Rating: 
Summary: I dare you to read this book!
Review: Strobel thoroughly answers any doubt an atheist can raise about Christianity, probably because he used to be one. If you are a Christian, this book will bolster and encourage your faith, as it did for me. You will have no doubts regarding the truth of the Bible and Christ's sacrifice for you. I dare anyone to read this book and not be changed!
Rating:
Summary: A must read for every "seeker"
Review: THE best father's day present I've ever received. Wonderfully done. Lee Strobel asks the hard questions of world class experts and delivers a compelling case for my God and Savior, Jesus Christ.I loved McDowell's "Evidence that Demands a Verdict", but this is so much more readable. His mix of present day law cases to introduce and illustrate each segment drew me in and his personal interviews with the people who know the real facts about Jesus and the New Testament was entertaining as well as informative. It was like being in on the best conversations about Jesus you could hear. I'm grateful for this author and this faith strengthening book. Christians: Buy it, read it and give it to others.
Non-Christians: This is a wonderful close-up of the facts about the life of Jesus.
Rating: 
Summary: Very compelling, but should give more opposing arguments.
Review: Strobel does an excellent job of examining the evidence for the Ressurection of Christ from all angles. His findings are very logical and convincing. This is a really good book to read if you are as confused and skeptical as I have recently become. The methodical way that Strobel presents the evidence in this book argues very very strongly for the truth of the Bible. The only shortcoming as far as I'm concerned is his neglecting to really give the full arguments for the liberals and atheists (or if he did, they sure don't have very solid cases). I would highly reccomend this book to anyone interested in learning about the history and the evidence of Christ and the church.
Rating: 
Summary: Subjectivity Masquerading as Objective Proof
Review: Strobel presents lots of information in favor of his side of the argument, but he only gives lip service to the opposite side. There isn't anything shocking about this approach until you consider the author's claim that he is presenting a skeptic's search for truth. Other reviewers have focused on this aspect of the book, and I don't have much to add in that department. If you are looking for material to convert an atheist or re-awaken someone's faith, you won't find it here. If you are looking for material to bolster your own sinking faith, don't dig too deeply into this book.
Much of the book's support depends on the idea that if the earliest Christians were embellishing Christ's life story or creating outright fiction about the resurrection, Jewish authorities and others who had witnessed the truth would have spoken up and set the record straight. Of course, the early Christians spent a good deal of time meeting in secret to avoid being put to death, so I'm not sure how much access was given to people who could have contradicted the disciples' version of events. This argument, which Strobel invokes to support the authenticity of the gospels and the evidence for an empty tomb, is a bit flimsy in the logic department.
More disappointing to me is the deliberate misrepresentation of evidence. Strobel begins each chapter with a discussion of a legal case to underscore the importance of various types of evidence, and then presents his interview as if it is analagous to courtroom evidence. Perhaps it is to him, but it seems manipulative to me. The most flagrant example is Strobel's so-called fingerprint evidence. Strobel opens the chapter with a brief account of what he says is the first time a fingerprint was ever used to convict a criminal and pairs it with an interview about whether or not Jesus matched the biblical description of the messiah-- a subjective opinion that is quite different from a fingerprint.
If you are already a staunch believer in Christ, you will be further convinced by this book; of course, if you are a staunch believer in Christ, I'm not sure why you'd take the time to read this book in the first place. Unfortunately, this book is no threat to a skeptic's point of view.
Rating:
Summary: A superb book, a classic apologetic. A MUST READ!
Review: Lee Strobel has a law background and uses that to his advantage when examining, quite literally, the case for or against Jesus of Nazareth being the Messiah and the Son of God. He also has an atheist background (which he has since relinquished) that he also uses to his (and the reader's) advantage, in that he ensures issues and areas of disagreement are not accepted without thorough questioning, challenging, and testing of the evidence for and against. It is a thoroughly enjoyable book and a wonderful read, but books such as these are not particularly read to be merely enjoyable; they are read by those who are examining the meaning and purpose of this life before us, and wish not to just pass through it passively with regard to nothing except for physical comfort and consumer satisfaction; it is written for those who wish to explore and consider one man's examination of a man who possibly could have been the single most important, significant, and influential man ever to grace this planet.
The book has a format that lends itself very well to the matter at hand. It is divided into three sections: (1) the evidence, or record of the existence of Jesus; (2) analyzing who Jesus was, and whether or not he fulfilled the requirements for the Messiah; and (3) evidence and support for the Resurrection.
Each chapter is small case unto itself, where Strobel interviews one expert about a specific topic, and he thoroughly questions and challenges these experts, and they all return fire with sincere devotion and certitude. And Strobel has chosen the most authoritative thinkers and experts in the world from the most prestigious institutions in the world.
One note about myself. I was raised a passive Christian in my childhood, who attended church a handful of times a year with my family, but when I got into my teenage years, I just did not have time for church anymore. When I went to college I found the liberal arts invigorating and devoured all the books I could find on philosophy and religion, and was particularly intrigued by Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Bertrand Russell, some of the most intelligent men who ever lived, but also some of the most fiercely atheist men as well. I became an agnostic; I just wanted proof and I could find none no matter where I looked. I then stumbled upon a few books that changed my direction and my thinking - "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis, "Think on These Things" by Krishnamurti, some of the many books and Teaching Company lecture series from Bart D Ehrman, and the "Case for" series by Lee Strobel. I am no longer an agnostic, that is for certain, but I am not sure exactly which door I have chosen in the house of God; so many of the rooms are appealing, and I am not one to believe that one cannot reside in many of the rooms at the same time, so maybe I will never "choose" in the traditional sense. What I am certain of is that this book was one of lanterns that lit the way, and still helps illuminate dark paths from time to time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book in many aspects, and it is a book that can be read more than once, for enjoyment, for reference, or for assistance. It is a must read for the believer and non-believer alike.
