Rating: 
Summary: a good introduction
Review: For those already familiar with Jesus studies, this book may fall short of expectations. Strobel, while he asks some good questions, doesn't really go for the jugular when testing his scholars. He states at one point that he didn't want to get into a "stump the scholar game". Personally, I wish he had. Perhaps he'll include some more difficult questions in his follow-up book, The Case for Faith.That being said, anyone who hasn't already done a lot of research into this subject may be surprised at just how much evidence there actually is that vouches for traditional Christian belief. To be fair, the author does acknowledge in the final section that he didn't (or couldn't) deal with every objection, and encourages readers to continue their investigation. Just as in any other type of inductive investigation, historical studies involve degrees of probability. The question to ask is: Where does the preponderance of evidence point to? To the scholars in the book the evidence points to the resurrection. As Strobel puts it: "That doesn't mean (we) have one hundred percent certainty because we can't have absolute proof about anything in life. In trials, jurors are asked to weigh the evidence and come back with the best possible conclusion. In other words...which scenario fits the facts most snugly?". Some people seem to think that unless they have 100% certainty about something, they won't commit to it. But ask youself, When was the last time I had 100% certainty when making any key decision? If you've ever bought a house, you did not have absolute (100%) certainty that the roof wouldn't leak once the rainy season hit. If you ever bought a car you did not have 100% certainty that it wouldn't turn out to be a lemon (no one buys a lemon on purpose). When making important decisions, the criterion for commitment should be this: The more important the decision, the less risk one should take. Strobel provides good evidence for believing in Jesus, thereby reducing the risk of making a bad choice (ie. the risk of Pascal's wager: you lose everything including God, and eternal happiness). Unfortunately, some people choose to ignore or dismiss the evidence no matter how good or sufficient the evidence may be. The early disciples surely didn't take any risks. They were in the unique position of knowing whether or not the resurrection was true. And as Strobel points out, no one dies for what he or she know to be a lie. Sure, there are areas of contention, such as the census in Luke (although there are actually 3 or 4 good, plausible solutions for the census being historical). But, it's easy to attack Christianity by nit-picking minor points. What skeptics need to do is formulate an alternative case for what happened that can stand the same kind of rational scrutiny that Christianity has withstood. The skeptics haven't done so thus far. They seem content in merely focusing on minor secondary points (eg. were there one or two angels at the tomb?) If they bring up the legend hypothesis, that theory can been shown to be debunked by ancient historians like Sherwin-White. It's not that legends never do develop (since they do, after all one of the main purposes of the NT epistles was to refute false doctrines and heresies that developed in the church), but that legends are not established as truth within a couple of generations of the events in question. The bottom line: if god exists, then the resurrection is possible. If god can perform the greatest miracle of all (creation ex nihilo) then the resurrection is a piece of cake. But is the existence of god a plausible hypothesis? To answer this question I'd recommend the following books: Creator and the Cosmos by Hugh Ross; Show Me God by Fred Heeren; Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig; Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Kreeft and Tacelli (all available on amazon.com, of course)
Rating: 
Summary: convincing to only those who can see
Review: This book was in my eyes a very good beginning text on the case for christ.One thing that bothers me is that people who are die hard atheists won't be moved by this or any other book on christianty because the y have their views which wont be changed by apologetics alone.When atheists review these type of books they can't belive it because of already pre-concieved notions about the bible and God.Can a person who goes into the bible with the mind set on discrediting the scriptures really say "I'm reading the bible with an open mind"or "I'm looking for truth"?The easy answer is no because in their minds they already have truth so automatically you are discreditng yourself as a person speaking objectively.I personally think that we as Christians need to stop trying to debate and argue with the person who doesn't want to except Christ,remember the sinner is happy sinning and will keep on sinning no matter how clever our arguements are.The atheist will remain an atheist no matter what the evidence is for the ressurection.What this book is for is to shed some light on the person truly seeking and NOT for people who already have their minds made up to reject the bible and Christianty.Just remember that "there is nothing new under the sun"and that the same so-called evidence againt the bible is the same that has been presented and refuted centuries before us.A man must ultimately be humbled before conversion which is only the work of the holy spirit,not someones great proofs for Christ,so let the christians rejoice in glory and let those that don't except it...
Rating:
Summary: Even In the Darkness The Light Cannot Be Extinguished
Review: I read this book while flying across the United States on New Year's Eve. As the world cowered in the threat of a Y2K crisis with fears of lights going off and subsequent anarchy, I was looking out the window and noticing that lights were still shining everywhere. Lee's book is just like that in this great intellectual debate about Jesus Christ. Yes, it is a faith statement, but it's all based on evidence. This book is a truthful demonstration that even when the world is dark, God sent Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, to give it light and life and salvation. Churchill was right when he said, "The truth is incontrovertible. Ignorance can deny it....but there it is." Their is truth in this book because it bears witness to THE TRUTH.
