The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus Paperback – September 1, 1998

Strobel’s challenge in the Introduction, “…be open-minded and fair, drawing your conclusions based on the weight of the facts and not on your whims or prejudices…thoughtfully consider…carefully sift the testimony…rigorously subject the evidence to your common sense and logic. I’m asking you to do the same thing while reading this book.” The reader is asked to consider themselves on a jury while he lays before us The Case for Christ.And build a strong case he does.The facts are substantial, the interviews (with their lengthy credentials) informative and thought provoking, the overall compilation of this book told in a compelling narrative make this a great read for skeptics and Christians alike. The skeptic will have a hard time arguing and the Christian will have added evidence to their faith either strengthening it, reaffirming it, or simply giving them a wealth of information to share with friends, family, and/or colleagues who would like to know more of this man called Christ.My personal feelings:I come from a diverse religious background. My father was raised baptist, my mother is a member of the LDS church (sometimes referred to as Mormons), my uncle is catholic, my second-cousin (by marriage) Jewish. While my mother took my brothers and I to church when we were young, we did not stick to any certain religious standard or creed within our home. My father was an alcoholic and often the topic of religion, any religion, was a source of contention between my parents. So my mother kept her faith much to herself and a spiritual journey became something us children had to decide to take on our own. My brothers both followed the path of my father, and on Sunday’s avoided religion in leu of NASCAR and drinking, to this day they don’t participate in any form of organized religion, but I personally came to know Christ as my Savior and Redeemer at the age of 14.My conversion is a deeply personal experience that changed my life and the course I was currently on. So in this way I can relate to Strobel and how he explains in the end of the book that once you accept Jesus as your Savior you cannot go back to a life of indifference. It comes partially from my mother’s quiet devotion to a faith that is often unfairly criticized. She is one of the kindest most compassionate people I’ve ever met and her loyalty to an alcoholic husband who wasn’t always the kindest both amazed and enthralled me. Sometimes I wondered why she stayed with him. I know now why. Love. The same love that caused the Son of God to choose to die on a cross all those centuries ago. She stayed with him, and now years later, although he still does not participate in organized religion, I believe through her example, he quit drinking, he gained a deep love for Jesus Christ, is kind and compassionate, would help anyone in need regardless of background, and I honestly feel if he could forgive himself of his past mistakes (as God already has) a life of devotion would not be a difficult move for him.It is my own tender experience of conversion, and the love I have for my sweet mother, that caused aspects of Strobel’s book to hurt my heart.To introduce the Case for Christ to the reader he interviews 13 scholars and cited hundreds of books, and asks us to set aside whims and prejudices. In a world where there are as many anti-Christian books as there are apologetics, this can be difficult to do. Our whims and prejudices are the result of culture, upbringing, media, and many other factors.Yet, in one way, I’m certain unintended, Strobel leaves fair and unbiased behind. He quickly dismissed the Mormon faith of my sweet mother with one paragraph and one sentence, citing just one letter to a museum, and one book written by anti-mormon authors. I’m certain it is because of the whims and prejudices that are so loud in our current culture, and the fact that often people assume members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints participate in such things as polygamy (which they don’t) as some who call themselves Mormons do, that he so easily disregarded this as a legitimate Christian faith, but it caused me to pause. From that moment forward I worried, would this be just another book that set out to say, “my faith is better than yours?”.All of those interviewed in this book were already followers of Christ, not one was an anti-Christian. Some of the works sited were from such, but none of the people interviewed. Not once did he pick up a Book of Mormon and read it with an open-mind and fairness to those who believe in it, talk to a Mormon scholar, or a Mormon historian, and allow them to explain their beliefs, the way he did the other scholars he interviewed. In short he did what so many others do, he passed judgement based on faulty sources, the acts of a few, and centuries old attitudes. The same mistakes that hindered and hurt the early Christian church and continues to beset all faiths to this day, from muslim to mormon.I understand that this was a book on Christ, not a specific religion, but by bringing the “mormons” into the mix, and dismissing their faith so casually, so callously, it tainted my personal feelings toward the book and made it difficult to finish (but I did). While I do not believe in the Trinity, Allah, Judaism, or the practices of some who call themselves Mormons, I like to think that because of my diverse background I would never degrade or belittle someone who does. If being a follower of God or Jesus Christ, no matter the organized religion the person belongs to, mormon, Baptist, Catholic etc, gives a person reason to be a little kinder, a little more compassionate, a little less selfish, how can you criticize so thoughtlessly, without even a glimmer of the amount of effort put into the case for Christ?My personal feeling is that these elements should have been left out, or at the least approached with fairness, impartiality, and an open mind with respect for and to its believers.Should you read this book?Personally, I say yes. Read this book as an encyclopedia on the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Strobel truly puts forth a phenomenal case that, as stated earlier, would impress most skeptics and can give other Christians a myriad of information to pass on. But I would be careful not to take his personal insights and opinions as fact. Do your own homework. Follow his suggestion at the end of the book for any aspect inside that does not sit well with you.“…seek out additional answers from well-respected experts…Resolve that you’ll reach a verdict when you’ve gathered sufficient amount of information, knowing that you’ll never have full resolution of every single issue.”And remember the advice he cites from William Lane Craig, “Ultimately the way a Christian really knows that Christianity is true is through the self-authenticating witness of God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit whispers to our spirit that we belong to God. That’s one of his roles. Other evidence, though still valid, is basically confirmatory.”This is how I became converted to Jesus Christ. I sought answers, I prayed, and the Spirit confirmed the truth of His existence and of His love for me. He is my best friend. In every aspect of my life I seek and try to be like him. I never will fully succeed as imperfect as I am, but I know He has paid the price for me, and I’m never going to stop trying. He is my guiding light, my Savior, my hope, the One who gives meaning and purpose to my life.Christianity, in any religion or faith, is a choice. All the evidence in the world still requires an act of faith. There will always be evidence to the contrary, disputable or not, but ultimately the question is this, “Do you choose to believe or not?”

