Rating: 
Summary: Good for beginners
Review: I really liked this book. Its full of useful and credible information by people who know what they're talking about. Although I agree with the one review that said that Lee caved on some evidence that was not so solid, the truth is that if you take the strong arguments and pair them with the weaker arguments you get a structure of strong supporting arguments and then fringe arguments that are most convincing based on the teh stronger ones. And to the reviewer who said they relied too strongly on eye witness accounts...Why do you believe any part of the bible then? ALL of the bible was written either by eye witnesses, or by secondary (and therefore technically less reliable) sources. The question is "does history and archaeology support the claims of the eye witnesses?" well, the answer is yes, the gospels are fully supported by verifyable fact and therefore, since we can't find either logical or factual errors in them, we should accept them as reliable for the facts we cant directly verify. Some people like to say the gospels are so different, they paint 4 different Jesuses. But I say get any 4 people who know you together and have them write your life story and see how similar they turn out! The moral of the story here is...If you throw out the gospel accounts just because they're eye witness stories, not only do you have to throw out all of the bible, but every historical doccument known to mankind and thats just not reasonable. This book is excellent for either the seeker, or the Christian who is serious enough about their faith to take the time to consider why they believe what they believe. Besides, the bible commands us to have an answer for our beliefs, and this is the perfect place to start. Any of you who liked this book and would like to go deeper into apologetic issues, first read the case for faith, then read Geisler and Bocchino's "Unshakable Foundations".
Rating: 
Summary: A Fairytale For Grown Ups !
Review: I can understand children believing in fairytales , but I can`t get my head around the fact that adults believe in the biggest fairytale of them all . Something has to explain this lack of logic . Perhaps they`re concerned about the inevitable , and are just comforting themselves .
Rating: 
Summary: Some Compelling Evidence with some not so Compelling evidenc
Review: The Case for Christ really deserves 3.5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was impressed by the scholars that Strobel interviewed. Strobel did a nice job laying out the book, starting out by proving (in his mind) the veracity of the Gospels and moving forward from there, basically basing everything off of the Gospels. Like another reviewer wrote, Strobel gives alot of credit to eyewitness testimony. Obviously there are things that could have been skewed due to eyewitness testimony. The thing that I did like is that Strobel brought up a great deal of objections and arguments to disprove the case for Christ. Of course he was interviewing leading Christian scholars, so they had an attempt at refuting his arguments. Part of the times, the refutes were valid and unshakeable. Sometimes, I felt that Strobel conceded to rather shaky evidence. It seemed like Strobel wanted to be persuaded to believe in Christ and that's what happened, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. But at the same time, Strobel does bring out some arguments that really do stand up under the toughest of scrutinies. All in all, I liked the book because it did deepen my conviction in Jesus Christ. It didn't deepen my conviction in the Bible however and many people feel that goes hand in hand.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book that withstands scrutiny
Review: This book does an excellent job of summarizing, in an entertaining and well-organized way, the arguments in favor of historic Christianity. It certainly must have hit some hot buttons, judging from how many people are enthusiastic about the book and how many atheists have tried, with no success, to shoot it down. The critiques I've seen have relied on tired and discredited arguments (such as Doherty's misplaced and indefensible positions concerning the apostle Paul) that may confuse ill-informed individuals but which cannot match the scholarly and convincing testimony of academics like Craig Blomberg, Gregory Boyd, Ben Witherington III, William Lane Craig, D.A. Carson, and J. P. Moreland in this book. "The Case for Christ" covers three major parts: "Examining the Record," which looks at arguments in favor of the reliability of the New Testament; "Analyzing Jesus," which looks at Jesus' self-understanding and the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies; and "Researching the Resurrection," which examines the medical evidence for the crucifixion (try reading it without wincing!), the evidence for the missing body, the evidence of appearances, and the circumstantial evidence. I thought the chapters on the resurrection were among the most air-tight I've seen. Critics have to manufacture all sorts of absurd scenarios in order to try to maintain their skepticism in light of the historical record. But, then again, any argument will suffice if you're not really interested in truth. I do wish this book had addressed the question of whether Paul's encounter of the resurrected Jesus was merely a vision. The author probably didn't think it was necessary in light of so many well-known counter-arguments, but this does leave the door open for atheists to use in confusing people. I've given away half a dozen copies of "The Case for Christ" to people at work who are spiritually searching. All of them have expressed their appreciation after reading the book.This is a handy overview of the evidence for Christianity and a good first step in coming to one's own conclusions about the most controversial issue of all time: the identity of Jesus of Nazareth.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding summation of the evidence for Jesus