Rating:
Summary: A must for the Agnostic
Review: Reading this book from the perspective of an agnostic, it was the single most influential piece of literature I came across, to open my eyes to how science and modern day philosophers view biblical history, (specifically, the existence of Jesus). Though not an apologetic in the traditional sense, it makes a case for the life of Jesus of Nazareth, in the same way a defense attorney would...by going out, collecting the facts and seeing how they meld with perception. Would be very educational and insightful for the mature Christian, but a MUST for those seeking the Christian Faith, (especially from a position of scepticism).
Robert James Luedke, (Author...Eye Witness: A Fictional Tale of Absolute Truth)
Rating:
Summary: My toughest review but candor is required...
Review: I have both the print and the audio editions. I found the audio extremely worth the money. So why three stars only?
Well, friend, because the premise is dishonest. Okay, so? This is a book about the greatest ever person ever to walk the Earth and is written by Pastor Lee Strobel.
When any competent journalist investigates a person, topic or event they must get as many views and insights as possible. Strobel, however, seems to consult only evangelicals. He might have obtained nothing new by consulting religious leaders and scholars in the Eastern Mediterranean in Rome, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, the Levant and in Egypt, but at least don't go trying to tell me that the entire truth can be learned only from Evangelicals and only in America.
Further, if Strobel really did all these interviews over a 2-year period why did it take so long to get published? Low blow? No, not really, as he makes reference to the internet in at least one place and this leads me to believe that either the interviews weren't conducted when he claims or that they may not even have really been done. In either case, Strobel owes us an explanation.
Having knocked the premise, I do not want to throw out the baby. This book still does do a good job at explaining what we do know of Christ and why we need to do God's will. In this area I give the book five stars as it is better than most at advocating why we all should be grateful that God came into human form and died for our sins. Just because the book is mis-promoted does not mean that none of its truths should be adopted by us.
One last negative thought though. Page 183 indicates the odds of any one person fulfilling 48 prephecies as one in a trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion. I have no idea the abilities of the mathemetician Strobel attributes the math to, one Peter W. Stoner. I further have no idea how to calculate such a stunning number. I do suspect, though, that a number of people can use such a statistic to allege that all facts written about Jesus have been cooked up to fit into the prophecies.
Again, I admired the lessons I learned from the book. I just didn't appreciate the dishonest premise. Nor did I welcome the phenomenal statistical discussion. I even more deeply admired the audio verson. I wish I had read this book before working in Bethlehem some three years ago when I visited Christ's birthplace.
Oh, that reminds me. Although 98% of all Jews are as good and true-believing as Palestinians and Arabs, the two-percenters are using tactics more akin to Eastern Europe's Communist leaders than to more benevolent Western security methods. I saw their brutal methods with my own eyes. Hate and oppression, whether from King Herod, Emperor Nero or from Ariel Sharon or Saddam Hussein is evil. By evil I mean to say absent of Godliness.
My book regarding Arabia and the Middle East from 1919 through 2005 will be published soon. It is a novel about how current problems in the region stem from the period following TEL (Lawrence of Arabia - see Seven Pillars of Wisdom) and The Bush-Blair Coalition.
Originally titled Hear Our Whimper; See Our Tears; Feel Our Pain, the title is being changed to "Arabia after Lawrence: For God We Endure!"
Their universal belief in the One God is the beauty of these peoples.
For further information contact LJ at ljsbreakingfree.com, the web site we are developing and publishing useful information for people who aim to break free from wage-slaving and pursue happiness and independendence in their personal lives.
Enjoying a book does not mean one does not note radical flaws.
Rating:
Summary: Well done
Review: Good basic overview of apologetics. I have used this in a classroom setting and it has been well receieved by college age students. Younger students may be better served by the Student Edition, though serious late teens can handle the full version. The book can be profitably used with "The Case for the Creator", and "The Case for Faith" for a well rounded introduction to apologetics.
Rating:
Summary: Response to reviews
Review: Some of the points the amazon.com reviewers make initially sound fair.
For instance the general critique that Strobel could have given more time to objectors to deliver stronger "journalism". However the objectors the reviewers refer to disqualify themselves from further investigation due to their own documented academic dishonesty.
Reviewers also argue against specific details about the book, for instance;
"more often, he doesn't address objections the critics do make (e.g., the unreliability of human memory, that non-Christian historians do not provide any independent confirmation for the deity of Jesus, etc.)"
Once again, the writers of many of these reviews discredit themselves. Since the book clearly address these issues early on - these reviewers thereby prove they have not sufficiently read the book they are critiquing.
For me an interesting side effect to the book are the "toolsets" he painstakingly applies to determine the truth of testimony and evidence. These toolsets, taken from the legal profession are useful in many situations.
Rating: 
Summary: Apologetic Absurdity At Its Finest
Review: If you believe that a historical figure named Yeshua of Nazareth lived and preached in the 1st century of the Common Era, then this book will be a great comfort to you.
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