The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus Author: | Language: English | ISBN:
B0006IU7TK | Format: PDF
The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus Description
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 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?
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 9 hours and 49 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Audible.com Release Date: August 19, 2004
- Whispersync for Voice: Ready
- Language: English
- ASIN: B0006IU7TK
This book offers a "Cliff Notes" like approach in that it condenses the work of many leading Christian scholars into an easy to read format. It is a case FOR Christ, not a true courtroom "hear both sides of the issue" book.
Some other reviewers disliked the lack of 2-sided arguments (there are no interviews w/leading atheists and/or Jesus Seminar thinkers). Being that the title is the case FOR Christ, I did not hold this expectation and was not bothered by this. However, as a staunch skeptic who was not raised with a Christian background, I supplied much of the case AGAINST Christ in my own head.
WHAT I LIKED: The book presents a good introduction of Christian scholarship and answers to common objections regarding the historicity of the Gospels--objections which already existed in my own mind. Suggestions for further reading (primary sources by the interview subjects) are included for those who desire a more thorough scholarly approach.
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: I felt the "re-creation" of Strobel's own search was un-necessary and a bit contrived, as were the comments he interjected when he was interviewing his subjects. Perhaps that is a carry over from his journalism days. I would have prefered a more straightforward interview, but this matter of taste is small and overall I found the book worthwhile despite these stylistic objections.
HOW IT AFFECTED ME: I came to this book as a very skeptical, non-practicing agnostic Jew (who was raised w/a religious education), fresh from my reading CS Lewis' Mere Christianity (which I highly recommend).
I read this book a couple of years ago, when I considered myself a skeptic. Now, I consider myself a Christian. This book is not what convinced me.
If you read the reviews, they are very telling. All the Christians love the book, all the skeptics (whether they be atheist, agnostic, secular humanist, or whatever) hate the book. Everyone is biased; it is impossible not to be. People come into a situation with preconceived notions, and will believe what they want to believe, even when presented with facts that seemingly contradict their views.
Thus, Christians can read this book and come away from it with the view that it reaffirms their faith; skeptics come away from it with the view that it reaffirms their skepticism.
Trying to make the case for faith based on historical and scientific evidence is flawed in and of itself. That's why they call it FAITH. Believing in the divinity of Christ is a leap of faith that one has to take to become a Christian - if it could be proven by scientific and historical evidence, then it wouldn't be faith at all. That's the whole point of it.
I think examining evidence for the existence of the historical Jesus is fine, but when you throw in the key issue of divinity and the resurrection, that's where faith comes in.
The reason I believe in the divinity of Christ has to do with what I feel in my heart, and the major changes that came about in my life due to the change in spiritual perspective that occurred when I went from "skeptic" to "believer". It really is about a personal relationship with God. It has absolutely nothing to do with the church, which is a severely flawed creation organized by man, who has the innate ability to pervert and corrupt everything he is involved with.
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