minded reader to look elsewhere.