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lauras_books 's review for:
The Case for Christ
by Lee Strobel
This was a really interesting book with a few flaws. Strobel conducts a series of interviews with relevant professionals (historians, linguists, forensic scientists, psychologists, Biblical scholars) and asks them the questions frequently brought against Christ and Christianity.
A lot of the interview conclusions follow the pattern of: (1) Strobel asks incredibly broad question (e.g. "Did Christians take messianic prophecies out of context and misinterpret them?"), (2) Expert replies with a yes/no answer citing decades of their research, yet without including specifics (e.g. "I've looked at each objection individually, researching the context and wording in the original language, and every single time the prophecies stand up.") (3) Followed by the obligatory, "But don't take my word for it, research for yourself."
Well, that's why I got this book; because I thought it would be a stepping stone in researching "for myself," but I'm not finding much detail. Though it is very digestible and covers many topics, I'd prefer to go more in-depth as some of the arguments felt rushed and don't hold up to critical thinking or decent counter-argument.
For example: when discussing the prophecies from the Jewish Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled, some speculate that Jesus intentionally fulfilled prophecies by maneuvering his life to do so. E.g. He could have read that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, and then arranged to do just that. [a:Lee Strobel|639|Lee Strobel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1277297621p2/639.jpg]'s coup de grâce is "How could Jesus have planned for his birth?" It doesn't take a genius to suggest that maybe Jesus didn't plan for his birth, he just knew the scriptures well enough to realize his birth lined up with the prophesied time and went from there. Okay, now that argument is back on the table, but we're onto the next chapter already. Lots of the exchanges ended this way.
This book is a good jumping off point for someone interested in this topic. It will identify more areas to research. I've heard [b:Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Anglicized): Life-Changing Truth for a Sceptical World|36848749|Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Anglicized) Life-Changing Truth for a Sceptical World|Josh McDowell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512353720l/36848749._SX50_.jpg|58617128] is an encyclopedia on the subject for those who want to dive deeper.
A lot of the interview conclusions follow the pattern of: (1) Strobel asks incredibly broad question (e.g. "Did Christians take messianic prophecies out of context and misinterpret them?"), (2) Expert replies with a yes/no answer citing decades of their research, yet without including specifics (e.g. "I've looked at each objection individually, researching the context and wording in the original language, and every single time the prophecies stand up.") (3) Followed by the obligatory, "But don't take my word for it, research for yourself."
Well, that's why I got this book; because I thought it would be a stepping stone in researching "for myself," but I'm not finding much detail. Though it is very digestible and covers many topics, I'd prefer to go more in-depth as some of the arguments felt rushed and don't hold up to critical thinking or decent counter-argument.
For example: when discussing the prophecies from the Jewish Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled, some speculate that Jesus intentionally fulfilled prophecies by maneuvering his life to do so. E.g. He could have read that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, and then arranged to do just that. [a:Lee Strobel|639|Lee Strobel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1277297621p2/639.jpg]'s coup de grâce is "How could Jesus have planned for his birth?" It doesn't take a genius to suggest that maybe Jesus didn't plan for his birth, he just knew the scriptures well enough to realize his birth lined up with the prophesied time and went from there. Okay, now that argument is back on the table, but we're onto the next chapter already. Lots of the exchanges ended this way.
This book is a good jumping off point for someone interested in this topic. It will identify more areas to research. I've heard [b:Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Anglicized): Life-Changing Truth for a Sceptical World|36848749|Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Anglicized) Life-Changing Truth for a Sceptical World|Josh McDowell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512353720l/36848749._SX50_.jpg|58617128] is an encyclopedia on the subject for those who want to dive deeper.