The Case for the Real Jesus

by Lee Strobel

Has modern scholarship debunked the traditional Christ? Has the church suppressed the truth about Jesus to advance its own agenda? What if the real Jesus is far different from the atoning Savior worshipped through the centuries?

In The Case for the Real Jesus, former award-winning legal editor Lee Strobel explores such hot-button questions as:

Did the church suppress ancient non-biblical documents that paint a more accurate picture of Jesus than the four Gospels?
Did the church distort the truth about Jesus by tampering with early New Testament texts?
Do new insights and explanations finally disprove the resurrection?
Have fresh arguments disqualified Jesus from being the Messiah?
Did Christianity steal its core ideas from earlier mythology?
Evaluate the arguments and evidence being advanced by prominent atheists, liberal theologians, Muslim scholars, and others. Sift through expert testimony. Then reach your own verdict in The Case for the Real Jesus.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Religion, Christianity, Theology, Faith, Christian Non Fiction

311 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2008

About the author

Lee Patrick Strobel is an American Christian author and a former investigative journalist. He has written several books, including four that received ECPA Christian Book Awards (1994, 1999, 2001, 2005)[2] and a series which addresses challenges to the veracity of Christianity. He also hosted a television program called Faith Under Fire on PAX TV and runs a video apologetics web site.

Reviews

[Amora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that argues that the Jesus we know of now is accurate. Think of this book as a response to critics of Strobel’s first book. New scholarly books have been released over the years arguing that the Jesus we think of is inaccurate. However, as Strobel and the scholars he interviews argue, the new scholarly works released are full of errors and sometimes contain outright lies. The scholars he argues against include Bart Ehrman and Richard Carrier.

I enjoyed every interview, especially the interview with Paul Copan.

[Jerry Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Lee Strobel. I like his investigative journalist approach to topics, with solid reasons and sound logic. In this book, Lee sets out to investigate the claims about Jesus by critics and skeptics. Is what the church teaches about Jesus reasonable? Or has it all been proven false by modern scholarship? How can we know the REAL Jesus? Lee tackles six challenges to the church’s teaching about Jesus.

1. Scholars are uncovering a radically different Jesus in ancient documents just as credible as the four gospels.
2. The Bible’s portrait of Jesus can’t be trusted.
3. New explanations have refuted Jesus’ resurrection.
4. Christianity’s beliefs about Jesus were copied from pagan religions.
5. Jesus was an imposter who failed to fulfill the Messianic prophecies.
6. People should be free to pick and choose what to believe about Jesus.
Christianity is a reasonable faith, with logically sound reasons for believing the truth about Jesus! The evidence is solid and overwhelming, the REAL Jesus can be known, and salvation is found only in Him.

-Jerry

[Juan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stroebel has produced a 311 page strawman argument. Unlike any reputable journalist (the mantle he proudly claims for himself), he does not interview the scholars he critiques, but rather arrogates to himself the role of devil's advocate in their favor as he interviews orthodox scholars. Stroebel is not qualified to play devil's advocate on behalf of Elaine Pagels or Bart Ehrman. He cannot read any of the primary source languages, nor does he have any expertise in archaeology or historical methodology. This is base intellectual dishonesty.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all of Strobel's "Case for" books, this is an entertaining and informative read sure to strengthen your faith in the validity of the Gospel. It's not balanced or particularly well-written (though certainly more so than Strobel's previous efforts), but the breezy, conversational style in which Strobel relays information gives this book a surprisingly comfortable feel considering the depth and occasional dryness of the subject matter. Definitely not for hardcore academics, though, as this is more of an overview of several broader topics rather than an in-depth study. On the other hand, if you want to have a lot of questions addressed in a very short time, Strobel's books are the way to go.

[Samuel Mercuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. In a world based on media, it can be difficult at times to determine what is true and what is false. Anyone with a computer and internet access can publish whatever they want on the World Wide Web. Strobel's skeptical journalist background gives him the edge he needs to get answers from the experts on matters of faith. I would recommend this apologetics book to anyone who is questioning the faith or just wants to know how to address attacks on faith.

Are scholars uncovering a "new" Jesus in suppressed ancient documents, just as credible as the four gospels?

Did the Church tamper with the Bible texts to get them to say what they wanted about Jesus?

Have new explanations refuted the Christian idea of a resurrected Christ?

Were Christianity's beliefs borrowed from pagan religions?

Was Jesus an impostor who failed to fulfill Messianic prohecies?

Should we be free to "pick and choose" what to believe about Jesus?

This book is clear, consice, and very well written. My only complaint is that Strobel, who is a Christian, plays the role of the sole skeptic. Because of this, it can be claimed that Strobel is stacking the deck in favor of faith. I do not see this. He demands the facts- asking hard and pointed questions of the experts. But it would still be nice if he would give an expert from the other side an opportunity for rebuttal.

[Brad Kittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lee Strobel does a great job of presenting the right questions and good answers to questions about the historical Jesus. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the good reasons we have to believe in a real Jesus, who lived in the 1st century and was raised from the dead according to the scriptures. This is a great book for those in a post modern fog or in the fog of religious relativism. So much of the emergent writings leave you confused about the importance of a historical Jesus or His claims to divinity and His claim to be THE way to God, not a way. This is a good book and can also steer you to other books that go deeper into each topic. Recommend.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strobel's book—among other things—is a rebuttal to Dr. Ehrman's work, "Misquoting Jesus." Strobel does an admirable job for Christians who fear the faith rug has been pulled out from under them. Strobel helps you to stand and to stand up straight. A must read if you are at all familiar with Dr. Ehrman's works. It is only a fair look at both sides.

[Brenda McDearmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

At a young age, I wholeheartedly placed my faith in Jesus Christ. Without any practice in dissecting Scripture, with no arsenal of historical proof, and absent any ability to lay out an educated argument for why I was so willing, albeit so unashamedly EAGER to give Him total allegiance of my entire self, I physically walked my 8-yr old scrawny self down the aisle of my church and told our pastor I believed in the One about whom he had preached.

That faith has never wavered. On the contrary, because I’ve lived so much life between then and now, my ability to know and trust in Jesus has only strengthened and grown.

The Case for the Real Jesus has been on my shelf for years. I bought it at a weekend apologetics conference for students where I had accompanied my teenage daughter and her friend. We heard Lee Strobel speak, bought an autographed copy of his book, and then let it sit on my bookshelf, undisturbed and unread until now.

This year, I’m making a big attempt to read mostly books I already own. Some are quick and easy to enjoy, while others take time and a much greater use of my noggin! Definitely, that has been the case with this book. It took most of a year for me to read it - a few pages at a time.

But I’m so glad I did.

