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Cases for Christianity for Students
The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity
In his #1 best-seller The Case for Christ, legally trained investigative reporter Lee Strobel examined the claims of Christ, reaching the hard-won verdict that Jesus is God's unique son. But despite the compelling historical evidence that Strobel presented, many people grapple with serious concerns about faith in God. As in a court of law, they want to shout, "Objection!" They say, "If God is love, then what about all the suffering in our world?" Or, "If Jesus is the door to heaven, then what about the millions who have never heard of him?" Or, "If God cares for everyone, then why does he eternally torture some in hell?"In The Case for Faith, Strobel turns his tenacious investigative skills to the most persistent emotional objections to belief--the eight "heart" barriers to faith. The Case for Faith is for those who may be feeling attracted to Jesus but who are faced with formidable intellectual barriers standing squarely in their path. For Christians, it will deepen their convictions and give them fresh confidence in discussing Christianity with even their most skeptical friends.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Lee Strobel
202 books1,420 followersLee Patrick Strobel is an American Christian author and a former investigative journalist. He has written several books, including four that received ECPA Christian Book Awards (1994, 1999, 2001, 2005)[2] and a series which addresses challenges to the veracity of Christianity. He also hosted a television program called Faith Under Fire on PAX TV and runs a video apologetics web site.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 652 reviews
July 11, 2015
A review of Chapter one only. It was pretty mind-blowing.
Chapter 1 deals with the problem of Evil which is always the Big One, and here we find a very remarkable interview with Peter Kreeft, Christian philosopher. Maybe for the first time I am beginning to really get an idea of the worldview of the thinking Christian. It’s so alien. See what you think.
As you will know the problem was stated by Epicurus 300 years before Christ :
God may be all powerful and he may be Good but he cannot be both, because of the presence of evil. So, God could choose to prevent the birth of Hitler, because he could, but he didn’t do that, so he’s omnipotent but not good. Or, he wanted to prevent the birth of Hitler, but he couldn’t, because he’s not omnipotent.
Let me say that neither the author Lee Strobel nor Prof Kreeft spends any time contemplating that maybe God isn’t good or loving. For them, the idea is unthinkable.
Kreeft’s two ideas here are that suffering on Earth is short-term, and people who moan about it are just not seeing the big picture. But let the man himself explain:
If God’s wisdom vastly exceeds ours… it is at least possible that a loving God could deliberately tolerate horrible things like starvation because he foresees that in the long run more people will be better and happier than if he miraculously intervened. That’s at least intellectually possible….
It’s at least possible that God is wise enough to foresee that we need some pain for reasons which we may not understand but which he foresees as being necessary to some eventual good. Therefore he’s not being evil by allowing pain to exist.
The universe is a soul-making machine, and part of that process is learning, maturing, and growing through difficult and challenging and painful experiences. The point of our lives in this world isn’t comfort, but training and preparation for eternity….suffering is compatible with God’s love if it is medicinal, remedial, and necessary; that is, if we are very sick and desperately need a cure. And that’s our situation.
Strobel puts the question : “But good people suffer just as much – or sometimes more- than the bad.”
Kreeft floors him with a haymaker:
Well, the answer is that there are no good people.
And follows up by saying we should thank God for all the suffering we get to go through on Earth. :
In Heaven we will say to God “Thank you so much for this little pain I didn’t understand at the time, and that little pain; these I now see were the most precious things in my life.
So – thank you God that Ted Bundy kidnapped, raped and killed my daughter then went back and violated her corpse. Thank you God that my mother has Alzheimers for ten years. Thank you God I and my whole family were killed in that earthquake although we didn’t get much chance to learn much and grow and mature from that experience. Thank you God for female genital mutilation, that has helped millions of girls to learn and grow spiritually. Thank you God for Aids. Thank you…. Well, I think you get the picture. But this concept of Christianity (& I assume the other two monotheist faiths) clearly does imply this kind of (what I would describe as) inhuman version of reality. Kreeft pulls no punches:
Compared with knowing God eternally, compared to the intimacy with God that Scripture calls a spiritual marriage, nothing else counts. If the way through that is torture, well, torture is nothing compared with that.
So, there we have it. In many theology books I have read this question is simply pussyfooted around with. Nobody gets in your face like this guy Kreeft. My hat’s off to him. You can clearly see the connection between his Christianity and the current jihadi version of Islam. Isis would 100% agree with Kreeft, except for the bit about Jesus which I have omitted from the above excerpts.
Now, just to be clear, I do of course think this point of view is deranged but it’s coldly rigorous. It really does make its own sense. This life on Earth is nothing. Heaven is everything. Anything that gets us to Heaven is good. Suffering gets us to Heaven. Suffering is good. Evil is good.
October 9, 2019
Some of this book is so unintentionally funny. The sub-title is “A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity”. To do this our Mr Strobel puts these Toughest Objections to several top guys and presents us with these interviews where they wrestle mightily. So here he is talking with Norman L Geisler who is “one of the most well-known and effective defenders of Christianity in the world”. The Tough Objection at this point is “God isn’t worthy of worship if he kills innocent children” which is a tough one, you must admit. He puts it to Norman that the Old Testament is stuffed full of acts of arbitrary cruelty by God, such as God commanding the Israelites to commit genocide – Norman is able to bat these away – foo, foo, the Amelekites, they were terrible, you should be glad they were got rid of. You should have seen them. But Lee then pulls out the incident of Elisha and the children :
And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
(tare means tore)
”Now, Dr Geisler, you insisted that God is not capricious but that sounds like an outrageous response to a minor and silly offence. Mauling 42 innocent little children just because they poked fun of some bald guy is awfully severe.”
Geisler was well acquainted with the issue. Geisler replied “These were not small innocent children.”
Having anticipated his response I pulled out a photocopy of the passage and thrust it in his direction. “Yes they were,” I retorted. “Look right there,” I said, pointing to the words. “It says ‘little children’”.
“Unfortunately the King James version has a misleading translation there,” he said. “Scholars have established that the original Hebrew is best translated ‘young man’. The New International Version renders the word ‘youths’. As best we can tell, this was a violent mob of dangerous teenagers, comparable to a modern street gang. The life of the prophet was in danger by the sheer number of them – if 42 were mauled, who knows how many were threatening him in total?... And their remarks about Elisha being bald were most likely a reference to the fact that lepers in those days shaved their heads. So they were assailing Elisha – a man of dignity and authority as a prophet of God – as a detestable and despicable outcast….. If a menacing mob of teenagers got away with this and God didn’t come to the defence of his prophet, just think of the negative effect that would have on society. In fact, as once commentator said : 'The disastrous fall of Samaria would have been avoided had the people repented after the bear attack'.”
I’m happy to report that Lee Strobel’s doubts about God for making violent she-bears maim 42 little children were entirely resolved. I imagine him leaning back in the armchair with a big “Whew!” after all this.
What hilarious poppycock. How can educated people get themselves into these grossly undignified verbal gyrations? You can see them twisting and turning like the slippery eel to get God off the hook. Ooo-er, miracles contradict science. Heck, a Loving God would surely never torture people in Hell for all Eternity. Ya might think. Oh crumbs, Church History is Littered with Oppression and Violence (and child abuse, he might have added). Lemme think, lemme think
All these mighty posers are grappled with and after three or four rounds (three falls or one submission to declare the winner) are defeated by the brains here on display.
Well, none of this is needed of course. It’s all entirely useless energy. It is surely obvious that religion a) provides for a permanent need in most people (Marxists thought it would wither & die but that ain’t happening any time soon) and b) is conducted in forms inherited from pre-scientific and pre-secular societies. You can clearly see the awkward evolution of the concept of God in the Bible, from the crudities of the contest between Elijah and the priests of Baal to the Platonic sophistries of St Paul. Given that, there are no problems with any of these tough objections really. Okay, there is with one, which I dealt with in my review of chapter 1. But the others? Ffft.
