Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing to read but fails
Review: I am always intrigued to read any book that questions the authenticity of the Bible. I was intrigued to read this book cause I am a big fan of Case For Christ and wanted to see how it would be refuted by critics. What made me question the book is that this book is merely the writings from the mind of Earl Doherty. A single man. Strobel wrote a book based on 14 interviews with a number of different people. It makes me think that despite Earl obviously being intelligent in his field of study he is only one man. Obviously 1 man cannot be as strong in all the different fields of study as over a dozen men who also have Masters and/or PHDs in their field. One wonders why Earl didn't take the same path and Interview a dozen scholars, historians, etc. with the same expertise as the people in Case for Christ. Probably would have strengthened his case to have a bunch of experts who agreed with Earl's beliefs rather than doing it all himself. After all Earl isn't just refutting Lee Strobel. He is refuting over a dozen experts in their field. Also I find Earl contradicting himself at times. I'll give one example. In Chapter twelve he refutes the idea of the gospel making no sense of having women going to the tomb of Jesus by this quote, "I don't know about you, but I can't think of any feasible motive for the male disciples to go." That sounds all well and good. Then later he refutes the idea of the women not acting rational by going to the tomb by this statement, "Why the male disciples didn't feel the same way, and show up at Jesus' burial site, if only to mourn his passing." Earlier he had just said that he couldn't think of a single reason for male disciples to go to the tomb and now he is giving a reason. It is this type contradictions that confused me with the book. Now I did find this book enjoyable in many ways to read but I feel it failed in its attempts to successfully refute Case for Christ. But still it was a fun book to read.God Bless
Rating:
Summary: Forget the trees for a moment; Let's look at the forest
Review: I find it interesting and ironic that the authors and many of the reviewers characterize the conflict between these two books as a battle between logic and Christian beliefs. They ignore the fact that a symbiotic relationship has existed for centuries between Christianity and the highest forms of thought in Politics, Philosophy, Science, and Law. No other religion can make this claim.It is nearly impossible to overstate the importance of Christianity in the development of western civilization which grew from the fall of Rome to world domination.
The great Christian thinkers such as Paul, Thomas Aquinus, Augustine, and others combined reason & faith to create some of the most advanced modes of intellectual inquiry in history.They were not naiive thinkers.Their impact went far beyond the Christian community eventually touching every part of society.
Arisotle considered Theology "the highest from of philisophical discourse" for obvious reasons -- If one can grasp the meaning and purpose of one's own life and the rest of creation, all other truths become deatils which are easily understood within this framework.
Because of Christianity's long, albeit not always willing, exposure to reason, the religion has been able to continually deepen its understanding of God. Faith allows one to peer into the unknown and catch a glimpse or where the truth may be hidden. Reason then enters to test, verify, and purify these speculative thoughts. In Christianity, time is of fundamental importance. It is a huge mistake to judge the writings of 1st & 2nd century Christian writers from our 21st century vantage point. The early Christians were isolated outnumbered, and persecuted. They had no infrastructure, few, if any, written creeds and were attempting to convert Pagan cultures to whom a concept as simple as monotheism was unheard of.
Today, after 2000 years of History, study and contemplation, we appreciate the deep meaning and significance of the details of Jesus life on earth and how they so perfectly magnify and support his teachings. But for the first Christians (all of whom were practicing Jews)and their early converts (most of whom were Gentiles), these were secondary to the broader message which is that the God of Abraham is also the God of the Gentiles, and that all can be saved. This forms the heart of Paul's teachings. He was interested in understanding and explaining the implications of Jesus'life and teachings.
It is not difficult to build a legal case against the historicity of a man whose only earthly significance was a brief 3 year ministry in an obscure province of the Roman empire of 2000 years ago. Mr. Doherty accomplishes this.
But if we accept that Jesus did not exist,or led a life totally unlike the one described in the Gospels, then we have to identify another source for these writings which have so profoundly impacted the course of human history. This is where Mr. Doherty fails.
The Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles contain some minor errors and inconsistencies -- as if anything 2000 years old created by the hand of man would not. But they stand alone as a unique genre of literature with unmatched philisophical density. It seems highly improbable that they are the product of pure fantasy,written by authors who did not believe in the truth of what they wrote, and who were attempting to somehow consolidate or legitimize a highly nebulous new religion of unknown origin.
Read this book. But do so without losing historical perspective or you risk being a fool who knows many things but is unable to focus on what is really important.
Rating: 
Summary: Another resounding five star vote!