The author writes (and speaks) easily, with a certain journalistic gentleness that’s often hard to find. As he interviewed many scholars for the book, Mr. Strobel had no trouble asking hard questions, nor did he struggle to concisely summarize the vast wealth of answers he was given. With his professional style and personal grace, Mr. Strobel combines all those conversations into a book which reads like a comprehensive manual for modern day Christians who must always be able to give an answer for why they believe.

Do you wish you were better equipped to present a more conversational witness of your faith? Are you, like me, a grandparent who prays for bold belief in the students you love so dearly? Or would you merely like to add more apologetics knowledge to your own childlike faith?

Then this book is for you!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journalist Lee Strobel sets out to examine many of the attacks against the historicity and deity of Jesus Christ. He approaches scholars respected by both liberal and conservative scholars as he attempts to verify that Jesus was Whom He claimed to be. He looks at the Biblical narratives and other contemporary sources as he examines allegations involving the text, the resurrection, Christianity's origins, Messianic prophecies, and postmodern interpretations. This book is written in such a way that laypersons will understand it.

[Noel Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be challenging. Not because it was over my head, but because it required critical thinking about some topics that have been in recent news. Many attacks about the validity of the Canon of Scripture as we know it have been in the news. Some claim to have found another Gospel book, others found evidence for something to contradict the Bible. The list goes on. The attacks where not necessarily on the Bible, but on Jesus Himself. Was He really who He said He was or is there evidence out there contradicting what is stated in the Canon of Scripture? Mr. Strobel went through and tackled the 6 most difficult to answer allegations/claims to see if the real Jesus was accurately presented in the current Canon of Scripture or if these alternative books have validity. Groups like the Jesus Seminar who claim to have scholars determining if Jesus really said something in the Bible.

One of the recurring themes in this book is that many so-called "scholars" are not really scholars at all. In an age of easy data access through the internet, anyone can claim to be an expert about a subject. But reading Wikipedia and blogs does not qualify you as a scholar. Strobel, an investigative journalist, went to the top scholars in their fields to ask if these claims (i.e. the gospel of Thomas, the Jesus Papers, the secret gospel of Mark, etc.) had credibility or not. Remarkably, many of the scholars claiming these books as valid had very shaky credentials, some could not even read/write the original languages that these manuscripts were written in, and one, through very compelling evidence, is believed to have been a complete forgery.

A majority of these other books are claimed to have been written during the time of Jesus (so that they gain credibility); however, in each case they are found to not have been written until at least the second century which is heavily influenced by a false religion called Gnosticism. Through a series of examinations, the facts about each book and their credibility are found wanting.

This was a very good book and worth your time to read or listen to if you struggle with some of the false claims out there about the Bible and about Jesus. Listened on my iPod.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tour de Force

10 hours
9 discs
Read by the author, Lee Strobel

Lee Strobel has written several "The Case for..." books. The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ explicitly counters the arguments from many different sources that question Jesus, the teachings about him and the integrity of the New Testament.

Critics argue that Strobel is not an expert on the things he writes about. I believe he would agree with that - at most he is a well-informed layman. But, Strobel did the best thing that one can do to create a rebuttal these arguments - he went out to the experts and questioned them (because, really, who is a qualified expert in all of these fields?). Strobel asks them the questions that the "anti-" crowd would ask (really a wide range, from Muslim teachers to Hollywood directors to college professors to former Christian clergy to internet bloggers).

The beauty of having these experts interviewed rather than just reading the books they may have written is that Strobel pushes them for clearer explanations and doesn't let them give answers that only sort of answer the questions...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2010/...

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

My faith has never really swayed in the past and I have always been a Christian and believer. This book (audio) only strengthens my belief in Jesus and Christianity as a religion. Strobel's interviews with the leading historical and Biblical leaders denounce any non sense books, claims, etc from the left wing crazy liberals and radicals that have been popping up lately stating that Jesus was not the Son of God, the New Testament is made up, other Gospels have been out there, but edited out and other fictitious claims.

Critics on this site that have given this review as 1 star have really bashed the book and it is hard to understand if they just didn't like the book or they are not Christians. They have said he only interviewed Christian people and no one else. To a degree it is a fair statement, however the book is stating what the attacks are and acting almost as a rebuttal to them. That is what the title suggest and that is what it is. Taking it one step further would have interesting in expanding the book, but the book itself is outstanding. Listening to the author on CD is even better as you can really hear his enthusiasm when talking about it.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A follow-up to Strobel's excellent "The Case for Christ", this new book addresses some of the more recent attacks on the veracity of the Bible. With his customary investigative journalism on display, Lee interviews six imminent scholars to find answers to questions like:

1. Scholars are uncovering a radically different Jesus in ancient documents just as credible as the four gospels.
2. The Bible's portrait of Jesus can't be trusted.
3. New explanations have refuted Jesus' resurrection.
4. Christianity's beliefs about Jesus were copied from pagan religions.
5. Jesus was an imposter who failed to fulfill the Messianic prophecies.
6. People should be free to pick and choose what to believe about Jesus.

Each question is dealt with in some depth, but I never felt like Strobel (or the people he was interviewing) were trying to shove a point of view down my throat. More of a "Here are what we see as the facts, come to your own conclusion. In fact, here are some resources from people who believe differently you might want to investigate for yourself."

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's nice to know

I have politely listened to the arguments and teachings Strobel addresses in this book. I never had my faith shaken by any of them because of the relationship I have with Jesus. Having the current attacks against the truth of the Bible laid out and meticulously answered is like the line in the musical Fiddler on the Roof. After Tevye and his wife decide they love each other, they conclude the exercise they went through to reach that decision doesn't change a thing. "...but after twenty-five years it's nice to know." Supporting and verifying the truth of scripture may tear down the walls of pride and resistance to the gospel for some, but knowing Jesus is still an act of faith. I recommend this to all.

[Rafael Gomez]

There's a lot of confusion today regarding "alternative" gospels. The popular view is that the prevailing version Orthodox Christianity is one of the existing 2 or 3rd century forms that prevailed. Another revisionist attempt at invalidating the historical Jesus. This is ammunition that every Christian needs (whether Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, etc.) Get this and read it. Then share it.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stobel dives into the nitty-gritty of the Bible and historical evidence for Jesus in this one. It's a good resource for those who want to know even more about evidence within Christianity. But more often than not he gets lost in the minute details, which makes for some pretty dry prose. Just read The Case for Christ instead.

[Levi Izvernar · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Wenn also die Beweise klar in diese Richtung zeigen, ist es nur vernünftig und logisch, ihnen in die Erfahrungswirklichkeit zu folgen.“

- Lee Strobel

[Justin Tapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read an Easter-related book since this Sunday marks the holiday that is the central tenet on which all of Christianity stands or falls. Christianaudio.com gave this out as a free audio download in March, and I found it to be a great refresher on where scholarship currently stands on the resurrection, the reliability of the Bible, and the identity of Jesus. Strobel simply puts his interviews into print, mostly verbatim, so it's not really like reading a book or an article. You sort of get the full firehose from the interviewee, although Strobel probably edits it for brevity and content.