Rating:
Summary: Read this book and decide for yourself
Review: It's interesting that most of the reviews for this book are either 5 stars or 1 star. Very few are somewhere in the middle. Some of the more intellectual reviewers have tried to discredit this book because of its simplicity...or its failure to ask what they see as more appropriate questions. Here's my assessment of the book in light of some of the reviews I have read: 1) Of course this book is simplistic...it is aimed at a mass audience. Strobel intended for it to read like a popular novel. Ignore the critics...if you were writing a book to reach the masses which would you choose? A boring textbook format published by an elite university publishing house with a maximum press run potential of a few thousand? Or would you use a Christian imprint (Zondervan) of a mainstream publisher (Harper Collins) and make the book interesting enough to be read by people other than the intellectual elite on both sides whose minds are made up already? Think about it. 2) Historical events are not proven like scientific events. One must weigh the evidence for and against the evnt in question and make a decision. Strobel titled his book THE CASE FOR CHRIST not THE PROOF FOR CHRIST. Lighten up people. Read the book and make up your own mind.
Rating:
Summary: The Absolute BEST "Can You Believe In Him?" Book Ever
Review: Put down the others. Hold the phone. Go immediately to Amazon or your desired booksmith. In fascinating, gripping, passionate, honest searching, Lee Strobel digs for the evidence that Jesus is who He says He is-the Resurrected Lord of all. From an atheist's viewpoint, this Yale Law guy explores and probes Jesus identity and reliability with piercing questions, in depth research, and pointed dialogue. I order it by the case for my friends and searchers. Ladies and gentlemen who want to make a "case" for their Christian faith have found a tremendous aid when they use this book. If you are an atheist or agnostic, please read this book. It's a life altering book. Once you've read it and read all of it, you will never be the same.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing book, well worth its price!
Review: In this book, Strobel describes his search for the truth behind Christ. Strobel visited many of the top experts in their respective fields of experience over the past few years, and relates those visits here. As a critic, Strobel asks very difficult questions, yet in all cases the experts give solid answers. I found the book easy to read and very interesting. The evidence presented is valid and convincing. In defense of the book, I do not see "gaping holes" in the logic presented. I do not see holes at all. Strobel is a very intelligent man and this shows in the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who considers themselves to be open minded or critical thinking.
Rating:
Summary: A very readable, refreshing book for God & Religion
Review: I am very impressed with this book, mainly because it is the first religious book I've ever read that is done intelligiently. It isn't an "anti-evolution" book; in fact, he doesn't attack evolution at all! He gives evidence FOR the New Testament, not AGAINST evolution. He actually uses footnotes and tells the names of the people he is quoting from (usually not found in "Creation" books). Most creation books will say things like, "A prominent biologist said..." and they won't give the name of this "prominant biologist" so one can cross-examine (See Gish). The book is very well written and easy to read; however, I don't buy the claim that he was an atheist. The whole book is based on the premise of a belief in God, and the book delves into Christ only. I don't see him, in this book, struggling to determine if God exists (even though he says he is an atheist at the beginning and end of the book). I had a real hard time with some of their dating methods (see page 33, Chapter 1). The book seems one-sided and not totally objective on this issue. It was a good read, however. I highly recommend it, especially for scientists.
Rating:
Summary: Challenging logic
Review: This book is probably the best defense of Christianity you will ever read. Keep in mind that the author's approach is sometimes difficult for the uninitiated to follow. Classical arguements based on the scientific method require one to present a hypothesis. The value of the hypothesis is judged by how well the arguement stands up to scrutiny. If it survives a logical challenge, it is valid. If it fails to survive such a challenge, it is rejected. Strobel's approach is different, as his subject matter obviously does not lend itself well to the scientific method. He starts with the conclusion that the beliefs Christians hold are true. Some may have trouble with this, but it is acceptable, since we know the Bible to be divinely inspired. We are then able to judge the validity of any arguement by whether it leads to our predetermined conclusion. If an arguement does so, we know it to be true. If, however, a line of reasoning seems to contradict the teachings of the Holy Bible, this reasoning is false and must be rejected. Any counter arguement which refutes the false logic can be assumed to be true. Strobel is able to present an air tight case for the validity of the Holy Scriptures. His approach is refreshing, clear, and easy to understand, once the reader comprehends this line of reasoning.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best Christian apologetics I've read
Review: A compelling book, hard to put down. My own spiritual journey has been a quest for a God and a Jesus who have objective reality -- who exist apart from faith, who are historically verifiable. Michael Behe's book, "Darwin's Black Box," presents strong evidence of conscious design in microbiology. Strobel, in "The Case for Christ," presents in concise terms a Jesus who is historically verifiable. As Strobel notes, after reading this book, not believing requires as much a leap of faith as believing. A book this length cannot possibly lay it all out, but Strobel offers a compelling guide and lists of sources for further study. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A well-argued and convincing case!
Review: Anyone who is sincerely interested in investigating whether Jesus was merely a man or the Son of God definitely should read this tremendous book. Written by someone who abandoned atheism because of the evidence for Jesus, this book is thoroughly documented and powerfully presented. No wonder it received the Gold Medallion for excellence. As a Christian, my own faith was strengthened because of reading this book, and I know of several seekers who found faith after having read it. Don't be swayed by those who offer no counter-evidence and merely try, for their own reasons, to dissuade others from reading it. I say read it with an open mind and draw your own conclusions. You may find, as I have, that this is the best bbook you've ever read.
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