Review: My encounter with Earl Doherty's first book, The Jesus Puzzle, bent the rudder on my high-flying belief system causing it to flip over and crash. Naturally my Christian brothers and sisters were scandalized at the demise of a fellow true believer and let me know just how they felt about such wicked apostasy. However, I'm still intact, and grateful, that old friends at least decided to merely cut me off rather than resort to medieval torture-unto-death. But, darn it, truth will out! I do feel a depressive burden has been lifted and would invite any thinking Christian made uneasy by suspicious orthodox dogmas to re-examine the validity of pre-suppositions supporting such. However, be warned and on guard concerning the following Catch 22: You cannot by logical reasoning correct a person of an ill opinion never originally acquired through reasoning. (apologies to Sir Francis Bacon) Earl's second book, Challenging the Verdict, zips like Robin Hood's arrow to split apart the orthodox party line expressed in Lee Strobel's best selling book, The Case for Christ. Mr. Strobel's work is widely touted in Christian bookstores as THE ANSWER to hostile critics. Indeed, it has become the believer's spiritual sword of choice for delivering death thrusts to nasty naysayers. But now, with widening circulation of Earl's 'Challenge' this particular sword may be found more often stuck in the scabbard than protruding from any victim's black heart. However, as an aside, my admiration for Earl Doherty's scholarship and penetrating insight does not encompass his espoused atheism. Alas, human rationalism elevated to de facto deity will eventually confront its own self-generated nemesis lurking downstream. But determining ultimate spiritual realty is not the object here. Earl's purpose is to examine the logical structure of the biblical account, as defended by some of its leading apologists, to determine whether or not it all "hangs together." Earl's searing examination has convinced me that the gospel does lack the qualities expected from a work guided by a divine hand. (that is, if wobbling unsteadily on soggy feet of clay is any indication.) Unlike many atheists -- as irritatingly strident and arrogant in their ranting as their Christian fundamental counterparts -- Earl has the welcome facility of being a rather "nice guy." He doesn't gloat and maniacally whack away with literary two by fours. In fact an irony observed by commentators is that 'pagan' Earl is more the perfect gentlemanly role model -- acting in the manner a Christian is supposedly expected to act --than opponents who treat him in an utterly contemptuous and uncivil manner. Hard to believe? Please check out the ad hominem negative reviews. Other gruesome examples of just how counterproductive "Christians" can be at their worst in 'defending' the faith are found stuffed away in a secret closet at Acharya's home site: explore, "emails I have loved" Unlike Earl, Acharya S. doesn't suffer fools gladly (possibly leftover training effect from her youthful days as a "Born Again Believer") Incidentally, Acharya's heroic compilation, The Christ Conspiracy, is also a must read to experience a startling, eye-opening introduction to a studiously ignored but long standing theory as to the REAL ORIGINS of humanities' major religious themes. Once the ancient, seminal astrotheological roots are laid bare the many-branched flowering religious tree, so devoutly nurtured by countless naive believers down through the centuries, is disclosed to be bearing contaminated, off-tasting fruit. Acharya's wide cast net having pulled together vast evidential material for this mind-blowing expose indirectly gives a rocket-like boost to the odds-on probability that Earl's Challenging the Verdict is indeed squarely hitting the right target. I am now convinced -- by the sheer overpowering weight of evidence from so many quarters -- that my once cherished orthodox theological guide lines were not grafted onto a living vine but rather depended from diseased and rotting branches -- outgrowths reflective of human manipulations rather than that of any heavenly ordination. I would suggest that you get both (heck, get 'em all!) books so as to facilitate comparing the dissimilar findings ... side by side, upside down, whatever. No matter on which side you eventually align yourself your base of knowledge will be enriched. However, I can't imagine any honest reader not experiencing flash bulbs firing off in their brain as one after another new insight trashes old, taken-for-granted religious party line "givens." So, please, indulge your intellect. Read. Think. A grateful reader, finally pried out -- kicking and screaming -- from his squeaky-tight, counter-productive orthodox rut. (Thanks be to God!)
Rating: 
Summary: 50-50 OR WIN/WIN
Review: THE CASE 4 CHRIST HELPED STRENGTHEN MY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST!! DITTO FOR CHALLENGING THE VERDICT. PEOPLE WHO CHOSE NOT TO ACCEPT JESUS AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR ARE BETTING THEIR SALVATION THAT JESUS WAS NOT CHRIST! THEY HAVE A 50-50 CHANCE OR A WIN / LOSE SITUATION. CHRISTIANS HAVE A WIN WIN SITUATION. IF JESUS WASN'T CHRIST THEN NO LOSS. IF JESUS WAS CHRIST - THEN WE HAVE ETERNAL SALVATION WITH A LOVING GOD IN PARADISE!! OH YEA- AND WE DON'T SPEND ETERNATY IN HELL FOR DENYING GOD. GOD SAYS HE'S PROVEN HIMSELF IN CREATION. HE PROVES HIMSELF TO ME EVERY DAY. I LOVE YOU IF YOU DO OR DON'T BELIEVE. WHY NOT SINCERLY PRAY-LORD JESUS,I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE REAL,BUT I WANT TO BE.I BELIEVE YOU DIED ON A CROSS TO PAY THE PRICE FOR MY SINS,AND THEN YOU WERE RESURECTED IN THREE DAYS.I ASK YOU TO FORGIVE ME OF ALL MY PAST SINS-AND COME INTO MY HEART AND BE LORD OF MY LIFE.AMEN IF YOU PRAYED THAT SINCERLY - NOW GO TRY TO PROVE IT WRONG. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE. REMEMBER-IT'S A WIN/WIN SITUATION-GOD BLESS YOU
Rating:
Summary: It's obvious
