Rating: 
Summary: An honest and daring look at tough questions
Review: Even before I had read the book, I was looking forward to how the author would answer some of the tough issues he posed as chapter headings, including: "How could a loving God be worthy of worship if he kills innocent children", "Church history is littered with oppression and violence", and a "Loving God would never torture people in Hell". These are some very direct and honest questions that I have had myself, and have heard as some of the main reasons why people often have rejected Christianity. While this book does not have all the answers (and who would expect it to?) it does provide some great insights from a variety of sources that put these questions in context and provide some relevant information which I had not previously considered. I am impressed with the honesty and the way the author, and the experts he consulted, did not dodge or attempt to deflect away the accusations or tough material. I won't give away the conclusions here, because the book is excellent and should be read on its own, but I will say that I came away from the experience with some questions answered to my intellectual and emotional satisfaction. The book is in no way "stuffy" or dry, and is well worth the effort!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as TCFC, but compiles a few good arguments.
Review: This time Strobel covers some of the major claims against faith in God, and in particular, arguments against Christianity. He starts by talking to skeptic Charles Templeton, and from there proceeds to question several scholars. My criticism to "Case for Christ" still applies here; Strobel did not directly interview many sceptics, but simply mentioned some of their claims to Christian scholars, who tried to refute the problems. If the reader keeps in mind that this title clearly isn't intended to be a debate, it's not a problem. Strobel tries to defend his faith as well as he can, and that's what you probably will be reading the book for. Anyone wanting more arguments from the other side will have to read separate titles (Strobel mentions many skeptic works).Strobel interviews Peter Kreeft (problem of evil and suffering), William Lane Craig (Miracles and science), Walter L Bradley (attacking evolution), Norman Geisler (God's violence on innocents), Ravi Zacharias (Problems on Jesus being the only way to God), J.P. Moreland (Eternal torture in Hell), John D. Woodbridge (Church History and violence) and Lynn Anderson (Belief while in doubt). My favorite expert was definitely William Lane Craig, showing once again all his knowledge while dealing with such a hard subject. I expected better from Geisler, who needs no introduction but left me feeling that the subject was not as well defended as it could have been. Woodbridge's interview was good. Strobel did focus the book on the toughest intellectual obstacles to belief, missing a few, but hitting the major ones. Unfortunately, this book will be somewhat unsatisfying for anyone looking for more depth and rigor then dealing with the most difficult questions about God and the divine. Beginners will value the brevity and plain language of the interviews, but it will limit its power to make hardcore skeptics feel in trouble; I can't blame Strobel on this however, that's the price to pay for having such complexity reduced to accessible answers, and one should keep in mind that each one of the 8 problems covered is complex enough to fill a whole fat book, or a pile of them. Anyone who finds this title interesting should also take a look at "Letters From a Skeptic" by Gregory Boyd, which covers many similar questions and supplies more satisfying answers in a few aspects. And of if you want to balance it with something from the other side, "What is Atheism?" by Krueger is a easy way to start. While "The Case for Faith" compiles many good arguments against questions made by doubters, it doesn't have as much impact as "The Case for Christ" and will probably take more fire from skeptics, but this is still a good contribution, almost always captivating no matter if you believe or not. (Reviewer Bill Hays from Tustin did a good job showing some of the problematic issues covered, but didn't mention that the point of this book is precisely defusing some of those claims; Also, Strobel can hardly be considered dishonest for not mentioning he's a pastor, since anyone can easily see all that simply by...Reading the back cover) You might also like to know that this title is well organized, includes a nice compact Summary of his previous book (TCFC), useful for those who missed it, supplies references to both pro and against books and also a includes a good Index.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent material
Review: OK, first while my review says that I am 5 I am actually 35... for some reason the page won't take that information. Now the review... Prior to mentioning the merits of this book, one needs to consider two primary causes of reading this book. If the reader is a skeptic, as clearly one of the reviewers here was, then the first reading is some sort of skeptical curiousity about Christianity -- whether looking for more ammunition to attack with, or seeking information with which to alter a current attitude, positive or negative. Skepticism being the first reason for reading, the second reason becomes that of reinforcement for a current belief. Duh, right? Either way, unlike other Christian texts that deal with why the Bible should be taken seriously in any fashion, this book deals with the tough qualities about the doctrine itself AS REPORTED by the Bible. Rather than being an argument for Christianity over some other lifestyle, it is an examination of how to interpret the issues that are frequently misunderstood or misinterpreted. As such, skeptics who would wish to attack the book would have to do so from the point of Biblical interpretation of the Bible itself-- and even the most minimally intelligent skeptics would have no reason to do so. The book will obviously contain arguments that are frequently attacked, such as the Creation / Evolution debate, but the position of the argument is what differs. That leaves this book for people struggling with the listed particulars the book covers. If you are, and you are looking for doctrinal answers, this is THE book for you. IF you are a skeptic looking for an argument or something, why bother? The book isn't about that. I gave this 5 stars but warn that while the book tackles the work beatifully, there is simply no way to make some of these issues any less troublesome. That in no way negates what the book says -- it simply states that the truth sometimes hurts. What this book does is make the hurt acceptable by demonstrating first the truth, then the moral, logical, literary, and scientific reasons why the answers ARE the truth.
