Rating: 
Summary: Hard evidence wins the case for Christ.
Review: Strobel launches his questions to the experts and they answer with intelligence and credibility. Conversations were not contrived and were easy to understand. Anyone who comes away from this book with the least doubt that Jesus is not who He says He is, is beyond help.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling storytelling
Review: Strobel uses stories of cases he once covered as a legal journalist for the Chicago Tribune to illustrate his "case for Christ." As he unpacks his stories, you realize that we sometimes draw conclusions without adequately digging for all the evidence. He reminded me of my own years as an agnostic/atheist. That belief system was less based on evidence than on emotional response to injustice in the world and personal dislike for some Christians. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Strobel is a Genius!
Review: While reading this book, I was not able to put it down. It feed me with information that I have been seeking and trying to do the research on my own was exhausting. I applaud the author for his wisdom, and his obedience in writing this book.
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Summary: STROBEL'S BOOK IS ONE-SIDED
Review: The Case For Christ is a biased, one-sided presentation by a Christian minister. Strobel only interviewed believing Christian experts; most were professors at seminaries and schools of theology and two were also pastors. It is not surprising they believe in the accuracy of the Gospels and the divinity of Jesus. He interviewed no scholars with opposing views like Sanders, Mack, or Fredriksen. Although Strobel raised issues and problems he readily accepted any explanation given. An analogy would be a court trial where only one attorney presents his case and calls only his expert witnesses to the stand. How could a jury reach a fair and truthful verdict under these circumstances? The common apologetic argument is presented that if the Gospels were not true someone would have objected at that time. Let's look at the situation. According to most NT scholars the Gospels were written by unknown authors decades after Jesus lived. They were also written in Greek outside of Palestine. Considering these facts and the short average lifetime, that few people could read, and that the common language was Aramaic, it is not surprising at all opposing words were not heard or recorded. Archaeology has not proven the accuracy of the NT. If certain towns or people mentioned in the Bible are found to have existed at that time, so what? A novel about the Civil War will include the names of actual places and historical characters, but it is still fiction. Paul admitted he never knew or met Jesus "in the flesh." He only had a "vision" of meeting Jesus. Paul also stated Jesus "appeared" to the disciples, to the 500, and then to Paul. It is probable that seeing Jesus after his death only meant having had a vision or dream. And if one disciple claimed to have seen Jesus wouldn't the others also do so inorder not to feel less special or blessed? There is no corroborating evidence outside the Bible for these appearances. For outside corroborating evidence Strobel quotes a number of pagans and church fathers. Let us take a closer look at this historical "evidence." Josephus' comments are universally acknowledged to have been altered or doctored by later Christians. He also wrote eighty years after Jesus lived. Tacitus and Pliny the Younger were Romans who wrote about the beliefs of early Christians. They also wrote eighty years later. If I wrote that Mormons believed Joseph Smith discovered ancient tablets from which he wrote the Book of Mormon would that be proof he had actually done so? Of course not. I would merely be writing about what others believed. This is all Tacitus and Pliny the Younger did. Thallus, whose works have been lost, apparently mentioned an eclipse in one of his books. Julius Africanus, a Christian Bishop writing 200 years after Jesus, said no, it was a supernatural event which took place the day Jesus died. This is hardly historical evidence supporting the validity of the Gospels . Iganatius, another Christian Bishop and therefore biased, is cited as confirming the crucifixion, but he died an estimated eighty years later so how could he be a witness? The Jesus Seminar is derisively dismissed as an "extremely small number of radical fringe scholars who are on the far, far left wing of NT thinking." The JS consists of 70 of the leading experts in the field like John Dominic Crossan, Robert Funk, and Marcus Borg. They hardly fit the author's description. On the contrary I would venture that the thinking of those in the book do not represent the majority mainstream thinking based upon the latest research. Every argument has two sides but Strobel has only presented one. His book is not a true investigation but merely propaganda. He fails to provide rational and convincing evidence.
Rating: 
Summary: simplistic, dishonest, and very disappointing
Review: In a time when "source criticism" has provided new insights into the period, and equally well-intentioned people are reaching sometimes provocative conclusions about the reality and the identity of Jesus, this book is profoundly disappointing. I would adopt the description of an earlier reviewer, that Mr. Strobel is "preaching to the choir". The questions posed to advocates ( a better description than 'scholars' ), are softballs that make a Larry King interview look incisive. The failure to acknowledge the possible illegitimacy of helpful passages in ancient writings is dishonest and unforgiveable. I will blame myself for not investigating the author before purchasing the book. I regret supporting this work, and strongly advise the inquisitive, open-minded reader to look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Well written, thorough and entertaining
Review: Traditionally, texts on Christian evidences & apologetics are interesting, but dry and unappealing to the layman. Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ" breaks from tradition and offers us an informative look at apologetical evidences that is clear, concise and very entertaining. Written in the form of a narrative, the reader is taken on a journey with Lee to many parts of the nation in order to interrogate leading Biblical scholars on the reliability of the Scriptures, the archeological evidences for the facts of the Bible, the notions perpetuated by the 'Jesus Seminar', the facts of the death and Resurrection of Christ and other such topics. In these exchanges, he attempts to put these men to task with questions and objections that many skeptics would have (he himself being a former skeptic and athiest) concerning Christianity. I found this book to be fresh in its approach and, for the most part, satisfying in its conclusions. Occasionally, however, I sometimes thought that Lee could have been a bit more tenacious on some issues since he sometimes accepted the explanations of the scholars too readily or offered an explanation himself that the scholars didn't take the time to elaborate on. Even so, I recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians alike.