A WHISTLE-STOP TOUR OF THE TOUGHEST OBJECTIONS (HUH, THEY AIN'T SO TOUGH)
“Since Miracles contradict science, they cannot be true” – correct. Next!
“Evolution Explains Life, so God isn’t Needed” – hold on there, what’s that again? Does evolution explain how there is something rather than nothing? Or why we have these particular physical laws and not others? I think we need more scientists than Charles Darwin to explain Life. & even when we have the whole Cernfuls of them, their explanations make as much sense as Genesis to most of us. So I don’t think it’s all as neat and tidy as this Tough Objection implies. However, miracles do not exist except in the minds some people. Next.
“God Isn’t Worthy of Worship if he kills Tiny Little Innocent Wee Children” – well, yes, that seems to be true. But he might have his reasons (see above).
“It’s Offensive to Claim Jesus is the Only Way to God.” Well, yes it is. Although it’s also not credible to assert that the maker of all the universes has a deep and abiding interest in what You – yes, YOU – do with your private parts. So, if you stop making these weird assertions you won’t have to cudgel your brain thinking of ways to defend them.
“A Loving God would Never Torture People in Hell.” Quite so – they thought that Hell at least brought some order to a chaotic universe in the Middle Ages, but that was then and this is now. Only heavy metal fans really believe in Hell anymore. The rest of us have to decide if there is an afterlife what happens to Jeffrey Dahmer or Sid Vicious. I don’t want to be spending an eternity with those characters, don’t know about you. So yeah, a hell-less afterlife is quite a problem, but maybe there isn’t an afterlife at all. Or maybe it’s just like a giant parking lot which stretches infinitely – oh stop. To summarise, Hell – no!
“Church History is Littered with Oppression and Violence.” That’s a tough objection? But it’s a man-made institution, so of course it is! Come on, get real, kids, that’s not an objection at all.
“I Still Have Doubts, so I Can’t be a Christian.” Hmm, I would rephrase that – “I Still Have Doubts so there’s Hope Yet.” No, that’s mean. But may the Lord protect and save me from those who have no doubts!
IN CONCLUSION
I think it’s time for me to stop trying to find an interpretation of Christianity which makes sense. Its mysteries shake down into two “tough” problems for me – theodicy, which is the fancy word for the efforts to solve problem of evil (see review of the first chapter of this book), and the Crucifixion – what was the nature of this central act, what do Christians think actually happened, or to put it another way, why did Jesus have to die in order to save the human race from sin and what does any of that mean? I think every Christian really struggles with both those questions in every century since AD 33 – certainly all those whose books I’ve been reading over the last couple of years do. As well they might. They’re insoluble. It doesn’t make sense. That doesn’t mean Christianity is not true – just means that in the profoundest way it’s non-sense, beyond language. I’m too literal-minded. Got no ear for it. Funny really, because I love the KJV, and my iPod is stuffed with Christian music. So let’s end with a favourite old hymn.
Farther along we'll know all about it,
Farther along we'll understand why;
Cheer up, my brother, come sing in the sunshine
We'll understand it all by and by.
P Bryant in the afterlife
"Where now are your gibes, Mr Reviewer?"
And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
(tare means tore)
”Now, Dr Geisler, you insisted that God is not capricious but that sounds like an outrageous response to a minor and silly offence. Mauling 42 innocent little children just because they poked fun of some bald guy is awfully severe.”
Geisler was well acquainted with the issue. Geisler replied “These were not small innocent children.”
Having anticipated his response I pulled out a photocopy of the passage and thrust it in his direction. “Yes they were,” I retorted. “Look right there,” I said, pointing to the words. “It says ‘little children’”.
“Unfortunately the King James version has a misleading translation there,” he said. “Scholars have established that the original Hebrew is best translated ‘young man’. The New International Version renders the word ‘youths’. As best we can tell, this was a violent mob of dangerous teenagers, comparable to a modern street gang. The life of the prophet was in danger by the sheer number of them – if 42 were mauled, who knows how many were threatening him in total?... And their remarks about Elisha being bald were most likely a reference to the fact that lepers in those days shaved their heads. So they were assailing Elisha – a man of dignity and authority as a prophet of God – as a detestable and despicable outcast….. If a menacing mob of teenagers got away with this and God didn’t come to the defence of his prophet, just think of the negative effect that would have on society. In fact, as once commentator said : 'The disastrous fall of Samaria would have been avoided had the people repented after the bear attack'.”
I’m happy to report that Lee Strobel’s doubts about God for making violent she-bears maim 42 little children were entirely resolved. I imagine him leaning back in the armchair with a big “Whew!” after all this.
What hilarious poppycock. How can educated people get themselves into these grossly undignified verbal gyrations? You can see them twisting and turning like the slippery eel to get God off the hook. Ooo-er, miracles contradict science. Heck, a Loving God would surely never torture people in Hell for all Eternity. Ya might think. Oh crumbs, Church History is Littered with Oppression and Violence (and child abuse, he might have added). Lemme think, lemme think
All these mighty posers are grappled with and after three or four rounds (three falls or one submission to declare the winner) are defeated by the brains here on display.
Well, none of this is needed of course. It’s all entirely useless energy. It is surely obvious that religion a) provides for a permanent need in most people (Marxists thought it would wither & die but that ain’t happening any time soon) and b) is conducted in forms inherited from pre-scientific and pre-secular societies. You can clearly see the awkward evolution of the concept of God in the Bible, from the crudities of the contest between Elijah and the priests of Baal to the Platonic sophistries of St Paul. Given that, there are no problems with any of these tough objections really. Okay, there is with one, which I dealt with in my review of chapter 1. But the others? Ffft.
A WHISTLE-STOP TOUR OF THE TOUGHEST OBJECTIONS (HUH, THEY AIN'T SO TOUGH)
“Since Miracles contradict science, they cannot be true” – correct. Next!
“Evolution Explains Life, so God isn’t Needed” – hold on there, what’s that again? Does evolution explain how there is something rather than nothing? Or why we have these particular physical laws and not others? I think we need more scientists than Charles Darwin to explain Life. & even when we have the whole Cernfuls of them, their explanations make as much sense as Genesis to most of us. So I don’t think it’s all as neat and tidy as this Tough Objection implies. However, miracles do not exist except in the minds some people. Next.
“God Isn’t Worthy of Worship if he kills Tiny Little Innocent Wee Children” – well, yes, that seems to be true. But he might have his reasons (see above).
“It’s Offensive to Claim Jesus is the Only Way to God.” Well, yes it is. Although it’s also not credible to assert that the maker of all the universes has a deep and abiding interest in what You – yes, YOU – do with your private parts. So, if you stop making these weird assertions you won’t have to cudgel your brain thinking of ways to defend them.
“A Loving God would Never Torture People in Hell.” Quite so – they thought that Hell at least brought some order to a chaotic universe in the Middle Ages, but that was then and this is now. Only heavy metal fans really believe in Hell anymore. The rest of us have to decide if there is an afterlife what happens to Jeffrey Dahmer or Sid Vicious. I don’t want to be spending an eternity with those characters, don’t know about you. So yeah, a hell-less afterlife is quite a problem, but maybe there isn’t an afterlife at all. Or maybe it’s just like a giant parking lot which stretches infinitely – oh stop. To summarise, Hell – no!
“Church History is Littered with Oppression and Violence.” That’s a tough objection? But it’s a man-made institution, so of course it is! Come on, get real, kids, that’s not an objection at all.