Valid criticisms of this book are that Strobel doesn't interview Bart Ehrman, John Dominic Crossan, and other skeptics whose claims he is investigating. He is also a professing Christian who asks questions he hears from skeptics or that he thinks skeptics would ask, but it comes across as not authentically questioning (Strobel chronicled his own investigations that led him from atheism to Christianity in The Case for Christ). Strobel tries to come across in his interviews as naive or unaware, but he would have already encountered much of the information while writing The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith. (Note: I've read both but it's been years ago.) I don't know that Strobel lobs "softballs," but he's often asking questions he already knows their answer to. There are plenty of Bible difficulties that are not addressed. It's not clear exactly how Strobel chose his sources, but their CVs speak for themselves. You are essentially getting summaries of their books, which they sometimes pick up and quote from, in this book. That's a good value of this book, it leads you to read a lot of other sources.

To the critics, I would say that watch the interviewees debate the skeptics yourself, often found on YouTube. It would make no sense for Strobel to be a go-between on the arguments. He's essentially doing that from the critics' written works and interviews. There's no getting around his bias, but no one on the other side seems to be willing to take the time to interview the same scholars. My criticism are the details that Strobel puts in about the interviews themselves, what they're eating, drinking, the clothes they're wearing. I guess trying to bring the reader into the office with him, but it's a bit amateurish in nature.

Craig A. Evans is generally respected by conservatives and liberals and is Strobel's first interview.
Evans' interview, in part, is to counter many claims made by Bart Ehrman in his book Misquoting Jesus. Evans wrote a response called Fabricating Jesus, and other works. In the interview, Evans provides details to back up the following which I've pasted from the book's description:
"Fact: The Gospel of Thomas is late, not early; secondary, not authentic. Contrary to what a few scholars maintain, the Gospel of Thomas originated in Syria and probably no earlier than the end of the second century.
The Gospel of Peter, which describes a talking cross, is late and incredible. In fact, the fragmentary document that we have may not be the Gospel of Peter at all. The document that we have may date to the fourth or fifth century.
The 'secret' version of the Gospel of Mark, allegedly found in the Mar Saba Monastery, is a modern hoax. Analysis of the hand-writing betrays the tell-tale signs of forgery.
The distinctive conclusions of the Jesus Seminar are rejected by most scholars in North America and Europe.
There is absolutely no credible evidence that Jesus had a wife or a child.
The evidence is compelling that the New Testament Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John--are our best sources for understanding the historical Jesus. The New Testament Gospels are based on eyewitness testimony and truthfully and accurately describe the teaching, life, and death of Jesus.
Jesus was not a Cynic; in all probability he never encountered a Cynic. No killer monks (albino or otherwise) number among the membership of Opus Dei."

Evans notes that the Jesus seminar and 19th century biblical critics were weak on Hebrew, interpreting Jesus improperly into Greco-Roman thought. They take "Jesus out of (his Hebrew) context," and make him fit into a mold not given by anything actually recorded. New ideas get headlines, but confirmation of old ideas do not, which is why the Jesus Seminar are often chosen when PBS or other make a documentary. John Dominic Crossan is "on his own" maintaining certain positions on the gnostic texts that no other scholars take. Evans examines each of the Gnostic "gospels," demonstrating their authors' clear infamiliarity with burial practices and other Jewish customs.

The Gospel of Thomas appears to be quoting from Tatian's Diatessaron-- the first harmony of the four gospels-- giving it a much later date than what the Jesus Seminar claims. Its Syriac translation appears to be a second century biblical memorization aid. The "Gospel of Mary" likely dates to 150-200 a.d. The Gospel of Judas was also late and already mentioned as false by Irenaous early in the second century.

Throughout the book, the interviewees often act astonished or become quite "animated" or "emphatic," saying words like "ridiculous," or "completely false," etc. As Evans sets out to demolish Erhman's ideas, you're not left with much else than sympathy for Erhman.

Next up is Daniel B. Wallace at Dallas Theological Seminary, who has devoted his life to digitizing all the known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament via photograph. He has an interesting biography in that he became a Greek expert, writing seminal textbooks, then forgot all of his Greek in a bout with viral encephalitis. He re-taught himself Greek using his own textbooks. (see this interview at TGC.)

Wallace has also debated Ehrman. His discussion of exegesis and textual criticism were very good. He had some interesting, if not controversial, thoughts on inerrancy-- seeing it as an external doctrine protecting the infallibility and other more central tenets inside an imagined concentric circle of doctrines. Inerrancy need not precede faith, he states. He notes the mass volume of Greek manuscripts and that we're finding new ones from the 2nd century and even late first century. These dates are important because they are closer to the historical events and the original autographs, and found more frequently, than one can find for other historical documents. (He relates that the earliest written history of Caesar Augustus is as late as the 2nd century.)

He walks through an exercise in biblical translation that he does with his students. The differences in the manuscripts don't affect meaning. There is often one letter difference, a mispelling in Greek. He discusses several known scribal errors, and debates the significance of a few. (Aside: Ehrman and Gordon Fee both hold that scribal editions in 1 Corinthians has affected the church's hermeneutic of the epistle in relation to women and authority.) The fact that we can identify those discrepancies is important when getting the original idea. "Ehrman didn't prove that any doctrine is jeopardized." The Dan Brown Da Vinci Code-inspired conspiracy theories that Diocletian destroyed manuscripts is false, we have much earlier ones. Textual criticism is "tedium" because researchers rarely find any notable differences between the thousands of documents. "I think the church got it right" (at Nicea and since).
Another interesting factoid, the earliest manuscript of Revelation (from 3rd century?) has the number of the beast as 616, as do a number of other manuscripts.

Bruce Metzger is one New Testament expert who is respected by Ehrman. Strobel interviewed him in The Case for Christ, where he said that "scholarship has built my faith."