Review: If it weren't clear from an open-minded reading of both "The Case for Christ" and "Challenging the Verdict" which of the two is more fair, accurate, logical, and honest, one could just about guess it from the reviews posted on this site. Those in favor of Doherty's book are precise and articulate; the negative reviews avoid specifics in their criticisms, choosing to attack Doherty's style or claiming they "never heard of him," as if that were a devastating incrimination. (Not to mention that some of them are simply grammatically clumsy and full of misspellings - and coming from people in the US, not foreigners using English as a second language.) I would suspect that most of those blasting Doherty's book are not objective reviewers but fundamentalist Christians who just don't like what he has to say. The big difference between the techniques of the freethinkers like Doherty and the fundamentalists like Strobel is, of course, that the former look at all the evidence and come to logical conclusions, while the latter know up front what they want to conclude, and pick and choose and "interpret" to reach that end. The fact that a lot of people have believed something for almost 2000 years does not make it true; and in any case, which Christianity is the "true" one? There are more than 14,000 Christian denominations in the world, and they can't all be right. Certainly the central tenet of any extant Christianity is that Jesus (not his real name: it was Yeshua) rose from the dead. That, however, is an extraordinary claim, and nobody was there with a video camera to record it. Most people even at the time didn't believe it had happened, and one of many things about the movement that is glossed over is that in the beginning Christianity was a minority faith for a considerable time, a Jewish sect, actually, and its growth and eventual success occurred through a number of fortuitous historical events. The Church that prevailed had its official version of Christianity and did everything it could to make sure it was the only version. Gnosticism, for example, was successfully suppressed because its beliefs were seen as a threat to the authority of the established Church. The practice of suppressing competitors, of course, wasn't entirely successful in the long run, but the books that did make it into the New Testament were decided upon by...Church officials. Yes, it's true that the point of Doherty's previous book, "The Jesus Puzzle," is that there was no actual historical Jesus, but no, he doesn't make an issue of it in this book. He simply responds to the claims of Strobel's book in a courteous and logical manner, and dismantles each one. If anyone thinks he's being "unfair" by not allowing responses from Strobel's interviewees, despite the fact that he's consistently using their directly quoted statements from "The Case For Christ," consider the (negative) review here from a 17-year-old girl who expressed a desire that Strobel in his next book interview scholars from both sides of the issue. Sorry, young lady, it's a good idea, but it won't happen. Lee Strobel and his crowd don't work that way. That's the point. (BL, Tucker, GA)
Rating:
Summary: Sound, Intelligent, Solid Truth
Review: Doherty is amazing. A pioneer. A gift. A treasure. The fact of the matter is, millions and millions of people believe in a Savior who probably never even existed.
The New Testament Jesus: 1) the earliest writings such as those of Paul and other episteles don't speak of any of his miracles or sayings or any earthly, human reality. 2) The gospel miracles and sayings are drawn from Old Testament and pagan sources. Oh, i could go on and on - but Doherty is the expert and he has laid it all out in THE JESUS PUZZLE and now this gem.
The bottom like is: EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS DEMAND EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE. Sorry, but Christianity's extraordinary claims about their man-God don't come with convicincing evidence.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: I love the way the author totally demonlishes strobel's "verdict". Ignore the desperate posts of those who
live in denial of truth and buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Questioning the Foundation Myth
Review: Earl Doherty continues the scholarly liberation of us from Western society's founding myth, an historical Jesus Christ. Doherty's jaw-dropping premise, that Jesus never existed, won't be accepted overnight. Most of Christian study begins within faith and can hardly be expected to maintain a cold, dispassionate view of an Earthly Christ. Doherty's counterpoint dissertation springs from passion-for truth. Long into the future, American presidential candidates will probably have to mouth fealty to the Christian mythological founder. But "Challenging the Verdict" helps form a nucleus of work with profound implications for Christianity.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't be surprised
Review: This book doesn't surprise me at all, never forget the devil masquerades as an angel of light!! If people want to jump on this bandwagon and disregard the ton of evidence that has been accumalated from many sources including archeologist and even scientist, then let them!!
This is one reason why Jesus says he will come like a theif in the night, he will catch millions thinking, doing, and believing everything except the right thing!! This book is clear evidence of that!!
Rating:
Summary: How ironic!
Review: I read "The Case for Christ" and expected to find that it lacks credibility because it endorses the idea of the supernatural -- that is, the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. I read "Challenging the Verdict" and expected to find that it is credible because it refuses to buy into the possibility of the supernatural. How can anyone believe in the supernatural in these days of science and technology? However, I found the opposite to be true. The scholars interviewed in "The Case for Christ" offer a sober-minded and reasonable defense of the supernatural, while "Challenging the Verdict" shoots itself in the foot by buying into flights of fancy and outlandish theories to try to account for the evidence for Christianity. Ironically, I walked away believing the Christian scholars. My conclusion is consistent with the one reached by Bob and Gretchen Passantino of Answers in Action, who thoroughly analyzed "Challenging the Verdict" and came to this conclusion: "The book is littered with logical fallacies, misstatements of fact, faulty interpretations, pseudo-scholarship, and wholesale ignorance of history, literature, and philosophy." To borrow a word from Jesus: "Amen!"
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