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griffinhoneycutt 's review for:
The Case for Christ
by Lee Strobel
I thought this book was great. I saw the movie before I read the book, and while they are very different, the journey that Strobel takes and the arguments that are used are much the same. The book, obviously, has more time to go into much more depth and present a wider range of arguments, and lacks the narrative of the film, instead focusing almost exclusively on the interviews themselves, with some commentary by Strobel on faith. Strobel's interviews follow a logical track, from the veracity of the gospels to the crucifixion, Jesus' death, and subsequent resurrection. It does a fantastic job of introducing popular arguments that skeptics have raised and providing sound explanations. It does a less fantastic job of covering both sides of the argument, which I feel would have strengthened the case, and some definitely won't be happy with that. For me, however, seeing as Strobel himself was the skeptic, I'm satisfied with it.
From a writing standpoint, I found the structure to be somewhat boring and very repetitive. He introduces every chapter, without fail, by making a comparison to a real-world case, introducing the expert he's interviewing, listing their bona fides, and then diving into the interview itself. I see why he would structure things like that, but there was already so little narrative in the book to begin with that the openings always felt superfluous, and I was always just eager to jump into the interviews.
One thing I will say that I was wary of was the idea that seeking tangible evidence of God would undermine faith, but the book makes a point to emphasize that evidence can only take you so far, and while it can be helpful, even instrumental, in bringing you to Christ, ultimately you have to decide for yourself whether to place your faith in Him.
All that being said, this is my first dip into Christian apologetics. It has satisfied my curiosity and further strengthened my faith that Jesus is the resurrected Son of God, and will likely lead me to pursue this topic in the future.
From a writing standpoint, I found the structure to be somewhat boring and very repetitive. He introduces every chapter, without fail, by making a comparison to a real-world case, introducing the expert he's interviewing, listing their bona fides, and then diving into the interview itself. I see why he would structure things like that, but there was already so little narrative in the book to begin with that the openings always felt superfluous, and I was always just eager to jump into the interviews.
One thing I will say that I was wary of was the idea that seeking tangible evidence of God would undermine faith, but the book makes a point to emphasize that evidence can only take you so far, and while it can be helpful, even instrumental, in bringing you to Christ, ultimately you have to decide for yourself whether to place your faith in Him.
All that being said, this is my first dip into Christian apologetics. It has satisfied my curiosity and further strengthened my faith that Jesus is the resurrected Son of God, and will likely lead me to pursue this topic in the future.