“I Still Have Doubts, so I Can’t be a Christian.” Hmm, I would rephrase that – “I Still Have Doubts so there’s Hope Yet.” No, that’s mean. But may the Lord protect and save me from those who have no doubts!
IN CONCLUSION
I think it’s time for me to stop trying to find an interpretation of Christianity which makes sense. Its mysteries shake down into two “tough” problems for me – theodicy, which is the fancy word for the efforts to solve problem of evil (see review of the first chapter of this book), and the Crucifixion – what was the nature of this central act, what do Christians think actually happened, or to put it another way, why did Jesus have to die in order to save the human race from sin and what does any of that mean? I think every Christian really struggles with both those questions in every century since AD 33 – certainly all those whose books I’ve been reading over the last couple of years do. As well they might. They’re insoluble. It doesn’t make sense. That doesn’t mean Christianity is not true – just means that in the profoundest way it’s non-sense, beyond language. I’m too literal-minded. Got no ear for it. Funny really, because I love the KJV, and my iPod is stuffed with Christian music. So let’s end with a favourite old hymn.
Farther along we'll know all about it,
Farther along we'll understand why;
Cheer up, my brother, come sing in the sunshine
We'll understand it all by and by.
P Bryant in the afterlife
"Where now are your gibes, Mr Reviewer?"
January 10, 2023
"But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.". 1 Peter 3:15 Amplified Bible.
This is the best book of Christian apologetics which I have ever read. I have found it more useful than Josh McDowell's EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT, itself one of the great books of apologetics.
In this book Lee Strobel set out to answer some of the most difficult questions which confront Christians. Questions which are often used in attempts to discredit Christianity. He conducted his investigations as a journalist with legal experience. Interestingly, he began as many have done in an effort to disprove Christianity. I think it was Josh McDowell who said words to the effect that he wished more people would try to disprove Christianity. We would have more Christians
The book is not written as one which needs to be read in order from the beginning to the end, though that is the way I first read it and by doing so you can follow Lee Strobel's journey from strident unbelief to Christianity. Just look at the chapter titles to find objections to Christianity to which you or those you know want answers. Objections such as, "Objection #6: A Loving God Would Never Torture People in Hell." This book does not answer all of the questions but it is a good place to start.
I wish that I had had this book in college which is why I have begun reading the student edition with our 11 year old 6th grader.
This is the best book of Christian apologetics which I have ever read. I have found it more useful than Josh McDowell's EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT, itself one of the great books of apologetics.
In this book Lee Strobel set out to answer some of the most difficult questions which confront Christians. Questions which are often used in attempts to discredit Christianity. He conducted his investigations as a journalist with legal experience. Interestingly, he began as many have done in an effort to disprove Christianity. I think it was Josh McDowell who said words to the effect that he wished more people would try to disprove Christianity. We would have more Christians
The book is not written as one which needs to be read in order from the beginning to the end, though that is the way I first read it and by doing so you can follow Lee Strobel's journey from strident unbelief to Christianity. Just look at the chapter titles to find objections to Christianity to which you or those you know want answers. Objections such as, "Objection #6: A Loving God Would Never Torture People in Hell." This book does not answer all of the questions but it is a good place to start.
I wish that I had had this book in college which is why I have begun reading the student edition with our 11 year old 6th grader.
February 7, 2017
Rated 1 star for false advertising, unsatisfactory answers given.
Here we have another spin-off for Strobel the self-proclaimed "former atheist," "skeptic," and "journalist." In brief, Strobel goes on a quest to find answers for "the toughest questions that stand between people and faith in Christianity." What's funny is that Strobel thinks (or pretends to think) that he can actually "get to the bottom of this Christianity thing once and for all," and that he can accomplish this monumental task after a mere two years of research(!) - and by research, Stobel means interviewing a small number of Christian apologists who all share the same opinions.
The idea that this breezy, half-assed book is somehow going to put any serious doubts about the Christian faith to rest is absurd to begin with. It's also a mystery as to why Strobel thinks he can continue posing as a no-nonsense, hard-nosed investigator. He spends most of his interviews accepting everything he is told only occasionally raising a token objection here and there for show. Even somebody who knows next to nothing about how to carry on an investigation outside of crime novels or detective movies could tell you that an investigator never gets anywhere by just taking one side of the story at face value the way Strobel does.
The preface to TCFF is the most telling part of the book. It serves as a parable summing up the thrust of Strobel's entire argument, a story about two men, Billy Graham and Charles Templeton, the preacher and the preacher-turned-skeptic.
In this prefatory parable we are told that Templeton (former evangelical crusader and colleague of Graham) lost his faith because he began to ask serious questions about his evangelical Christian beliefs. In Strobel's own words, instead of "letting his heart soar to God, Templeton's intellect kept him securely tied down." In contrast to Templeton, Billy Graham, when confronted with troubling questions, prayed to God and decided to simply believe in things he couldn't understand instead of grappling with these difficult questions head on. Because he chose the way of simpleminded faith, we are told that Graham was rewarded with feelings of strength and empowerment and later further rewarded with great success in his ministry career. (Prosperity and success always carry more weight with these people than any kind of intellectual integrity. They're salesmen, not sages. )
Is it a little odd that a book claiming to ask and answer difficult religious questions would begin by demonizing critical thinking and intellectual honesty? Is it strange that before the reader even reaches the first chapter of a book claiming to take an honest look at "the toughest questions facing Christian beliefs", a person who dares question conventional, evangelical/fundamentalist dogma is portrayed as standing on a precipice of doom all but surely condemned to a future of misery, failure, ruin and despair? This might seem quite strange at first, that is until you realize this book never intends to ask any questions in the spirit of legitimate inquiry. TCFF is nothing more than another way of remarketing the same old type of fundamentalist Christian theology where "making a decision for Christ" far outweights any thinking for oneself.
Look for the further adventures of Strobel in his upcoming book:
The Case for More Ca$h: How an Aging, Mediocre Journali$t Found Jesus... Could Be So Financially Profitable!
Here we have another spin-off for Strobel the self-proclaimed "former atheist," "skeptic," and "journalist." In brief, Strobel goes on a quest to find answers for "the toughest questions that stand between people and faith in Christianity." What's funny is that Strobel thinks (or pretends to think) that he can actually "get to the bottom of this Christianity thing once and for all," and that he can accomplish this monumental task after a mere two years of research(!) - and by research, Stobel means interviewing a small number of Christian apologists who all share the same opinions.
The idea that this breezy, half-assed book is somehow going to put any serious doubts about the Christian faith to rest is absurd to begin with. It's also a mystery as to why Strobel thinks he can continue posing as a no-nonsense, hard-nosed investigator. He spends most of his interviews accepting everything he is told only occasionally raising a token objection here and there for show. Even somebody who knows next to nothing about how to carry on an investigation outside of crime novels or detective movies could tell you that an investigator never gets anywhere by just taking one side of the story at face value the way Strobel does.
The preface to TCFF is the most telling part of the book. It serves as a parable summing up the thrust of Strobel's entire argument, a story about two men, Billy Graham and Charles Templeton, the preacher and the preacher-turned-skeptic.