Rating: 
Summary: It's the writing and content that make this book compelling.
Review: With all the interest in the person of Jesus Christ, this book is powerful due to the author's platform as a former atheist/legal journalist, his research with experts, and the compelling format of the book which puts the reader in the jury box to make the call in THE CASE FOR CHRIST. Its best-selling status within the first month is not a surprise.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good.
Review: After reading this book, I must say that I have more of a grasp on some of the evidences regarding Christianity. It was definately not "offensive" like the previous review stated. I must say that I find the previous reviewer's remarks typical; going into a long diatribe trashing the book, offering no real response to the issues raised in the book with the exception of casually refering to a PBS site for "the real majority opinion". I may question some of the techniques used by the author, but I don't have a problem with most of the arguements being raised. If I did, I would certainly have a mind of my own and refute them in my review. I rate this book based on the content of it, not Strobel's presentation (which I think is fine).
Rating:
Summary: A feigned "skeptic" preaches to the choir!
Review: This book claims to validate the Gospel accounts through a convergence of history, science and archaeology. Strobel says he interrogated the world's most authoritative New Testament scholars on the Gospel's reliability as a no-nonsense, investigative journalist. And to his credit, Strobel does ask some good questions. But the scholar's explanations are often lacking. Yet, Strobel unconditionally accepts them all, thus undermining his "skeptical" posture. Perhaps, because Strobel is a pastor at Willow Creek Church? For example, Matthew claims that King Herod ordered the murder of all the boys in Bethlehem under three years old. The other Gospel writers don't mention that atrocity, and no archaeological records document it, either. "Doesn't that make this story suspect?" Strobel asks. "No," replies his expert. Since Herod had a known reputation for brutality, his massacre didn't draw attention. So, that substantiates the event? Another controversy concerns Mark's description of Jesus' appearance after his resurrection. The earliest, most reliable copies of Mark don't include verses 16:9-20, and suggest a later author added them as a postscript. "Isn't that more likely?" asks Strobel. "No," replies his authoritative expert. But instead of explaining its absence, he points out where Mark 16:7 predicts that Jesus would appear to Peter. And since Luke confirms that appearance, the mysterious source of the postscript is thereby irrelevant! There's also the conflicting stories in all four Gospels about who first discovered the empty tomb, how many angels were present, which disciple verified Jesus' absence, and so forth. That should raise doubts because ALL the accounts can't be simultaneously true. But STROBEL suggests to his expert that the contradictions make all four accounts more plausible. Otherwise, they'd stir suspicions of plagiarism. Not surprising, the scholar graciously accepts his interrogator's pat solution! Strobel doesn't pretend to be a good skeptic. His experts claim to resolve all loose ends, not with hard evidence, but with contrived "how-it-might-have-been" solutions. It's too bad that I couldn't ask the questions!
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Summary: This book helped me become a Christian
Review: I have always been the kind of person who felt a need to know and understand "Truth." In college, I majored in philosophy and minored in comparative religion. By the time I was in my thirties, I was thoroughly steeped in nihilism and cultural relativism. On some level I probably still wanted to know Truth, but essentially I had given up. Besides, it didn't seem that important to my everyday life. Then. . . ('Jaws' theme) . . . mid-life hit and I realized that you (probably) only get one chance to figure all this out. So I started on what I came to call my mildly manic, mid-life spirit quest. I started reading philosophy again. I started studying the new physics. I started exploring Buddhism and reading New Age "stuff." I went to every weird event I could find, like healing workshops on Mount Shasta and past-lives seminars in Maine. While I was doing this my 19-year-old daughter became a Christian. She began trying to drag me to Christ, and I would occasionally go to church with her just to humor her. But something about what I heard moved me deeply. My spirit felt called, but my intellect was convinced that we were being suckered by the greatest hoax in history. I felt split in two, so eventually I just started to pray this prayer: "Dear God, show me your truth. I need to know what you want me to believe. I need you to hear me and answer my prayers. I need to know -- and, by the way, you can't really want me to be a Christian, can you? I mean, who can really believe this stuff?" Enter Lee Strobel. I had been praying about this for a few confusing months when I went to a service at Willow Creek Church this summer. Lee talked about his own search a little, and then he said: "Maybe you're someone who has taken the opinions of your professors in college as facts. But I invite you to really seek out the facts, to search out the truth for yourself." I went to a bookstore and there was his new book, "The Case for Christ." I took it home, read it that afternoon, bought several of the books he had referenced, and read them cover to cover. For the first time in a long time I began to feel like my head and heart might be able to sign a truce. I can't exactly say that when I opened "The Case for Christ," I was a skeptic, and when I closed it I was a Christian, but that comes close to capturing the truth. This book created a bridge between my head and my heart. It lit the path toward resolving deep conflicts between intellect and spirit. Before reading "The Case for Christ," I didn't think they could be reconciled. After reading it, I knew they could be.When I called my daughter in California to tell her I had become a Christian, she could hardly believe it! Then she said, "I should have known for you, it would take a book."
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