But Strobel writes this book to look at updated and more popular objections to the resurrection since Case for Christ was published. This brings him to Mike Licona, who wrote his dissertation on the resurrection, wrote Paul Meets Muhammad, co-authored The Case for the Resurrection with Gary Habermas, and has debated Muslim scholars.
(Note, in writing this review I found that Norman Geisler, Paige Patterson, and Al Mohler have recently been quite critical of several experts in this book over their positions of inerrancy, including Paul Copan and Mike Licona. Licona has written on his response to the charges, raising some valid questions about Geisler's methods, motives, and consistency: http://www.risenjesus.com/chicagos-mu.... Gary Habermas and William Lane Craig are other giants in the field of Christian apologetics who have come under fire for defending Licona. )

I appreciated the brief tangent on problems using Bayes' theorem to disprove the existence of Jesus or the resurrection in this interview. Licona points to five agreed-upon facts that are enough to make a rational, probabilistic case for an authentic resurrection:
1. Everyone largely agrees that Jesus was crucified. Even Crossan and various skeptics attest this is not problematic.
2. Early tradition agrees on the account. The earliest manuscripts we have from Paul's epistles to the gospels agree on the death and resurrection of Jesus, and what came before and after.
3. The conversion of Paul, a former enemy of Christians. The Reza Aslan and J.S. Spong books I've read both have a hard time discounting Paul's conversion. It's clear he believed what he believed quite strongly.
4. James' conversion. James' and Jesus' other siblings are documented as not believing he was the messiah when Jesus was alive. Licona admits that this point is troubling even for himself. How would the brother of Jesus not have heard of the virgin birth from his mother? But as William Lane Craig has pointed out, if your brother claimed to be divine, what would he have to do to convince you? You know him, after all. Probably be raised from the dead.
The earliest creeds we have says Jesus appeared to James after his resurrection, then to many others. We know that James later believed because he is recorded as a leader of the church in Jerusalem and was later martyred for his belief that Jesus was the Christ.

5. Jesus tomb is empty. "75% of scholars agree on this." No body was produced by the Romans or the Jews. Licona walks Strobel through the various scenarios put forth, including the "healing" hypothesis, the fake Jesus on the cross that the Koran purports (Licona points out that if this were true it would make Allah a deceiver), and others that have already been covered by Evans above.

Licona addresses the Koran, Michael Baigent's The Jesus Papers, and other works. It's clear that he has gained a lot of inspiration from Gary Habermas as well.

Strobel then considers the more popular claims that a God who lives on earth, dies, and is resurrected is simply plagiarism from Greco-Roman, Zoroastrian, and other regional sources available to the Gospel authors. Is the Bible simply plagiarism of myths?

Bruce Metzger did research decades ago debunking much of what seems to be regurgitated today. Strobel interviews Edwin Yamauchi who is an expert on Gnostic texts, near eastern languages, and mythology. He asks specifically about whether the Mithras legend could have contributed to a Jesus myth. Yamauchi contends that Mithraism appears too late in the region to have contributed to the Gospel authors, or to be part of some secret underground religion. It is more probable that the opposite happened-- the Gospels influenced the Mithras legends, as similarities appear to have been developed in 1st-4th centuries AD. Yamauchi points to research that debunked these theories long ago.

If the Gospels are reasonably accurate and Jesus was most likely resurrected, then why don't Jews widely accept him? Strobel probes Dr. Michael Brown, of "Jews for Jesus," for his answers. Brown walks through the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah and how they could be fulfilled by Jesus. Strobel presents various objections by modern rabbis-- the Messiah could not have been divine, was supposed to usher in the eternal earthly kingdom, etc. and Brown refutes them like Jewish Christians have been doing since the resurrection. Brown further purports that the messiah had to fulfill prophecies before the second temple was destroyed by the Romans, and Jesus is the only one that did so. He has the highest probability of being one to fulfil the prophecies. Now that the second temple is destroyed, it's not possible for there to be another. Brown walks through the "suffering servant" of Isaiah passages in a neat way and explains the difficulties of Old Testament exegesis. Whole volumes have been written on the problematic nature of OT use in the NT.

The last interview is with Paul Copan, author of True for You, But Not for Me. Copan is arguing against postmodernism. He defines truth as "a belief that matches up with reality." Certain truths are absolute and knowable. He discusses the important of getting a postmodern skeptic to accept reason before one can argue from historical evidences and such.

Strobel's conclusion recaps the major points of the interviews and contains a compendium of quotes by experts on Dead Sea scrolls, Eastern religions, etc. Larry W. Hurtado, Richard Baucum, C.S. Lewis, and more. Lewis wrote that Christianity is difficult to accept because it requires us to "Hand over the whole natural self..." Surrender is scary. Our modern culture and groups like the Jesus Seminar try to make Jesus our equal, which we would prefer to have instead of someone we need to actually submit to and rely on for eternal life. Sin, likewise, is something we'd rather delete-- along with hell. Once you accept the evidence suggesting the resurrection is true, it requires you change your life.

Overall, I give this book 4 stars. I highly recommend it to anyone researching apologetics.

[Frank Calberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notizen vom Lesen des Buches:

Buddhismus
Seite 127: Die Schriften von Buddha, der im 6. Jahrhundert vor Christus lebte, wurden erst erfasst, als das Christentum schon entstanden war, und die erste Biografie über ihn entstand erst im 1. Jahrhundert nach Christus.

Islam
- Seite 127: Obwohl wir Aussprüche von Mohammed haben, der von 570 bis 632 nach Christus lebte, wurde der Koran, also seine Biografie, nicht vor Jahr 767 geschrieben.
- Seite 282: Moslems gehen davon aus, dass Jesus nach Indien floh. Bis heute findet sich an seinem vermeintlichen Grab in Srinigar, Kaschmir ein Schrein.

Wer ist Gott?
- Seite 230: Im alten Testament wird Gott als allgegenwärtig oder als überall im Universum existierend dargestellt; als allwissend oder alles wissend, was man je wissen kann; als allmächtig, als ewig oder als über der Zeit stehend und gleichzeitig als Quelle der Zeit; als immer Derselbe oder als unveränderbar in seinen Eigenschaften. Er ist liebevoll, heilig, weise und gerecht.
- Seite 240: Im 10. Kapitel des Markus-Evangeliums spricht jemand Jesus als "guter Meister" an. Jesus sagte dazu: "Warum nennst du mich gut. Niemand ist gut ausser Gott, dem Einen."

Wer war Jesus?
- Seite 117: Jesus starb als Gründer des Christentums in Jerusalem den Märtyrertod. Er war ein weiser Lehrer, der eine verbreitete und treue Anhängerschaft hatte, obwohl er unter Pilatus auf Veranlassung einiger jüdischer Führer gekreuzigt worden war.
- Seite 126: Die traditionelle jüdische Literatur unterstützt die Aussagen der Evangelien, dass Jesus ein Heiler und Wundertäter war - auch wenn sie diese Aktivitäten der Hexerei zuschreibt. Auch bewahrt die tradionelle jüdische Literatur die Information, dass Jesus ein Lehrer war.
- Seite 128: Viele Menschen verehrten Jesus als Gott.
- Seite 198: Die Pharisäer wollten alles beim Alten lassen. Jesus sagte, "Nein, Gott hat andere Pläne. Er will alles neu machen."
- Seite 200: Jesus stellte seine eigene Autorität über die Autorität, die die Propheten des alten Testaments hatten. Er glaubte, dass er die Macht besass, konkrete göttliche Äusserungen zu machen.
- Seite 215: Jesus drückte Emotionen aus. Zum Beispiel weinte er über den Tod seines Freundes Lazarus. Auch drückte er mehrmals Wut aus.
- Seite 284: Es hat nie eine Autopsie von Jesus stattgefunden.
- Seite 303: Die Auferstehung ist der höchste Beweis für die göttliche Identität Jesu und seine Lehre. Sie ist der Beweis für seinen Triumph über Sünde und Tod. Sie ist ein Vorgeschmack auf die Auferstehung seiner Nachfolger. Sie ist die Grundlage der christlichen Hoffnung. Sie ist das Wunder aller Wunder.
- Seite 338: Die Historiker sind sich einig, dass es ausreichend Beweise für die Kreuzigung Jesu gibt.