If you are searching for Christ this is a great start. If you know Christ, but have some reservations, this is a great help. I pray everyone finds God and builds a loving/lasting relationship with him. We need him to be whole. God Bless You

I grew up in a traditional Christian Anglo Saxon household, was an altar boy, went to church school, confirmed, etc… I never ever learned the level of detail and understood the story, history and reality of Christ that Lee provides here. This is life changing for me. Thank you Lee for your sacrifice of time and effort!

Answers the questions that we all want to ask, and did the footwork that we all needed to have done.The movie was laughable compared to the book. Make sure you purchase the larger size (8 1/2 x 5 1/2), because the smaller size (6 1/2 x 4) is more difficult to read. Just read it for yourself...

If a person has any doubt that Jesus was God in flesh, this book will take all doubts away and. Ensure

Words I needed to read and a journey I needed to take. I expect to return to this book often for references.

This appeals to my seminary education but also to my heart of hearts. Loved it. One more soul won for the Lord.

You don't have to be a Christian to enjoy this book. It is a good book if you are curious about Christianity. But Lee Strobel's writing style kept me intrigued and I had a hard time putting this book down. It's a definite must-read.

Having debated aspects of theology, science and evolution with creationists and Christians, I have been told numerous times that this will be the book that will make me see Jesus in a different light and convince me of his divinity and resurrection. I expected that the book would see Lee Strobel visiting the Holy Lands, investigating ancient texts and artefacts, and generally immersing himself in the history of the region. But no... he never leaves the US. The book sees Strobel, who starts as an agnostic, interviewing 12 or 13 scholars about different aspects of Jesus' life. And these scholars are all firm believers in God, Jesus being the son of God (or a human incarnation of God) and the resurrection. It's a bit like investigating whether Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer ever and interviewing 12 life-long members of the Michael Jackson fan club. Guess what the conclusion will be.Okay, there was some information that I didn't know about some historical sources, and a few moments where I paused for thought and even re-evaluated what I thought I knew (e.g. the common mantra that the gospels were written many decades after Jesus' alleged death). However, Strobel (who is supposed to be a hard-nosed investigative journalist who delves into the details) seems to be the most easily-convinced man in history. By the middle of the book he's talking about God as if it's a given that God exists.The interviewees are clearly experts in the their fields, but they spew an enormous amount of conjecture. 95% of their source of knowledge is from the gospels - they do a good job of spinning their assertions that everything in the gospels is 100% reliable (even though the many contradictions are discussed at length) but personally I was left with the same doubts as before... if the gospels are based on a story which has been hugely embellished and exaggerated, and borrows elements from other mythical stories, then all of their arguments crumble without much prodding.Ultimately it's quite a boring read... by the time you get to the 8th interviewee and - guess what - he's a God-believing Biblical studies PhD too, you know how the conversation is going to proceed and what Strobel's conclusion will be.

I am a Catholic Christian who acknowledges Jesus Christ in my every day life but my old Christian faith was based on tradition not fact. This book has opened a whole new understanding of my faith through historically, spiritually and factually answering many questions, the answers to which I took for granted. Now I know why I believe, unequivocally, that Jesus Christ is God incarnate and alive in our world today and open to those who will accept him into their lives. Even as a Christian this book has given me a whole new meaning to my life.

This book changed my life when I first read it over 20 years ago. It turned me from a skeptic into a believer. Lee starts out to disprove the bible and history of Jesus and who he was.It’s factual, presents real proof and any skeptic would be hard pushed to argue with provable facts. Easy to digest and really fascinating. I bought this second-have copy for my partner who is mostly skeptical of the stories in the bible.Whether you are already a Christian, a skeptic, curious or want answers I can’t recommend it enough.

I think the best of this book are the interviews by leading scholars, historians and philosophers. The added journalistic experiences is a plus but this is not an journalistic book. Is something else, so don't expect it to be.Even though he tries to argue against it, I would of liked to see a bit more oposition against the case.I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking to Christianity as well as any Christian who wants to learn how much evidence there is for the case of Jesus's resurrection.4 stars for the job of putting all the evidence together And making it easy to read.

I’ve just finished reading The Case For Christ(which I bought the book after buying the film)Matthew 22:37Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'As we must love God with our minds too; to be knowledgeable and logical thinkers (which to be theological & apologetics- like Lee Strobel is)The Case For Christ definitely tells the testimony of Lee Strobel and how through logical understanding came to know that Jesus IS by all logical understanding: The Son Of God