Review: I was both intellectually challenged and emotionally touched by this life-changing book. I've read a considerable amount of literature about the historical Jesus, from the skeptical to the orthodox, and this book provides the most readable summary of the evidence for the conservative Christian position. While there are other books that delve more deeply into the subject (such as Gregory Boyd's "Cynic Sage or Son of God?" or "Jesus Under Fire"), this book has done the hard work of "popularizing" the material in a very accessible and even entertaining package. This does not make the material any less persuasive; it only shows that a simple and direct case for Jesus being the Son of God can be made in a format that the average person can appreciate. Because the data and evidence are expressed in the context of a true story -- that is, the spiritual journey of an atheist who investigated the case for Christ and ended up a pastor -- there is an emotional punch to this book that drier and more scholarly works lack. More than once, I found myself spiritually invigorated by reading it. Naturally, a book of this nature will have its critics. Those who start with the presupposition that the supernatural is impossible MUST find a way to defuse the evidence of this and similar books. They have no choice but to do so, regardless of how outlandish their arguments. One critic, who takes the ridiculous position that Jesus never lived and who identifies himself as a New Testament scholar without even disclosing whether he has any academic credentials in this regard, has tried to poke holes it in through a self-published book. I've provided my own critique of that sorry effort, but suffice to say it takes a one-sided approach that is so bizarre as to garner little support even from other atheists. One would have to suspend belief in order to buy into these critiques. For instance, the writings of Papias and Irenaeus, who attest to the traditional authorship of the gospel accounts, are called into question because they come some years after Jesus lived. That critique only succeeds if you believe that early Christians never had any contact with each other and that they somehow lived in isolated pockets. If the apostle John discipled Polycarp, then certainly Polycarp knew from John who authored the gospels (including the gospel of John). Irenaeus, then, knew Polycarp, and certainly obtained his information from him. So there is what scholars call a "living line" of evidence -- information and evidence passed from one early Christian to another. To criticize the account of Irenaeus only makes sense if you leave out this kind of important information -- which critics intentionally do. In addition, none of these critics answer Craig Blomberg's assertion in "The Case for Christ" that if someone were going to make up authorship of these gospels, they most certanly would have chosen the names of more highly regarded people than Matthew, Mark, or Luke -- such as Peter or James. One thing I especially appreciated about "The Case for Christ" is that it has an excellent bibliography. If anyone has any question about the reliability of any of the facts presented, there is a list of resources he or she can consult in order to obtain further information. In a way, this book provides a portal through which a seeker can obtain basic information about the evidence for Jesus and then continue to delve into deeper and deeper material as he or she desires. (One helpful book, also on an introductory level but quite well done, is "The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?" by scholar F.F. Bruce, also available from amazon.com.) I'd summarize by saying that "The Case for Christ," as well as its companion, "The Case for Faith," which considers eight major objections to Christianity, should be in the library of any individual who is honestly searching for answers about the identity of Jesus.
Rating:
Summary: Fairly typical for Christian apologetics
Review: Just reading the pages excerpted on Amazon.com should be enough to raise serious doubts in anybody's mind about Mr. Strobel. For example, he opens by praising eye witness testimony. As a former court reporter, he should be aware that eye witness testimony is about the _least_ trustworthy type of evidence there is. In recent decades, eye witness testimony has been investigated closely and people have found case after case where witnesses confidently witness under oath to things that it was physically impossible for them to have seen. It was too dark, they were too far away, they were there at the wrong time, etc, yet that doesn't stop people from believing what they think they saw and confidently offering testimony that is totally false. But then Lee gets worse. Who testifies to the veracity of the Gosples? Why Papias - who testifies in the year 125, nearly a century after Jesus died, that yes indeed, the Gosples were written exactly the way the church that he represents says so. Was he there to see them do it? Does he give any evidence for his belief? Well ... no. But he was an early Christian and that ought to count for something, right? But never fear, next Strobel drags out Irenaeus - who also testifies to the veracity of the gosples - in the year 180! A century and a half after Jesus died! And was he there? Does he have any evidence? Nope, but his word's good enough for Lee. I haven't seen it yet, but Earl Doherty is supposed to have published a book called "Challenging the Verdict" that tears this book into tiny shreds. Summary: About as bad as "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" by McDowell. Get Doherty's book instead.