Rating:
Summary: Great answers to tough questions
Review: Yet again Lee Strobel has created a powerful combination of facts and storytelling to tackle what he refers to as the "Big 8": the eight toughest questions people often have about Christianity. Rather than shy away from facing the kinds of struggles people have with the Christian faith, Strobel attacks them head-on, looking at their ins-and-outs and striving to uncover every facet, and then providing answers in plain language that don't require a master's in philosophy to understand. His natural storytelling ability makes you feel as though you've drawn up a chair beside himself and the many brilliant minds he interviews. Your intellectual side will be satisfied, as will your craving for a good story. It's a great read, a book that makes you think, and a story that can change your life. Read "The Case for Christ" and see for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Solid, convincing answers to the toughest questions
Review: This excellent resource provides persuasive answers to the "Big 8" objections to Christianity. As a former skeptic myself, I consider this book to be the very best of its type in terms of readability, cogent analysis, and honest engagement with the most difficult issues involving Christianity. Like the author's previous best-seller, "The Case for Christ," this book is sure to garner a huge number of strong supporters as well as a small group of vociferous critics. That's because some people simply won't like the author's conclusions and will do anything to discourage people from reading the book. However, read the negative reviews yourself and you'll see their logical holes or their blatant misunderstanding of the author's points. Incredibly, one reviewer accuses the author of not disclosing he's a minister -- when that very fact is emblazoned across the back of the book! So the credibility belongs to the author, and anyone who is sincerely seeking answers to their tough questions about faith will find this book to be thorough, engaging, and potentially life-changing!
Rating: 
Summary: A minister gives implausible answers to tough questions
Review: I didn't like Strobel's previous book, "The Case for Christ," and this one has the same flaws. Strobel presents a strong case FOR his own religious beliefs, but when these answers cross the line into being implausible or ridiculous, he just encourages the reader to "believe it because I, a former atheist, do." And when you read the answers critically, you realize that isn't good enough. For example, would an all-loving God consign people to hell? Strobel interviews J.P. Moreland, who assures us that God has no intention of torturing or tormenting people, and the New Testament references are not to be taken literally. When Jesus appears "in flames" at the Second Coming, he isn't going to be burned by the fire, so Skeptics and non-Christians won't actually be hurt or in pain, either. Nonsense. Utter nonsense. When the Gospels were written, the Temple of Jerusalem had been taken apart, stone by stone, after the Jewish-Roman war of 66-70 AD. According to Josephus, over a MILLION Jews - 1,300,000 of them - were slaughtered and butchered in a merciless fashion. Jesus himself died on a cross, hanging in full view of a Jewish audience. According to the Gospels, at the Second Coming, those who accept Christ will be separated from those who do not, and those who do not "will be thrown into the fiery pit prepared by God for Satan and his angels." The fate of Skeptics and non-christians is clear, crystal clear. They will suffer more than the Jews tortured by the Romans, because on the Day of Judgment, God will set the scales of justice right. To Strobel's credit, he does interview ONE Skeptic in the opening of the book, Charles Templeton. Templeton was a contemporary of Billy Graham, sharing the pulpit with the "Protestant Pope" before he became disillusioned with Christianity. In a few brief quotes, he explains why. "If I were to take a small child, say age five or six, and I were to hold this child's hand against the burner of a stove so that his flesh started to burn, I would think myself quite a monster. I would be so ashamed, I would be unable to face myself in the mirror. Now, what is it that God will do with these Skeptics? He will not only hold their hands against a hot oven, but he will keep it there, not for a few minutes, or an hour, or even a week, but for the rest of ETERNITY! Is this the kind of a God that I wish to worship? I cannot conceive of a God who is a sadist, who tortures innocent children for the sins of their ancestors, men who died twenty centuries ago." That is the argument, stated a bit better than Strobel did, but Strobel clearly sees the problem. If you become a christian by accepting Christ as your Savior, what about those who reject that religion? What about Jews who reject Christ as their Messiah because he did not restore the Kingdom of David, but died forty years before they lost their country altogether? What about buddhists, who wouldn't kill a cow, and Scientologists? By a generous estimate, if we have three billion Christians today (a billion Catholics, a billion Protestants, and a billion to cover everyone else) then we would have THREE BILLION people alive today who will be thrown into that fiery pit if Jesus were to appear today. What kind of loving Creator-God would hold the hands of three billion children against a 500-degree oven burner and hold it there for years and years, just to torment them for their disbelief? Strobel sees this problem. He puts it on the table, and then he pretends it solves itself. He's dishonest, when he identies himself as a "legal affairs editor" and never mentions that he's a pastor for a modern mega-Church in Orange County. And that's why I can't give this book more than two stars, even though other reviewers may disagree.