In this prefatory parable we are told that Templeton (former evangelical crusader and colleague of Graham) lost his faith because he began to ask serious questions about his evangelical Christian beliefs. In Strobel's own words, instead of "letting his heart soar to God, Templeton's intellect kept him securely tied down." In contrast to Templeton, Billy Graham, when confronted with troubling questions, prayed to God and decided to simply believe in things he couldn't understand instead of grappling with these difficult questions head on. Because he chose the way of simpleminded faith, we are told that Graham was rewarded with feelings of strength and empowerment and later further rewarded with great success in his ministry career. (Prosperity and success always carry more weight with these people than any kind of intellectual integrity. They're salesmen, not sages. )
Is it a little odd that a book claiming to ask and answer difficult religious questions would begin by demonizing critical thinking and intellectual honesty? Is it strange that before the reader even reaches the first chapter of a book claiming to take an honest look at "the toughest questions facing Christian beliefs", a person who dares question conventional, evangelical/fundamentalist dogma is portrayed as standing on a precipice of doom all but surely condemned to a future of misery, failure, ruin and despair? This might seem quite strange at first, that is until you realize this book never intends to ask any questions in the spirit of legitimate inquiry. TCFF is nothing more than another way of remarketing the same old type of fundamentalist Christian theology where "making a decision for Christ" far outweights any thinking for oneself.
Look for the further adventures of Strobel in his upcoming book:
The Case for More Ca$h: How an Aging, Mediocre Journali$t Found Jesus... Could Be So Financially Profitable!
November 11, 2012
Closed-minded atheists will not appreciate this work (or any other pro-God book) and will ultimately find ways to ridicule its content simply because they don't want to hear/believe any case for our Creator. For Christians and open-minded seekers of Jesus, this book will open your eyes and hearts to understand the objections to Christianity and offer valid, beneficial viewpoints to help answer them. I've been a Christian for nearly twenty years and I've had many doubts about my faith in the past (which is what led me to read Strobel's The Case for a Creator, another great book) but this book revealed truths that I previously had not known in areas that church never mentioned. The book gave me greater understanding of my faith and has since helped me offer valid points of view when talking about Christ with my non-believing friends. This is a must-read for all Christians and non-Christians alike; however, non-believers...please have an open mind when reading and know that there can never be hard, scientific, testable proof for the existence of God. From a scientific point of view, Christianity is only a "theory" and one will always need to have faith in Jesus in order to bridge the gap between what we know (outstanding historical and archeological evidence for the authenticity of the Bible and its contents) and what God wants us to know.
November 25, 2022
Strobel’s books are a good place to start if you’re new to Christian apologetics. All the interviews here were very interesting. The interview Strobel did with Norman Geisler was my favorite. If you’re looking for more advanced apologetics, check out Richard Swinburne’s books and papers.
October 29, 2009
I tried to read this with an open mind, but the lack of any sort of rational argument is making this very difficult. This book should be renamed "The Case for Faith (if you already have plenty of it)". Maybe I was wrong in going into this book thinking it was justifications for everyone and not just those who already have faith. Because if you don't already have faith, this book makes zero valid points and just frustrates any analytical reader with non-existant logic, false sincerity and a lot of circle-jerking.
On the killing of the Egyptian firstborns:
- So, if you believe in the Bible, then the Bible is justified, no circular reasoning here.
On the resurrection of Jesus:
- As long as you seperate God from natural laws, and sort of miracle becomes believable... well no S#@T - this is considered a valid argument?! Apparently, because it was the 'argument' that ended the discussion; case closed I guess.
On the killing of the Egyptian firstborns:
...technically nobody is truly innocent. The Bible says in Psalm 51 that we're all born in sin...
- So, if you believe in the Bible, then the Bible is justified, no circular reasoning here.
On the resurrection of Jesus:
Now, I would agree with hume that natural resurrection of Jesus from the dead, without any sort of divine intervention, is enormously imporbable. But that's not the hypothesis. The hypothesis is God raised Jesus from the dead. That doesn't say anything against the laws of nature, which say dead men don't come back to life naturally.
- As long as you seperate God from natural laws, and sort of miracle becomes believable... well no S#@T - this is considered a valid argument?! Apparently, because it was the 'argument' that ended the discussion; case closed I guess.
June 23, 2008
Perhaps a litmus test for one's attitude toward fundamental Christianity.
Good for those whose aim is to become or stay Christian, not so good for those without preconcieved notions.
The book makes no secret of the fact that its design is to aid persons who already desire to be Christians.
For example, the last chapter is dedicated to disputing "Obection #8: I Still Have Doubts, So I Can't Be A Christian".
And in Strobel's Ch. 2 interview with William Craig, Craig states, "You don't need to have all your questions answered to come to faith. You just have to say, "The weight of the evidence seems to show this is true, so...I'm going to believe and hope for answers in the long run."
Ergo, the book's aim is not to seek truth so much as consider under what circumstances the God and Jesus of the Bible could exist as written.
As Strobel's scholars ruminate over what kind of Hell a perfectly loving God could create, or why bad things happen to good people, the majority of the arguments are based on speculation rather than scripture or logic.
The first time I read it, the book's arguments for the type of Christianity I wanted to believe gave me something to hold on to.
But is this what God really desires? Is faith merely to fill in a religion's gaps in logic?
Will God really condemn those who honestly say, "I don't know."? Or must we devour specious suppositions just so we can say we have an answer, perhaps a poor one, but nevertheless an answer for the mysteries of God.
Good for those whose aim is to become or stay Christian, not so good for those without preconcieved notions.
The book makes no secret of the fact that its design is to aid persons who already desire to be Christians.
For example, the last chapter is dedicated to disputing "Obection #8: I Still Have Doubts, So I Can't Be A Christian".
And in Strobel's Ch. 2 interview with William Craig, Craig states, "You don't need to have all your questions answered to come to faith. You just have to say, "The weight of the evidence seems to show this is true, so...I'm going to believe and hope for answers in the long run."
Ergo, the book's aim is not to seek truth so much as consider under what circumstances the God and Jesus of the Bible could exist as written.
As Strobel's scholars ruminate over what kind of Hell a perfectly loving God could create, or why bad things happen to good people, the majority of the arguments are based on speculation rather than scripture or logic.
The first time I read it, the book's arguments for the type of Christianity I wanted to believe gave me something to hold on to.
But is this what God really desires? Is faith merely to fill in a religion's gaps in logic?
Will God really condemn those who honestly say, "I don't know."? Or must we devour specious suppositions just so we can say we have an answer, perhaps a poor one, but nevertheless an answer for the mysteries of God.
February 24, 2008
This book is so worth reading! Even better than The Case for Christ! Parts of it are really scientific and, for me, those were difficult to get through, but I was astounded by the quotes of the atheistists! I had no idea that they had such little fact on which to base their beliefs. I didn't know that so many physicists and biologists today are Christians simply because of the evidence in their studies that cannot be ignored. One part of the book that stuck with me was when someone said that when he needs an atheist point of view, he goes to the pyschology dept. of the university because the physics dept. is no help!
Strobel's interviews give doubters of Christianity a great place to start researching and gives Christians an amazingly strong basis in which to defend our Creator and our faith.
Strobel's interviews give doubters of Christianity a great place to start researching and gives Christians an amazingly strong basis in which to defend our Creator and our faith.
January 15, 2023
Someone who I love and respect suggested that I read this book, so I did. It was not time well spent. The arguments in favor of religion that are featured in this book are ancient and have been refuted now for ages. All by itself, that's OK. It's good to dust-off old arguments once in a while to see if they are still as you remember them. But here they are offered up without a hint of subtlety or sophistication, and that drains the book of interest.
That does not mean that you should not believe, if you are so inclined. It does mean that you should look elsewhere for quality reading concerning the basis for your faith.
That does not mean that you should not believe, if you are so inclined. It does mean that you should look elsewhere for quality reading concerning the basis for your faith.
December 13, 2007
After breaking up with the guy with the different religion, and being devistated it made me really sit down and think about my faith one more time. I enjoyed this book because it didn't make me question it even more, but made me think... what else CAN I believe. This is the only thing that makes sense. And its ok to have questions still, but Faith is all that is needed.