Judentum:
Seite 372: Nur fünf Wochen nach seiner Kreuzigung folgten 10,000 Juden Jesus.

Was passierte am Grab von Jesus?
- Seite 316: Im Matthäus-Evangelium kommen Maria Magdalena und die andere Maria zum Grab; ein Stein liegt vor dem Grabeingang. Dann entsteht ein heftiges Erdbeben, ein Engel steigt herab und rollt den Stein vom Grab weg. Im Markus-Evangelium kommen die Frauen bei Sonnenaufgang zum Grab, und der Stein ist schon vom Eingang weggerollt. Im Lukas-Evangelium kommen die Frauen in der Morgendämmerung zum Grab und finden den Stein weggerollt.
- Seite 316: Im Matthäus-Evangelium sitzt ein Engel auf dem Stein ausserhalb des Grabes. Im Markus-Evangelium sitzt ein junger Mann im Grab. Im Lukas-Evangelium befinden sich zwei Männer im Grab.
- Seite 317: Im Matthäus-Evangelium sind die Frauen am Grab Maria Magdalena und die andere Maria. Im Markus-Evangelium handelt es sich um die zwei Marias und um Salome. Im Lukas-Evangelium sind Maria Magdalena, Maria, die Mutter des Jakobus, Johanna und andere Frauen am Grab.
- Seite 317: Im Matthäus-Evangelium eilen die beiden Maria voller Furcht und Freude vom Grab weg, um es den Jüngern zu erzählen. Unterwegs treffen sie Jesus. Im Markus-Evangelium rennen sie voller Angst aus dem Grab und erzählen niemanden etwas. Im Lukas-Evangelium berichten die Frauen die Geschichte der Jüngern, die kein Wort davon glauben. Hier findet sich auch kein Hinweis darauf, dass die Frauen Jesus begegnet sind.
- Seite 332: Was sind Erklärungen für das leere Grab von Jesus, die nicht auf eine übernatürliche Auferstehung zurückgreifen?
- Seite 337: Es gibt kein Bericht über die Auferstehung Jesu.

Das Markus-Evangelium
- Seite 35: Im Markus-Evangelium ist nichts über die Geburt Jesus oder seine Jugendzeit geschrieben. Stattdessen konzentriert sich Markus auf einen Zeitraum von 3 Jahren und verwendet fast die Hälfte seines Evangeliums darauf, die letzten Lebenstage Jesu zu schildern.
- Seite 44: Markus wollte Jesus als den leidenden Diener zeigen.
- Seite 46-47: Das Markus-Evangelium wurde in die Siebzigerjahre des ersten Jahrhunderts geschrieben, etwa 40 Jahre nach dem Tod von Jesus.
- Seite 309: Das Markus-Evangelium gilt als das älteste Evangelium.
- Seite 309: Das Markus-Evangelium besteht überwiegend aus kurzen Anekdoten aus dem Leben Jesu.

Das Lukas-Evangelium
- Seite 44: Lukas war der Anwalt für die Armen und sozial Benachteiligten.
- Seite 47-48: Das Lukas-Evangelium wurde in die Achtzigerjahre des ersten Jahrhunderts geschrieben, etwa 50 Jahre nach dem Tod von Jesus.
- Seite 47-48: Lukas integriert Teile aus dem Markus-Evangelium.
- Seite 142: Der Arzt und Historiker Lukas verfasste sowohl das Evangelium, das seinen Namen trägt, als auch die Apostelgeschichte, zusammen also etwa 25% des Neuen Testamentes

Das Matthäus-Evangelium
- Seite 44: Matthäus wollte die Beziehung zwischen Christentum und Judentum verstehen.
- Seite 47-48: Das Matthäus-Evangelium wurde in die Achtzigerjahre des ersten Jahrhunderts geschrieben, etwa 50 Jahre nach dem Tod von Jesus.

Das Johannes-Evangelium
- Seite 47: Das Johannes-Evangelium wurde in die Neunzigerjahre des ersten Jahrhunderts geschrieben, etwa 60 Jahre nach dem Tod von Jesus.
- Seite 90: Das Johannes Evangelium wurde wahrscheinlich in einer Gemeinde am Nilufer in Ägypten ursprünglich geschrieben.
- Seite 198: Jesus sagte, dass von allen Menschen auf dieser Erde, die von einer Frau geboren wurde, Johannes der Grösste ist.

Das Thomas-Evangelium
Seite 182: Die meisten Wisdenschaftler datieren das Thomas-Evangelium auf die Mitte des 2. Jahrhunderts.

Briefe von Paulus
- Seite 49: Paulus begann Ende der Vierzigerjahre seine Briefe zu schreiben.
- Seite 129: Paulus bestätigt wichtige Charakterzüge von Jesus: Seine Demut, seinen Gehorsam und seine Liebe für Sünder.

Weitere Recherchen vom Buch:
- Seite 249: Der entscheidende Anstoss für die Abschaffung der Sklaverei war die evangelikale Erweckung in England. Christen setzen am Anfang des 19. Jahrhundert die Abschaffung der Sklaverei im Parlament durch und verwendeten schliesslich die britische Kanonenboote um die Sklavenschiffe auf dem Atlantik zu stoppen.
- Seite 322: Zur Zeit, als Jesus gelebt habe, galt die Aussage von Frauen so wenig, dass Frauen nicht einmal als Zeugen bei einem jüdischen Rechtsprozess auftreten durften.
- Seite 368: Die Familie von Jesus glaubte nicht an Jesus. Sie boten ihm die Stirn. Es war für sie peinlich, was Jesus von sich behauptete.
- Seite 400: Wenn Menschen sich bemühen den Lehren Jesu zu folgen und sich für seine umwälzende Macht zu öffnen, verändern sich Schritt für Schritt ihre Prioritäten, Wertvorstellungen, und Charakter.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be clear, I am a Christian whose primary concern is history. I am not concerned by claims that historians make or threatened by provocative questions, I am simply looking for answers in history that make the most real-world sense. By contrast, Strobel is a Christian journalist and author who is defending Christian beliefs that appear to be threatened by historical claims. In proper journalistic fashion, he seeks to refute popular claims that appear to undermine belief in Jesus as we currently see it.