Rating:
Summary: Truly a Winner!
Review: Lee Strobel truly seeks out the answers to questions that most have concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ. Strobel interviews respected individuals in a variety of fields to find "evidence" for the existence, historicity, and divinity of Christ. As a former atheist, Strobel doesn't hide his doubts, but makes them the center of his argument and case. From one Pastor to another...a MUST for you library.
Rating:
Summary: Not the Final Verdict
Review: I was nearly ready to accept "Case for Christ" as a 4-star last word in defense of Christ and Bibical events, but then I also read "Challenging the Verdict", A Cross-Examination of the Case, by Earl Doherty, which exposes the Strobel bias point for point, and in a court room setting. How easily I could have missed this if I had not read further. I think Strobel means well but he sets up interviews to present the evidence he wants to hear so misses the bigger picture, and I almost did too. Don't stop reading. Follow Strobel's book with the easily read "Challenging the Verdict", by Earl Doherty.
Rating:
Summary: This book helped me turn my life back around
Review: I bought this book upon the recommendation of a friend at a Happy Hour after work. I honestly haven't read an entire book in years, preferring the brevity and (for the most part)lack of intelligence in magazines. This book helped me so much that I bought several of the six-packs to distribute as gifts to co-workers for Christmas. This book helped me "feel" my faith by helping me to realize not as much has to be taken on faith as I once thought. Some of the arguments are a bit simplistic but they are also true (e.g. the section on the Resurrection). I would recommend the book to any Christian and anyone exploring Christianity.
Rating:
Summary: At least better than _The Case For Faith_
Review: For those familiar with my very negative opinion of Strobel's _The Case For Faith_ (see "more about me") might be surprised that I'm going to give _The Case For Christ_ a more favorable review. I know that both books feature well qualified, prominent Christian apologists, yet I found the interviews in CFF to be mostly drivel. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised that the interviews in CFC to be much more thoughtful and interesting. I'm convinced that those who are already Christians, or those leaning that way, would find this book to be strongly supportive of Christian views. Even so, for those that are skeptical to begin with, I don't think they would be swayed by this book. Strobel tries very hard to give the appearance that he has researched all the counter-arguments and his interviews systematically strikes them all down. The problem is it looks much more like he has simply chosen counter-arguments that he knows his interviewees know how to respond to. There are a number of works countering the arguments Strobel makes in this book. I've read the critique of the book by the Internet Infidels. There is also an entire book dedicated to critique this book, _Challenging the Verdict_ by Earl Doherty, available here at Amazon.com which I have not read. The problem that I have is basically, even if Strobel and his interviewees are 100% right on (and those critiques of Strobel's work are totally off base,) is it reasonable for God to expect us to know it? Is it not a reasonable thing for those undecided to suspect that Strobel, his interviewees, and the Gospel itself to be biased in favor of Christianity? After all, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a similar work by a Muslim to demonstrate the validity of Islam. And a similar book by a Buddhist to support Buddhism, etc. If I were to express the opinion that I'm skeptical that Mohammed said and did what Muslims say, a Christian would consider that reasonable. If I were to express the opinion that I'm skeptical that Rev. Moon is who he says he is, a Christian would say that is reasonable. But if I were to say that I'm skeptical that Jesus says who he says he was, apparently that is a crime punishable by eternal damnation. This isn't reasonable. Really, in essence, Christianity isn't so much a faith in Jesus - nobody alive today has ever met him. Christianity is faith in the men that wrote the Gospels and those that espouse its validity. So, really, if Christianity is true, then it basically means that God expects us to have faith in the PEOPLE that support Christianity. God Himself, seems to have done nothing in two-thousand years to prove Himself. He leaves our fate in the hands of those that espouse Christianity. So, even if it so happens that those that espouse Christianity are in fact right, why would it be an expectation of God for those of us living two thousand years later to know that or send us to hell while simultaneously knowing that all the other religions and those that espouse them are false? So, as I said, Strobel's CFC is a good read and Christians will just love it, but I think the counter-arguments he tries to dispel are straw-men.
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