May 2, 2008
A perfect book for the intellectual, the doubter and the inquisitive. Mind gripping answers to soul seeking questions.
April 25, 2012
Very rational arguments presented. Chapter 2 is excellent. Chapter 3 is fascinating. Try to win this debate against the facts he and leading scholars and scientists present.
August 10, 2016
I somehow had the urge, on Christmas day, no less, to review this... maybe as explanation for why I'm not sitting in church right now... a "bah, humbug" review, I suppose. I used to identify as Christian. I read this book. I'm now agnostic. Obviously, losing faith isn't that simple, correlation doesn't imply causation, and this book may be great for some people, but I want to add my reaction because I'm concerned for anyone who reads this book while troubled about their faith...it may be a really, really bad idea.
I grew up in the church, but I've always had doubts. I'm a logician at heart, and there are a lot of direct contradictions in the Bible. There are also a lot of teachings which have been discarded in light of our culture(e.g. the role of women, most of the Old Testament laws, etc) and my very tautological mindset has issues with pick-and-choose precepts. Anyway, growing up in the church, I learned quickly that hard questions were not welcomed. (Yes, this includes those alpha groups. I tried a few--after getting questions shut down, I tried contacting the leaders and asking if it was ok for me to come...I was gently told that my concerns might "contaminate" others.) That "don't confuse me with the facts" mentality is what eventually made me give up. And this book has it in spades.
I was given this book (as a Christmas gift, incidentally) quite a few years ago by a truly kind and compassionate member of my church who hadn't read it but thought it might help me with those "hard questions." As it turns out, it didn't, and in fact helped to kill most of my remaining faith. I found Strobel's God to be one much more interested in righteousness and justice than forgiveness or compassion. He felt to me like the other side of the coin of C.S. Lewis's God of joy and love.
Strobel sets out a bunch of "laws" and "rules" dogmatically, not all of which (I felt) are biblically supported. Take, as one example, the fun parts of the Old Testament where God orders pillage, rape, murder and genocide. I sort of developed a comfort with the "continuing revelation" view of the Bible--that God first reveals himself to Abraham as in some ways a god of the mountain, and that as he continued to reveal himself, people understood more clearly about mercy as opposed to hard justice. Strobel doesn't agree. I also never believed in inerrancy--it's the whole direct contradiction issue--and Strobel does. So that means he actually had the fun task of arguing that the genocides and rapes and slaughters,of, say, the Canaanites in the Old Testament were justified. Strobel's response: they were bad people, so they--and their children and camels--deserved what was coming to them.
Another section that bothered me was about exclusivity. I've always believed (I know, I know, this automatically shows why I couldn't survive in the church) that God must be bigger than the labels and regimented doctrine of Judeo-Christianity. Why would he limit himself to only one small group? What happened to people born before then? What happens to someone who never learned of Jesus? Why could God not have been continually revealing himself to people throughout time, to people who never fully grasp Him and therefore splinter themselves into various religions? (I know, it's heresy. But then, I'm no longer Christian...maybe I never really was.) Strobel asks some of these in his interview...but comes up with neatly packaged answers supporting exclusivity. He argues that God being God, God must somehow give everyone the opportunity. And apparently, all other religions are "wrong" and "arrogant" for "daring" to consider their religion better than Christianity. I cannot reconcile with a God who sends backbiting Christians to Heaven because they jump through some hoops and get all their names right while sending, say, faithful, righteous, and compassionate Muslims to Hell.
And speaking of Hell...there's an entire chapter devoted to it. It is actually possible, if you're careful, to read what Jesus says about Hell, the weeping and gnashing of teeth, as simply ending rather than eternal torment. For me, that was OK. I'm comfortable with ending and becoming nothing. Eternity scares me. Eternal Hell also seems to me to contradict the argument that God uses earthly pain as a teaching tool like a parent making a child do his homework. (Speaking of which, apparently children get a free pass--Strobel "saves" the children from Hell via the "age of accountability" doctrine--apparently there's a mystical cutoff at which point you become responsible and can go darkside. I don't understand this, and I see no biblical support.) What parent, no matter how sick, twisted, and bad, could ever send their child to eternal time-out, let alone Hell? How could God? According to Strobel and his interviewee, God thinks we each have "intrinsic value", so shoving us in hopeless Hell from which there is no chance of redemption somehow "saves" that "value", whereas nonexistence would destroy it. That sounds dangerously close to a sociopathic viewpoint to me. And how could anyone be happy in Heaven knowing anyone--no matter how bad--was being eternally tormented? Apparently, they're just dandy with that "value" thing. Look, if Strobel's right, I'm headed straight to Hell without passing go or collecting $200. I can't picture my parents feeling happy knowing that I'm eternally tormented. They'd rather I was just gone. The only reason to keep us there would be the CS Lewis Great Divorce style redemption--where even after death, people could be reconciled to God. No chance, says Strobel, because if God is infinitely wise, how could anyone die without having sufficient opportunities? This touches home, as (like most people) I know people who have committed suicide due to serious mental depression (and possibly poor medical treatment for it). According to Strobel, they're downstairs being tortured right now, and will scream in Hell for all eternity.
The last section is about how it's OK to have doubts. But before you start feeling better, they have to be the "right" doubts. And of course, they will be magically resolved via prayer and supplication and a relationship with God. To be honest, I've tried and agonized. I've never felt God. I've never had a relationship. And I still have (pardon the pun) a Hell of a lot of doubts.
I'm no longer Christian. This book isn't the only reason why, but it certainly was a contributing factor to my sense of alienation from the church and the community. I want to dismiss it, ignore it, erase it from my mind, but I never can. Much of it also has a significant amount of biblical support. This book scares me, and while it promises me eternal torment for not towing the line, it also makes me physically unable to do so. I worry that for doubters like me, this book is dangerous and toxic to faith. But again, everyone reacts differently; maybe some people will benefit from it. If you are firm in your faith, it may be a very interesting read to contrast with C.S.Lewis.
I grew up in the church, but I've always had doubts. I'm a logician at heart, and there are a lot of direct contradictions in the Bible. There are also a lot of teachings which have been discarded in light of our culture(e.g. the role of women, most of the Old Testament laws, etc) and my very tautological mindset has issues with pick-and-choose precepts. Anyway, growing up in the church, I learned quickly that hard questions were not welcomed. (Yes, this includes those alpha groups. I tried a few--after getting questions shut down, I tried contacting the leaders and asking if it was ok for me to come...I was gently told that my concerns might "contaminate" others.) That "don't confuse me with the facts" mentality is what eventually made me give up. And this book has it in spades.
I was given this book (as a Christmas gift, incidentally) quite a few years ago by a truly kind and compassionate member of my church who hadn't read it but thought it might help me with those "hard questions." As it turns out, it didn't, and in fact helped to kill most of my remaining faith. I found Strobel's God to be one much more interested in righteousness and justice than forgiveness or compassion. He felt to me like the other side of the coin of C.S. Lewis's God of joy and love.
Strobel sets out a bunch of "laws" and "rules" dogmatically, not all of which (I felt) are biblically supported. Take, as one example, the fun parts of the Old Testament where God orders pillage, rape, murder and genocide. I sort of developed a comfort with the "continuing revelation" view of the Bible--that God first reveals himself to Abraham as in some ways a god of the mountain, and that as he continued to reveal himself, people understood more clearly about mercy as opposed to hard justice. Strobel doesn't agree. I also never believed in inerrancy--it's the whole direct contradiction issue--and Strobel does. So that means he actually had the fun task of arguing that the genocides and rapes and slaughters,of, say, the Canaanites in the Old Testament were justified. Strobel's response: they were bad people, so they--and their children and camels--deserved what was coming to them.