In Short:

This book asks some relevant questions about Jesus in history and is accessible to any reader interested, but it is not the consideration in depth or scope that I am looking for. Strobel says he tried to enter the debate as open mindedly as he did in “Case for Christ,” as an atheist, but the focus of the book is using Christian scholars to refute the claims against Christianity made by both good historians and those with an ax to grind. This will be mistaken as the definitive answer for the historical questions of Jesus. It is most definitely not.

In Detail:

This book is narrated in Strobel’s usual, interview style, which is an effective approach given the antagonistic nature of the content. He presents his questions and motivations clearly, he finds credible experts in the field of New Testament studies, and researches opposing viewpoints that represent what he feels are the main dissenting viewpoints against belief in a historically viable Jesus.

Each expert is given a thorough CV, a brief bio, and an opportunity to lay the foundation for the current section’s topic. Strobel makes sure it includes how and why they believe Jesus is historically viable and why our current belief system makes sense. Strobel then cross-examines them as a prosecuting attorney would do (or in his case as the legal editor of the Chicago Tribune) by attacking their main points with quotes and references from other scholars. Each scholar is then given as long as necessary to revitalize their major points by answering or refuting Strobel’s concerns.

In all, it is an effective strategy. Several of the points made are timely, accurate, and useful. One such is the disparity between Dr. Bart Ehrman’s opinions that the errors in the New Testament manuscript documents make the text unreliable to its core vs. the low probable impact many of these differences probably have.

Despite the very excellent sections, I found it lacking for the following reasons:

1) He never interviews a non-believer, let alone a person who openly opposes Christianity. All arguments for the viability of Jesus in history and subsequent Christianity are made by believers. Everyone has bias, even people who are truly trying to be “objective” or “open minded” about the data presented. This is the same reason historians approach the Gospel narratives with caution – even though they are clearly the best sources of information we have about Jesus himself. The Gospels were written by believers, Christians, who want others to understand why he is the messiah, among other things. It does not discredit them, but it makes them less overtly reliable about Jesus’ messianic claims than another writing that does not promote Jesus as messiah. Each of these historians wants Jesus, and what is written about Jesus, to be true. This does not discredit them, but it does lessen their “objectivity." Strobel himself points out that using the “attestation of enemies” is a very powerful source of reliability when making the same point. Strobel does include tidbits about the agreement of skeptics but only through the Christian scholar, and only when it supports the claims of our current view of Christianity.
2) In many cases – the interview with Dr. Edwin Yamauchi being the most pronounced – when Strobel asks a question that conflicts with a point just made, the answer is often, “no, that isn’t true.” No further questioning, cross-examination, or clarification. Just . . . “no?!” I found these segments particularly unsatisfying because of point #1, because we are simply relying on the judgment of the scholar and not the cogency of his reasoning related to the facts involved, and because the lack of detail makes it difficult to follow up afterward to research the point on my own. I am left with a felt need to go and buy Yamauchi’s books to try and understand, rather than having the means readily available here. Yet another thing I don’t have time to do.
3) The book centers itself on the current beliefs of and attacks against Christianity. It does not question some of the more foundational considerations, such as the fact our versions of evangelical, protestant, catholic, or Pentecostal beliefs may not reflect the 1st century understandings of what Jesus meant by what he said in the gospels. Also, little allowance is made for the validity of certain claims against Christianity, such as the need for caution when approaching the New Testament with certain assumptions about chronology or our desire for the bible to be inerrant, infallible and authoritative in all aspects of the universe. Maybe Dr. Ehrman’s professor was right, Mark just got it wrong. The bible was never meant to be held up to an empirical microscope – as was attempted in the 19th and 20th centuries, causing reactions against questioning the bible that we are still defending today. Some of this is mentioned but not adequately considered.
4) There is no clarification that understanding history and belief in a certain theology is different. Most of the arguments made are cogent and understandable, but an unspoken assumption remains: if the favorable situation is allowable in historical terms (meaning our current versions of Christianity are and always were correct) it is assumed to be true. Jesus had to act in history or our beliefs are unfounded and useless. Even if we can show that Jesus doing certain things in history is the best answer, it doesn’t mean that our modern beliefs about him are correct. Though I do understand that this book is written by a believer for other believers, it remains an important historical point that should be very clear in a book that wants to address historical concerns.

In Conclusion:

I am glad Lee Strobel wrote this book because I appreciated his willingness to ask these questions, which many Christians could find too large or taboo to consider. This book will help people feel more secure in their beliefs against current climates, criticisms, and invalid arguments made against our faith. I feel that this sort of willingness to ask questions is a necessary beginning for the Christianity of history to continue amid large skepticism and outright hostility toward any moral regulation. The answers about Jesus from our parent’s and grandparent’s generations do not seem to meet the needs of our current experience. I believe returning to the source is the only way to understand Jesus for our current needs and for the future, but I do not think that this book is the monumental or definitive work against historical criticism for which it will be mistaken.

Thank you, Lee Strobel, for creating this very accessible opening into the historical conversation.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lee Strobel’s “The Case for the Real Jesus” provides a cursory look at few different challenges facing Christians today. The book mostly focuses on throwing cold water on arguments from academics and writers such as Elaine Pagels, Bart D Ehrman, and Tom Harpur, before moving onto the broader question of ‘Did Jesus fulfill the messianic prophecies’ and responding to trends against organized religion in exchange for personalized belief systems.

If one was to believe the marketing hype, you’d expect Strobel to grapple with the challenges directly by interviewing the very thinkers he wants to discredit. Instead, Strobel takes the easy route by seeking out like-minded Evangelical Christians who spoon-feed him the positive answers he’s looking for. Unfortunately, the issues Strobel is trying to cover here are too many and too complex to discuss with any real depth within the limits of a book this size, although he does provide resources for suggested reading at the end of each chapter. That’s not to say the points presented aren’t persuasive, but the presentation is incredibly one-sided and often dismissive of opposing views; most definitely not the “hot light of scrutiny” we were promised.

Evangelical Christians looking to feel reassured in their faith will find the read to their liking, but ultimately this book should be viewed as a gentle introduction to Christian apologetics and a stepping stone to further reading of books like the end of chapter suggested resources or Tom Harpur’s “The Pagan Christ” so they can more fully grasp both sides of the debate.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thorough investigation on Jesus Christ. A little long and deep, but very informative and persuasive. Listening to it every evening re-affirmed my Christian faith.