Rating:
Summary: I didn't know it was legal . . .
Review: I didn't know it was legal for it to be so enjoyable to read factual information! Usually you get one or the other: good data or pleasurable reading. Incredibly, this book gives you both! It gives better logic and answers than the best philosophy class you can imagine, but it reads like a John Grisham novel. How does Strobel do it? He gave us this kind of winning combination in The Case for Christ, and now he's uped the ante and done it even better in The Case for Faith! Even more importantly, this book gives soul-satisfying answers to some of the most disturbing questions we all ask at times, whether we're religious or not. Whether you expect to agree with the author's conclusions or not, you owe it to yourself to read and seriously weigh The Case for Faith. At minimum, you'll have a better understanding of what so many people around you believe. At maximum, you'll find a truth that will positively impact your life, now and for eternity!
Rating:
Summary: SURE TO STIR SHAKEN FAITH!
Review: Lee Strobel's investigative and journalistic expertise are once again brought to bear in another outstanding book. The interview style is very engaging and makes the book leap to life with each chapter. He has definitely hit upon the 'hot buttons' of Christianity which have turned some away from following Christ, intimidated others from considering His merits, and led still others to dismiss the New Testament out of hand as either philosophically, intellectually or emotionally unsatisfying. This book does a masterful job of reaching out to all three in a winsome, cogent, thorough approach. When read in conjunction with books such as D.James Kennedy's Bible Mysteries; Josh McDowell's Evidence That Demands a Verdict; C.S.Lewis Mere Christianity and recent volumes on Intelligent Design (Behe, et al), the Case for Faith in not only the God of Genesis but the God of the New Testament (In the beginning was the WORD) is established by a preponderance of the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt! Must reading for every pulpit, every pew and every possible seeker considering the claims of Christ.
Rating: 
Summary: A few good arguments floating in a sea of old rhetoric
Review: It is refreshing in some sense to see someone tackle these objections head-on. Interestingly, some of the arguments are actually put in historical context and work well. However, most arguments are of the "canned" variety. That being said,the entire book is basically one giant Appeal to Authority, offering no new insight into how to field such objections. The end result is that the book reads like something from the self-help section, and could also aptly be titled "8 sure-fire ways to shoot down tough objections so that the reader doesn't have to put thought into the matter". Some sections reduce the complexities of many of these arguments into "bite-sized" morsels so mundane that one would think that the arguments themselves are as simple as "If A and B, then C". One glaringly obvious example is the section on evolution. The author clearly falls for the complexities of creationist propaganda, and then does a poor job of distilling a few uncommon examples of evolutionary objections into such lousy examples of the "controversy" that it is an insult to all sides. Perhaps the most amusing section in the book is the discussion with Norman Geilser. Geilser actually does a good job of attempting to see things in historic context, although he too often quits once he has the information necessary to support his argument, and delves no further. Perhaps the most amusing thing is that here we clearly have an example of an apologist who understands the concept of "circular argument", but yet continues to construct them. Most annoying are the examples of biblical "contradictions", which are either laid out half-complete so as to make them appear "resolved", or so simplistic that a child could reason around them. Either way, the most damning examples are not included by a long shot. The arguments which are presented as the ones he used to use when he was an atheist are in actuality good objections filled by mind-numbing regurgitation of examples. No attempt is made to demonstrate understanding of what was being said. This pattern is obviously continued here: In summary this book- while being of noble intentions- displays the author's lack of independent thought both as a christian and an atheist.
Rating:
Summary: a must for skeptics and evangelists alike....
Review: After dealing with the such issues as the death and resurrection of Jesus in "The Case for Christ," Lee Strobel daringly moves to issues that seem a little more real to us, issues like the morality of hell, the problem of evil, and doubt. Like "The Case for Christ," however, "The Case for Faith" is suberbly readable, engrossing and relevant, intellectual yet understandable, and provides a wonderful starting point from which to probe into seemingly baffling issues with guidance from some of the world's top philosophers and theologians. The treatment of the subjects is evenhanded and honest; the presentation of the material is gripping. For the skeptic, this book will help provide answers; for the evangelist, this book will help provide answers; for the doubter, this book will help provide answers. If I may repeat myself, this book responds to questions some of us are even afraid to ask. Read it; you won't regret the choice...
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