Another section that bothered me was about exclusivity. I've always believed (I know, I know, this automatically shows why I couldn't survive in the church) that God must be bigger than the labels and regimented doctrine of Judeo-Christianity. Why would he limit himself to only one small group? What happened to people born before then? What happens to someone who never learned of Jesus? Why could God not have been continually revealing himself to people throughout time, to people who never fully grasp Him and therefore splinter themselves into various religions? (I know, it's heresy. But then, I'm no longer Christian...maybe I never really was.) Strobel asks some of these in his interview...but comes up with neatly packaged answers supporting exclusivity. He argues that God being God, God must somehow give everyone the opportunity. And apparently, all other religions are "wrong" and "arrogant" for "daring" to consider their religion better than Christianity. I cannot reconcile with a God who sends backbiting Christians to Heaven because they jump through some hoops and get all their names right while sending, say, faithful, righteous, and compassionate Muslims to Hell.
And speaking of Hell...there's an entire chapter devoted to it. It is actually possible, if you're careful, to read what Jesus says about Hell, the weeping and gnashing of teeth, as simply ending rather than eternal torment. For me, that was OK. I'm comfortable with ending and becoming nothing. Eternity scares me. Eternal Hell also seems to me to contradict the argument that God uses earthly pain as a teaching tool like a parent making a child do his homework. (Speaking of which, apparently children get a free pass--Strobel "saves" the children from Hell via the "age of accountability" doctrine--apparently there's a mystical cutoff at which point you become responsible and can go darkside. I don't understand this, and I see no biblical support.) What parent, no matter how sick, twisted, and bad, could ever send their child to eternal time-out, let alone Hell? How could God? According to Strobel and his interviewee, God thinks we each have "intrinsic value", so shoving us in hopeless Hell from which there is no chance of redemption somehow "saves" that "value", whereas nonexistence would destroy it. That sounds dangerously close to a sociopathic viewpoint to me. And how could anyone be happy in Heaven knowing anyone--no matter how bad--was being eternally tormented? Apparently, they're just dandy with that "value" thing. Look, if Strobel's right, I'm headed straight to Hell without passing go or collecting $200. I can't picture my parents feeling happy knowing that I'm eternally tormented. They'd rather I was just gone. The only reason to keep us there would be the CS Lewis Great Divorce style redemption--where even after death, people could be reconciled to God. No chance, says Strobel, because if God is infinitely wise, how could anyone die without having sufficient opportunities? This touches home, as (like most people) I know people who have committed suicide due to serious mental depression (and possibly poor medical treatment for it). According to Strobel, they're downstairs being tortured right now, and will scream in Hell for all eternity.
The last section is about how it's OK to have doubts. But before you start feeling better, they have to be the "right" doubts. And of course, they will be magically resolved via prayer and supplication and a relationship with God. To be honest, I've tried and agonized. I've never felt God. I've never had a relationship. And I still have (pardon the pun) a Hell of a lot of doubts.
I'm no longer Christian. This book isn't the only reason why, but it certainly was a contributing factor to my sense of alienation from the church and the community. I want to dismiss it, ignore it, erase it from my mind, but I never can. Much of it also has a significant amount of biblical support. This book scares me, and while it promises me eternal torment for not towing the line, it also makes me physically unable to do so. I worry that for doubters like me, this book is dangerous and toxic to faith. But again, everyone reacts differently; maybe some people will benefit from it. If you are firm in your faith, it may be a very interesting read to contrast with C.S.Lewis.
August 23, 2011
It starts with 'You ask too many questions and you think too much' then gets worse from there. It presumes that the reader believes the Jesus mythology then goes ahead and uses quotes from the bible, in a circular logic, to support the claims of...wait for it...the bible. I went along with the premise of assuming Jesus to be real, but it really didn't help.
From one chapter to the next the author fails to keep his arguments coherent. In one chapter God is hidden, then in the next a problematic scipture is explained away by a God that actual visits people - uh, visiting people is the exact opposite of remaining hidden, FYI. In another chapter, God's murderous demands are explained as being moral because, well, god makes life, thus he is justified in taking it ¬¬, uh, ok, but then in the very next chapter when discussing the ethics of hell, it suddenly becomes immoral for god to 'unexist' someone rather than have them suffer eternal damnation. Which is it? Is killing by God OK or not? Fortunately the author is not troubled by such details. Oh yea, speaking of hell; hell isn't full of fire and worms and gnashing of teeth, no no no, that was an allegory you see, hell is just a mental torment of being away from God...as if mental torment for an eternity is somehow better than physical torment?
This book is filled with such nonsense.
Throughout, the common thread is 'the end justify the means', which is Machiavellian more than divine, IMHO...and of course any troublesome bible passage that is complete abhorrent and debased is explained away by the ever handy 'mistranslation' or better yet, ignored.
I feel dumber for having read this book. Needless to say the case was weak. Clearly this is not a book for skeptics, but for lapsed christians seeking reassurance, and this author seeks to deliver a pablum of coddling to bring the stray sheep back to the flock.
From one chapter to the next the author fails to keep his arguments coherent. In one chapter God is hidden, then in the next a problematic scipture is explained away by a God that actual visits people - uh, visiting people is the exact opposite of remaining hidden, FYI. In another chapter, God's murderous demands are explained as being moral because, well, god makes life, thus he is justified in taking it ¬¬, uh, ok, but then in the very next chapter when discussing the ethics of hell, it suddenly becomes immoral for god to 'unexist' someone rather than have them suffer eternal damnation. Which is it? Is killing by God OK or not? Fortunately the author is not troubled by such details. Oh yea, speaking of hell; hell isn't full of fire and worms and gnashing of teeth, no no no, that was an allegory you see, hell is just a mental torment of being away from God...as if mental torment for an eternity is somehow better than physical torment?
This book is filled with such nonsense.
Throughout, the common thread is 'the end justify the means', which is Machiavellian more than divine, IMHO...and of course any troublesome bible passage that is complete abhorrent and debased is explained away by the ever handy 'mistranslation' or better yet, ignored.
I feel dumber for having read this book. Needless to say the case was weak. Clearly this is not a book for skeptics, but for lapsed christians seeking reassurance, and this author seeks to deliver a pablum of coddling to bring the stray sheep back to the flock.
October 10, 2009
If you know anything about logical fallacies, stay away lest your head explode on page three. If not for your own sake, then for the person who gets stuck cleaning chunks of skull and gray matter from the ceiling of your bathroom.
January 24, 2016
This one took me a while to finish...but it was worth it! Strobel asks some hard questions, and the people he interviews don't shy away from answering them. Even if you are already a believer, you're likely to learn some things about the Christian faith; I sure did!
January 19, 2024
The eight toughest questions and objections against Christianity? Answered.
1. If there's a loving God, why does this pain-wracked world groan under so much suffering?
2. If the miracles of God contradict science, then how can any rational person believe that they're true?
3. If God really created the universe, why does the persuasive evidence of science compel so many to conclude that the unguided process of evolution accounts for life?
4. If God is morally pure, how can he sanction the slaughter of innocent children as the Old Testament says he did?
5. If Jesus is the only way to heaven, then what about the millions of people who have never heard of him?
6. If God cares about the people he created, how could he consign so many of them to an eternity of torture in hell just because they didn't believe the right things about him?
7. If God is the ultimate overseer of the church, why has it been rife with hypocrisy and brutality throughout the ages?
8. If I'm still plagued by doubts, then is it still possible to be a Christian?
The superb evidence, cohesive and fluent writing, astounding revelations and moving points noted in this amazing work are utterly profound. The above, in point of fact, are the eight most common objections to the Christian faith which this book endeavors to answer. Lee Strobel has done yet another phenomenal job of taking the matter straight to the intellectual experts in the various fields of science, philosophy, and true biblical doctrine. A remarkable and insightful read!