[John Guenzler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read

Again Mr. Strobe makes an excellent case. The evidence is clear. The question remains, what will you do with this Jesus?

[David Washington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lee Strobel is the author of The Case series of books which include The Case for a Creator, The Case for Christ, and The Case for Faith. In this book, The Case for the Real Jesus, Strobel explores the newest objections to orthodox Christianity's Jesus, the Gospels, and church history. As he does in all of these books, he interviews key scholars in answering the objections of skeptics and liberal scholars which are really one and the same.

I've read a couple of Strobel's books, the most compelling to me being The Case for a Creator. But this is coming in at a close second. A real close second. Like on the heels.

I appreciate the research that Strobel puts into these books. It shows a true care for the subject which he's pursuing. He's still old school, opting for traveling and having face to face discussions with these scholars in lieu of the Internet and the ability to interview via video chat. There are nuances in face-to-face interviewing that one can miss or are nonexistent in digital interviewing.

The book covers six challenges that are not really new but have resurrected with new clothes. Two of these were particularly important to me simply from reading them and recognizing them in the culture, namely, “The Bible's Portrait of Jesus Can't be Trusted Because the Church Tampered With the Text” and a strongly prevalent one “People Should Be Free to Pick and Choose What to Believe About Jesus.”

In answering these challenges, Strobel went to prominent scholars, the most impressive and convincing being Craig A. Evans, Michael L. Brown, and Paul Copan.

Like in all of these books, Lee plays the devil's advocate in these interviews, throwing objections and challenges at these scholars verbatim from those who presented them as well as his own through the flow of the discussion. Lee's writing is not just pedantic but you get the feel that you're actually sitting in and seeing the two have the discussion. During each interview, I Googled each scholar so I could have a face to put to the dialogue which helped in my enjoyment of the book.

These books are faith builders. They help in answering some of the many skeptical assertions made against Christ and Christianity. They help Christians become more grounded in their faith while at the same time presenting the other side of the argument for those who have only heard one side.

One of the most compelling and memorable statements in the whole book came from Michael L. Brown who is a Messianic Jewish scholar. His background is a checkered one which intrigued me even more since my background is the same (aren't all of ours?) Not only was the statement bold but verifiable from the biblical evidence. Brown stated:

“Either the Messiah came two thousand years ago or the prophets were wrong and we can discard the Bible. But they weren't wrong. Yeshua is the Messiah—or nobody is.”

Whoa. To make that kind of dogmatic assertion today is the epitome of politically incorrect and yet, he backs up this claim with what I saw as bulletproof scholarship making the statement even more profound. I'm a Christian and it shook me.

Paul Copan also made some statements, one which is very similar to something I personally have been saying for years:

“Something is true—or corresponds to reality—even if people don't believe it…In fact, truth is true even if no one knows it, admits it, agrees with it, follows it, or even fully grasps it…But I can't stress this enough: what we believe about Jesus doesn't really affect who He is. Our beliefs can't change reality. Whether we choose to believe it or not, Jesus is the unique Son of God. So we have a choice: we can live in a fantasyland of our own making by believing whatever we want about Him; or we can seek to discover who He really is and then bring ourselves in alignment with the real Jesus and His teachings.”

Solid stuff.

Yet, with all of this solid material, I got the sense that there was an over-reliance on logic and facts in place of Scripture. That there was not enough biblical correlation as the final authority. In other words, that the Scriptures were what the facts, logic, and scholarship backed up. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for facts and logic in reference to solid faith. Strongly. But that's not the final test of truth. And though Scripture came up quite a bit in the discussions, the book's conclusion gave the impression of more of a fact find than a truth find. Lee didn't bring it home with how all these facts directly related to the truth of Scripture. He saved that for the appendix and that, to me, is the biggest thumbs down for the book.

Nevertheless, the book is still solid. Definitely worth the time to read.

[Adriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I am quite fond of Strobel's style, and his personality and bluntless bleeds through the pages and words.

As a journalist who has an extensive background in law and expertise in investigation, seeking reliable sources, and gathering evidence, he has a compelling skill set that allows you to trust in his methods and his approach to embarking on his personal journey to bolster his case for the REAL Jesus.

This book is in the same format as The Case for Christ, in that he has specific goals, specific topics to tackle, a systematic approach, and specifically chosen experts to answer his toughest questions.

In this book, he sets out to tackle six of the biggest objections to the true identity of Jesus Christ as he is described in the New Testament. These are powerful objections in our post-modern day, and he understands that if even one of them goes through, the traditional picture of Jesus is compromised and a huge shadow of doubt falls upon the entire revolution that Jesus supposedly began.

The six objections are:

1. Scholars are uncovering a radically different Jesus in ancient documents just as credible as the four Gospels.
2. The Bible's portrait of Jesus can't be trusted because the church tampered with the text.
3. New explanations have refuted Jesus' Resurrection.
4. Christianity's beliefs about Jesus were copied from pagan religions.
5. Jesus was an imposter who failed to fulfill the messianic prophecies.
6. People should be free to pick and choose what they believe about Jesus.

It is easy to see that these are very strong claims that Strobel truly believed needed to be cleared if he was going to maintain confidence in his worldview as a Christian.

Like The Case for Christ, Strobel chooses experts all over the nation to interview to discuss these claims one by one, bringing to them the objection in full force with multiple additional lines of reasoning related to them.

I have to say that I was compelled by much of the evidence being presented by the scholars he chose to interview. They provided facts backed by evidence and sound reasoning.

However, like my objection for his previous book, this book is highly biased toward the Christian worldview, as he seeks out only Christian scholars to address the issues. Again, this is fine, since the objections are aimed at Christians, and Strobel seeks out learned Christians to provide their defense. However, I do feel as though this book would be much more balanced and interesting if he interviewed atheist and agnostic skeptics as well, perhaps putting cases from both sides head to head to provide the reader with more opportunity to be challenged and apply a greater degree of critical thinking.

I do like how Strobel includes study questions at the end of each chapter, as well as additional resources on each topic that he recommends people look into if they have more questions.

One thing I did learn through reading this book that troubled me was that I realized how prevalent intentional deception in the scholarly world really is. I knew it was a real thing, but to know that scholars are deliberately twisting the facts and distorting the truth to intentionally mislead people to follow their own biases is quite upsetting. People can be hurt and broken by such deception and be turned away from their pursuit of the truth, and this is something that really angers me. Knowing this is making me have to be a lot more careful and critical myself when reading books and articles by people, including Christian authors, as well, even though everyone does have their own biases (I'm no exception).

