The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (6 Pack) [Mass Market Paperback]

Lee Strobel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 1998

Buy The Case for Christ and save $10.00 when you buy six. - perfect gift for searching friends - use it with your small group - give to your kids and their friends - use with your outreach ministry. Is there credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God? Retracing his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, cross-examines a dozen experts with doctorates from schools like Cambridge, Princeton, and Brandeis who are recognized authorities in their own fields. Strobel challenges them with questions like How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence exist for Jesus outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual event? Strobel's tough, point-blank questions make this remarkable book read like a captivating, fast-paced novel. But it's not fiction. It's a riveting quest for the truth about history's most compelling figure. What will your verdict be in The Case for Christ?

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A Seasoned Journalist Chases Down the Leads in the Biggest News Story in History

From the Author

Lee Strobel, with a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale, was an award-winning journalist for 13 years at the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers. He was a spiritual skeptic until 1981. Today he serves as teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago. He is the best-selling author of Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary, What Jesus Would Say, and The Case for Christ

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Zondervan; Supersaver edition (August 18, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310226279
• ISBN-13: 978-0310226277
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 6.8 x 4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lee Strobel (www.LeeStrobel.com), with a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School, was the award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and a spiritual skeptic until 1981. His books include four Gold Medallion winners and the 2005 Christian Book of the Year (coauthored with Garry Poole). He and his wife live in Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Case For Christ is Enlightening for Christians and Skeptics, September 30, 2005

By 

kone "kone" (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (6 Pack) (Mass Market Paperback)

Like many American Christians, I was brought to church most Sundays and endured countless sermons and lessons. Despite this seemingly rich education on Christian principles, I never was exposed to a lesson or class on the existence of God; God's existence was assumed as fact. As I matured into my twenties and went to college, the existance of God was no longer taken for granted. I encountered many agnostics and atheists among my many college professors. The net result of their influence was to question my faith in the existance of God. I never lost my faith, but I found it was a faith that could not withstand scrutiny.

Reading Lee Stobel's "The Case For Christ" began in me my search for the certainty of my faith. Strobel's book is an excellent place to start. He presents interviews with several Christian apologetics that involve issues related to the veracity of the Biblical account of Christ, the Son of God.

The issues are as follows:

The trustworthiness of the Gospel accounts.
Historical evidences for Christ outside of the Bible.
Archaeology and the Life of Christ
The "Jesus Seminar" account of the life of Christ.
Did Jesus claim to be equal with God?
Is Jesus the promised scripture's Messiah?
Did Jesus really die on the cross?
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

Mr. Strobel investigates each issue thoroughly. He approaches the issues as a skeptic who wants to be convinced of the truth. Apparently, Strobel was once a skeptic himself and his investigative journalism convinced him of the truth of his childhod faith in Christ. The only weakness I could find in the book is the lack of rebuttal from those individuals who do not believe in the deity of Jesus. Strobel claims to be the main rebuttal witness, as he assumes the skeptical viewpoint, but he is writing from the position of a believer, and his rebuttals are perhaps not as forceful as a "true" unbeliever.

If you have questions like I did, (and as did Strobel), then this is a good starting point for your journey. There are other books that go into complete detail on all the issues raised here, and you may want to purchase these as well. But this is a very good starting point for answering those nagging doubts about your faith in Christianity and one's faith in the person of Jesus.

Most highly recommended.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Does the job, of an Apologetics book., March 8, 2003

By 

J. M. Hwang (Brea, CALIFORNIA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (6 Pack) (Mass Market Paperback)

To start out, let me say that being a Christian my review might/will be biased. =)

From the many Apologetics-jargon for defending our faith, not for apologising for it-type books this falls in the middle category in complexity, in evidence, and understandability. Having an analytical mind, this book was easy for me to read. Strobel interviews "experts" in their particular fields like Craig Blomberg (expert in the Gospels). Who in turn would give out the evidence, in Blomberg's case why the Gospels (Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John) are truthful and accurate. Other chapters deal with, archeology, psychology, medical view of death/resurrection, historical accuracy, etc.

I led a Bible Study with this book at UC Irvine, and the students were not fully able to understand the train of thought of Strobel in some chapters, which surprised me. However, they were excited to find more facts in what they believed.

Yet, this is a more complicated book than Paul Little's "Know why you believe" but definitely easier to digest than C.S. Lewis' books such as "Problem of Pain" or "The Great Divorce" (I'd have to read some sentences/paragraphs 2-3 times before understanding), or J.P. Moreland's "Scaling the Secular City" (in which after reading some paragraphs 4-5 times I would wonder if it was written in english at all, albeit an excellent philosophical book)

As this book is a "summary" of each particular topic, it doesn't go in-depth in any one topic, but it would be a great starting point as it has citations and references to 120+ "academic" books.

All in all, I think this is a great book for NEW believers, to re-affirm their faith, and answer their questions at heart. Can't really say this book would turn an unbeliever to Christ, but it might help for those who need questions answered. After all, God works in wonderful (weird?) ways.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUPERB evidence for the existence of Jesus!, December 19, 1999

By 

Julie A. Belonger (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (6 Pack) (Mass Market Paperback)

Lee Strobel has done his homework and produced an excellent book on the evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He asks all the questions the common man/woman would ask.

The best part of the book is at the very end. Lee asks us, "So what!" Now that we are armed with all of this evidence, what do we do with it? It's up to us to decide to follow Jesus or not. There's SO much evidence. There is no denying that Jesus Christ is truely the Son of God. There are so many facts from both secular and sacred sources that prove it.

I encourage the skeptic, the agnostic, the atheist, the Jew, the Buddist, the Hindu, etc., and even the person who "thinks" he/she is a Christian, to read this easy-to-read book, and then try to dispute the findings.

For those who were already convinced that Jesus is the Son of God, it will only strengthen your faith. It did mine!

Julie A. Belonger