1. If there's a loving God, why does this pain-wracked world groan under so much suffering?
2. If the miracles of God contradict science, then how can any rational person believe that they're true?
3. If God really created the universe, why does the persuasive evidence of science compel so many to conclude that the unguided process of evolution accounts for life?
4. If God is morally pure, how can he sanction the slaughter of innocent children as the Old Testament says he did?
5. If Jesus is the only way to heaven, then what about the millions of people who have never heard of him?
6. If God cares about the people he created, how could he consign so many of them to an eternity of torture in hell just because they didn't believe the right things about him?
7. If God is the ultimate overseer of the church, why has it been rife with hypocrisy and brutality throughout the ages?
8. If I'm still plagued by doubts, then is it still possible to be a Christian?
The superb evidence, cohesive and fluent writing, astounding revelations and moving points noted in this amazing work are utterly profound. The above, in point of fact, are the eight most common objections to the Christian faith which this book endeavors to answer. Lee Strobel has done yet another phenomenal job of taking the matter straight to the intellectual experts in the various fields of science, philosophy, and true biblical doctrine. A remarkable and insightful read!
January 29, 2012
I love this book. Strobel asks tough questions and makes a great case for a lot of the struggles people have with a loving God and His people. I have found that rabid atheists get angry by this book, thinking he wrote it to prove faith without a shadow of a doubt. He doesn't claim to do that and he doesn't claim the case to be closed. But he takes an open-minded look at many people's "toughest objections." It's up to the reader to make their decision, just like it's up to every soul to make it's decision, and no decision is still a decision. I think the best conclusion from this book is that, if your soul willingly makes the decision to trust (or in the beginning, try to trust) in a loving God, follow Him, love His people, obey His commandments, read His Holy Word, strive to live like Jesus did, pray and watch His will take hold of your life, because you trust and love Him, you will trust that He has a sovereign purpose and a plan. Then you will take those sincere questions in faith. Not blind, meaningless faith, but faith because He knows the greater good, and faith that is rooted in truth, because you have seen his miracles take place in your own life, on a personal, intimate level, and because you have tasted that He is good.
March 3, 2009
Extremely readable (compared to Lewis and Mere Christianity) and compelling. With chapter titles like: "Since Evil and Suffering Exist, a Loving God Cannot" "It's Offensive to Claim Jesus is the Only Way to God" " A Loving God Would Never Torture People in Hell" and more...these are all topics Lewis covers in Mere Christianity but what is different about Strobel is that he searches for answers with people specializing in certain topics...Strobel is a man with questions and seeks out the most interesting people and each chapter is laid out in a kind of interview format, asking all the questions you ever wanted to know to people you could only dream of asking. Thank God, he does and did. This was a great book.
August 2, 2018
I really appreciate how thorough Lee Strobel is. He is honest and asks hard questions. I can’t help but respect the investigations of faith he has done.
June 26, 2016
(مهم)
اعتقد دي ادق كلمة توصف الكتاب ده .. الكتاب مش ادبي جميل ..وصياغته مش رهيبة .. وحتى مش كل اجاباته كانت مقنعة بشكل كافي بالنسبة لي
لكن روعته في الواقع تكمن في الكام سؤال التأملي اللي في اخر كل فصل .. روعته باينة في رحلة التغيير الجذري لحياة للكاتب
بعد قرار الايمان بيسوع
روعته تتجلى بشكل مبالغ فيه في اخر فصل و الخاتمة
فعلا هما احلى واهم جزء في الكتاب ..ونصيحة لو حصل انك زهقت في اي مرحلة اثناء قراية الكتاب وقررت متمكلش قرايته -مش مهم-لكن اوعم متقراش الجزء العظيم ده
الكتاب ده يشترك مع كل كتب اللاهوت الدفاعي -
في انها بينقي ايمان الواحد من الافكار الغريبة عن الله وايماننا اللي كتيير بنكون وارثنها وعايشين بيها بغض النظر عن مدى ارتباطها بالاعلانات الصريحة في الكتاب المقدس
-الكتاب اظنه في اكتير من الاوقات بسيط في طرحه لمواضيع ايمانيا معقدة فلسفيا ودي حاجة تحسب له
-في اكتر من مرة حسيت ان الاجابة مش مرضية وكنت بتمنى المحاور يسأل اكتر عشان يوضح او يعمق الموضوع لكن محصلش وده جابلي احباط نوعا ما في بعض الاجزاء
-في عدد من الاجزاء افتقرت لنصوص كتابية او تعاليم مسيحية معروفة تدعم الاجابة .. واكتفى الكاتب برؤية شخصية للضيف اللي بيجاوب.. وده اضعف الاجابة في نظري
-عجبني جدا ان المؤلف عمل تلخيص لطيف لكتابه السابق اللي بيساعد على رؤية افضل للايمان بيسوع
-اظن اني هفضل استخدم الكتاب ده مرجع بيقدم اجابات مختصرة نسبيا للمواضيع الايمانية
-بالنسبة للتقييم النهائي فاهمية الكتاب والجزء الاخير فيه .. خلوه يستحق الخمس نجوم ..على الرغم من كل السلبيات اللي قلتها قبل
-هذا الكتاب انصح بيه بشده خصوصا لو كنت شكاك وباحث عن الحقيقة
اعتقد دي ادق كلمة توصف الكتاب ده .. الكتاب مش ادبي جميل ..وصياغته مش رهيبة .. وحتى مش كل اجاباته كانت مقنعة بشكل كافي بالنسبة لي
لكن روعته في الواقع تكمن في الكام سؤال التأملي اللي في اخر كل فصل .. روعته باينة في رحلة التغيير الجذري لحياة للكاتب
بعد قرار الايمان بيسوع
روعته تتجلى بشكل مبالغ فيه في اخر فصل و الخاتمة
فعلا هما احلى واهم جزء في الكتاب ..ونصيحة لو حصل انك زهقت في اي مرحلة اثناء قراية الكتاب وقررت متمكلش قرايته -مش مهم-لكن اوعم متقراش الجزء العظيم ده
الكتاب ده يشترك مع كل كتب اللاهوت الدفاعي -
في انها بينقي ايمان الواحد من الافكار الغريبة عن الله وايماننا اللي كتيير بنكون وارثنها وعايشين بيها بغض النظر عن مدى ارتباطها بالاعلانات الصريحة في الكتاب المقدس
-الكتاب اظنه في اكتير من الاوقات بسيط في طرحه لمواضيع ايمانيا معقدة فلسفيا ودي حاجة تحسب له
-في اكتر من مرة حسيت ان الاجابة مش مرضية وكنت بتمنى المحاور يسأل اكتر عشان يوضح او يعمق الموضوع لكن محصلش وده جابلي احباط نوعا ما في بعض الاجزاء
-في عدد من الاجزاء افتقرت لنصوص كتابية او تعاليم مسيحية معروفة تدعم الاجابة .. واكتفى الكاتب برؤية شخصية للضيف اللي بيجاوب.. وده اضعف الاجابة في نظري
-عجبني جدا ان المؤلف عمل تلخيص لطيف لكتابه السابق اللي بيساعد على رؤية افضل للايمان بيسوع
-اظن اني هفضل استخدم الكتاب ده مرجع بيقدم اجابات مختصرة نسبيا للمواضيع الايمانية
-بالنسبة للتقييم النهائي فاهمية الكتاب والجزء الاخير فيه .. خلوه يستحق الخمس نجوم ..على الرغم من كل السلبيات اللي قلتها قبل
-هذا الكتاب انصح بيه بشده خصوصا لو كنت شكاك وباحث عن الحقيقة
January 30, 2019
WOW. I read this book for theology class, and it's now one of my favorites. I love Lee Strobel's writing style (he's a former journalist, so he writes really well ;), and how he interviews experts to try to answer the "Big Eight" questions, including the difficult topic of suffering, doubt, etc.