All in all, Strobel did a fine job with writing this book. It was easy to read and included many compelling arguments that have yet to be thoroughly dismantled. I'm interested in learning about what some skeptics might have to say to respond to the defense that Strobel provided.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows the same format that Strobel used in an earlier book "The Case for Christ." He frames issues and then interviews various experts to respond to the issues. The approach provides a quick, very readable overview of some rugged terrain in contemporary theology. The drawback is Strobel interviews only those experts he agrees with -- the more conservative or moderate voices in the seminaries and universities. We have no one from The Jesus Seminar or similar radical schools of thought to defend their positions. So, ideally, this book should be read together with one or two books from the other side -- perhaps something by John Dominic Crossan or Robert Funk.
A stylistic annoyance is Strobel's practice of listing detailed credentials as he introduces each of his six commentators. I guess the purpose is to make sure the reader understands that the conservatives have just as many degrees and publications as their opponents. But most of that detail could have been relegated to footnotes.
This book is ideal for people who have waded through a lot of revisionist theology and wonder what's left. His experts present some convincing arguments that the four Gospels chosen by a bishop conclave centuries ago still have great value and are trustworthy. One of the sections I found most helpful was the review of Old Testament prophecies about a Messiah and how Jesus fits those prophecies very closely.
However, I was disturbed by the ad hominem attack that Strobel included to shoot down writing about the Secret Gospel of Mark. That "gospel" was a now-vanished fragment of medieval text that purported Jesus had a mysterious all-night meeting with a nearly naked youth to teach him hidden mysteries about the Kingdom of God. Strobel quotes a critic who alleges the whole thing was a hoax perpetrated by theologian Morton Smith. He also adds in the academic gossip that Smith, now deceased, was a closeted gay who wanted to upset his orthodox colleagues. Strobel omits mention of other theologians who have defended Smith and the authenticity of the text. For those who want more detail about the controversy, Wikipedia gives a more balanced summary of the debate.

[Paul J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lee Strobel is quite a prolific author. Fortunately, he always has worthwhile things to say. Most folks are familiar with Strobel’s story…how as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, he undertook a two-year investigation of the claims of Jesus, which led him to belief and salvation in 1981 (a story worth reading in his book “The Case For Christ”).

Since then, he has written numerous other “A Case For…” books (Easter, Christmas, Faith, Creator...). Now, recent attacks on the claims of Christianity have led Strobel to revisit his original subject matter.

In “The Case For The Real Jesus”, Strobel lays out six major challenges to the identity of Jesus that have emerged in recent years:

#1 - Scholars are uncovering a radically different Jesus in ancient documents that are just as credible as the Gospels
#2 - The Bible’s portrait of Jesus can’t be trusted, because the Church has tampered with the text
#3 - New explanations have refuted Jesus’ resurrection
#4 - Christianity’s beliefs about Jesus were copied from pagan religions
#5 - Jesus was an imposter, and he failed to fulfill messianic prophecies
#6 - People should be free to pick and choose what they believe about Jesus

Strobel interviews a who’s who of scholars on each point. The evidence and explanations are extremely detailed. Don’t be fooled, this is a tough read - but it’s worth the effort. I learned new things in each chapter, including some things that I had never heard before in a lifetime of following Christ.

I found the chapters dealing with challenges #1 and #6 to be especially relevant. I’ve been in conversations with people about these very topics, and always felt too uninformed to give a proper response. This book has given me the tools I need to be able to engage in these conversations intelligently.

I highly recommend Strobel’s latest.

[Michelle Hoogterp · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's interesting, but not 100% what I was hoping for: the facts the author presents are just as nebulous, in certain areas, to me as the falsehoods or accusations he's trying to disprove...I need more history with the information he's discussing--there's a presumption of familiarity of either side of the argument on Jesus--and the people he interviews appear credible, but I don't get a deep sense of why he's chosen these people in particular to interview--is it because of some seminal work? Because they're friends? Because only they were available when he called? This book is probably better for someone who has a greater historical sense and more biblical background than I do, but it is enjoyable otherwise.

Strobel offers further reading at the end of each chapter, some of the books I might checkout at some point. And I agree with another reviewer that Strobel is arguing in a vacuum so there's no rebuttal from the opposition, though he does bring up points on behalf of the opposition in order to push against the truths the people he interviews believe in.

With Strobel's investigative background I did expect a lot more information. I could've done without the aside information of him nodding to show he understands someone, or what they're wearing. But his writing is accessible and the tone is genial. But in some ways I think I'm more confused than when I began reading this book.

Overall, it's decent, and I would've liked it a whole lot more if he'd stayed away from the phrase "mental jujitsu." ...Seriously? Where he uses it makes me want to hit my head against a wall. The fact pointed out to him during an interview was hardly a feat of astounding mental calculation.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, author Lee Strobel sets out to discover who the real/historical Jesus was. In his first book, the Case for Christ, Strobel already "proved" that Christ existed and was the Son of God. Strobel's questions in this book center around whether the Gospels are accurate biographies of Jesus' life, whether the crucifixion and resurrection happened as described in the Bible, whether Jesus was the foretold messiah, and whether we can pick and choose what we want to believe about him.

I found much of this book fascinating. I have read other books (God's Secretaries, The History of God, and others) that challenge what I've been told throughout my faith about the Bible, God, and Christianity. Strobel's approach is to take what he's read from some popular scholars to "experts", Biblical scholars with just as good, if not better, credentials to hear the argument against accusations like the Gospels were selected by a few men from among a wealth of other contradictory information about Jesus (Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Peter, etc.)

These arguments are laid out in a manner that makes them easy to understand. Sometimes it seemed to boil down to one "expert's" belief vs another, but there is enough there that I made me re-think these books I had read.

While I tend to doubt this book would cause a true unbeliever to suddenly accept Jesus, I found that many of these arguments are around things I personally struggle with--and in the end, helped strengthen my own faith.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were to ask the average person “Who was Jesus Christ” you might be surprised at the answers. Some believe he was God, others the Son of God, still others believe he was only a teacher. Some don’t believe he ever existed. Of late, a lot of media attention has been directed to Jesus (the Mel Gibson film primarily comes to mind) and many wonder if the picture of Jesus painted by the gospel accounts is anywhere close to the truth.

Journalist Lee Strobel investigates the claims currently being made about Jesus and his life. Are the alternative gospels (the gospels of Judas and Thomas, the document “Q”) really truthful, and did the early church suppress them? Were the biblical texts tampered with by the early church? Has the resurrection of Christ—the foundation of Christianity—been disproving by any current archaeological findings? Is the life of Jesus based on earlier mythological beliefs?

Strobel uses the same format as in his other “The Case For…” books: he interviews experts in their respective fields and poses skeptical questions to them in order to get the answers. He also invites discussion and debate about the answers via a series of summary questions at the end of each chapter. He also includes additional recommendations at the end of each chapter for further reading. While I don’t always agree with the conclusions that Strobel or the experts reach, I find his books interesting reading.