I highly recommend this book, as well as Strobel's "The Case for Christ" (basically, just go read all of his books. ;) you won't regret it).
I highly recommend this book, as well as Strobel's "The Case for Christ" (basically, just go read all of his books. ;) you won't regret it).
January 24, 2010
This book was loaned to me by a friend, at a time of my life when I was doubting my faith in God, and seeking a house of worship that didn't exclude me for who I am. This book reaffirmed my faith in God, and led me to read more and more and more books relating to faith, which I continue to read today.
September 10, 2015
I really wanted to give this book a five star rating, it was extremely engaging and thought-provoking for about the first half. But then it just got boring and some of the arguments I couldn't agree with. Overall it was a good read and very thought-provoking but still since I didn't read all of it (I found myself skimming) because it was boring a lot I must give it three stars.
April 16, 2015
Very evocative book! Many perspectives (life experiences and logical debate) bring one to the case for Faith ... just goes to show, there is not only one road to faith!
May 7, 2024
I can’t say enough about this book it was so good! I had been on a bit of an apologetics kick lately and this is exactly the book I needed to read. I love the way Strobel makes it known that faith and reason are not mutual exclusive and you can have both and still believe in the gospel. The way he takes this book and the way the scholars he interview explain things make it super easy to read and have expanded my love for the Lord. A great book that dips into a bit more of the intellectual side of Christianity but at the very end it also reminds us that Christianity is a leap. We have to want to have faith and want to know God if we are to find him. This verse below helps with that and reminds me that nobody is too far gone from finding faith in Christ
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
September 18, 2011
This is a very interesting book, though I would certainly agree with those who say it's misleadingly advertised. As a former journalist, lawyer, and devout atheist, author Lee Strobel makes much of his unique qualifications for compiling this work; however, he lets the reader down on every count. As a piece of journalism, the book is a joke. Strobel knows from the outset what kind of answers he is looking for, and he chooses beforehand the kind of experts who will best support the conclusion he had intended to write from the outset. That isn't to say his conclusion is wrong; it just isn't good journalism. Strobel tries to be cute in the format of the book by laying it out like a trial--with "evidence," "deliberations," and a "verdict". But, in this particular trial, Strobel embodies the entire trinity of prosecution, defense, and judge. He also leads witnesses and prejudices the jury (which I'm assuming is the reader), so the whole idea of faith being "on trial" is totally absurd. As a representative of skeptics, Strobel fails to follow up on his experts' opinions with questions that most intelligent atheists would be bound to ask. Sure, many of the questions Strobel posits are indeed difficult ones, but he doesn't ask them with the tenacity of a true atheist. The parts of the book where Strobel tries to come across as being truly critical of what the interviewees tell him are laughable in their blatant artificiality. How much the better if this book had been written by a true skeptic! Then there's the matter of Strobel's cheesy, self-serving writing-style... So, why then the four stars? Well, because the people who Strobel interviews truly provide a great deal of insight, and, whenever I was reading their words and not Stroble's, I was lovin' it. Not for being an effective piece of journalism, mind you, but for expanding my mind as to the possibilities of how God might reasonably operate--the best example for me being the chapter on hell, which changed my perspective on the topic completely; and that kind of paradigm shift just doesn't happen to people very often. So, despite its myriad flaws, the book was a valuable read for me. It's great to see such intelligent men expound on such interesting and important topics...and all without ever even once insulting or questioning the intelligence of those with contrary opinions or beliefs--a truly rare thing indeed.
June 26, 2011
I almost never question another person's faith or lack thereof, but this book is such a deceitful and dishonest addition to the larger discussion on issues of belief and non-belief that I was angry through most of it. I read it in conjunction with Dawkins The God Delusion - neither of which fully represents my own take on things - and if the books are in any kind of dialogue or debate, Dawkins flawed book smashes Strobel to pieces.
Lee Strobe, a former journalist who dealt mainly with legal issues tries to set this up like a legal case, in other words he uses distortions, half-truths, circular reasoning, and many other exercises in fuzzy and dishonest thinking to build a case. It is a case that will work for those who are looking for arguments to defend their own preconceptions, but it should do very little to convince someone who is either on the fence about Christianity or not in the camp to begin with.
Furthermore, Strobel's attempt to set himself up as a skeptic is laughable. His game of Devil's advocate is so weak and pandering, and truly insulting to the intellect of any informed and intelligent person. I suspect that while he was writing this book he was already far away from any previous skepticism that he may have held, and he was really only trying to set himself up as a "tough-minded cross-examiner" in order to play the role of straw man.
If you are a Christian apologist who is looking for propaganda, valid or not, to support your arguments, this book might work for you. If you are an open-minded person of any stripe who is seeking an honest and open discussion of issues of faith and belief, steer clear of this disingenuous book.
Lee Strobe, a former journalist who dealt mainly with legal issues tries to set this up like a legal case, in other words he uses distortions, half-truths, circular reasoning, and many other exercises in fuzzy and dishonest thinking to build a case. It is a case that will work for those who are looking for arguments to defend their own preconceptions, but it should do very little to convince someone who is either on the fence about Christianity or not in the camp to begin with.
Furthermore, Strobel's attempt to set himself up as a skeptic is laughable. His game of Devil's advocate is so weak and pandering, and truly insulting to the intellect of any informed and intelligent person. I suspect that while he was writing this book he was already far away from any previous skepticism that he may have held, and he was really only trying to set himself up as a "tough-minded cross-examiner" in order to play the role of straw man.
If you are a Christian apologist who is looking for propaganda, valid or not, to support your arguments, this book might work for you. If you are an open-minded person of any stripe who is seeking an honest and open discussion of issues of faith and belief, steer clear of this disingenuous book.
February 5, 2015
In looking through the goodreads reviews for this book, it seems the ones who gave it a high rating are Christians, and the ones who gave it a low rating are not Christians.
No prizes for guessing which side I'm on!
Let me just say at the outset that no book of this type is ever going to be exhaustive. Expecting any of Strobel's books to cover every point of contention is unrealistic. Imagine how big it would be if it did that! Also, it is called The Case FOR Faith, not the case against it, so of course the answers it gives are going to be in support of having faith in the God of the Christians.
I think Strobel does a good job in accomplishing a book that could be viewed as an introduction to arguments on this subject. Some of them certainly don't answer everything with complete satisfaction, some raise many more questions, but at least it's an attempt to answer a question that is complex and personal. Stobel has attempted to answer it as he sees it. I think it's important to remember that he once sat on the other side of belief himself, so he's probably answering the question to his satisfaction, and I feel the response he gives does contribute something useful to the discussion.
No prizes for guessing which side I'm on!
Let me just say at the outset that no book of this type is ever going to be exhaustive. Expecting any of Strobel's books to cover every point of contention is unrealistic. Imagine how big it would be if it did that! Also, it is called The Case FOR Faith, not the case against it, so of course the answers it gives are going to be in support of having faith in the God of the Christians.
I think Strobel does a good job in accomplishing a book that could be viewed as an introduction to arguments on this subject. Some of them certainly don't answer everything with complete satisfaction, some raise many more questions, but at least it's an attempt to answer a question that is complex and personal. Stobel has attempted to answer it as he sees it. I think it's important to remember that he once sat on the other side of belief himself, so he's probably answering the question to his satisfaction, and I feel the response he gives does contribute something useful to the discussion.
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