Being a Christian and a student of Communications, I felt compelled to reading The Case for Christ. I decided to use this book for this review especially due to the large amount of criticisms and backlash it had received. Lee Strobel is known for being a hard-nosed skeptical journalist and ex-investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune. He also described himself as a "former spiritual skeptic" before his personal mission for the proof of God. Skeptics around the world claim that Jesus either never said He was God or He never exemplified the activities and mindset of God. Either way they rather triumphantly proclaim that Jesus was just a man. Some will go so far as to suggest that He was a very moral and special man, but a man nonetheless. For Strobel, there was far too much evidence against the idea of God, let alone the possibility that God became a man. God was just mythology, superstition, or wishful thinking.
Initially what caught my interest were Strobel's "court room" questions with experts in the book, rather than logically bulldozing his way to solutions. To name a few, he grills Catholic lay philosopher Peter Kreeft about the problem of evil, Indian-born evangelist Ravi Zacharias about Christian exclusivism, historian John Woodbridge about oppression in the name of Christ, and other authorities about the truth of miracles, God's callousness in the Hebrew Bible, the Justice of Hell, the challenge of evolution, and the struggle with persistent doubt.
The Case for Christ was written in the style of an investigative report with bluntly asked questions forcing high profile scholars to give understandable arguments to support their opinions and conclusions. Strobel believed this brought complex theological concepts and historical issues down to an accessible level, where he pieced together hard facts through these interviews. "I confront leading evangelical thinkers with the kind of skeptical objections that are shared by many people" he said in an interview with Zondervan Church Source (2005).
In the first section Strobel investigates what he calls the record, where he questions eyewitnesses, gospel accounts and other evidence from outside the Bible. For example asking questions like, "Does archaeology help or hurt the case for Christ?" The second section focuses on the analysis of Jesus Himself. Did Jesus really think He was God? Strobel's investigation of the evidence for Jesus, he uses the Old Testament as a sketch of what God is supposed to be like.
The contents of the Bible have dealt with controversy in regards to its inerrancy since publication, and will surely continue to. Historians progress to learn more about biblical stories in order to provide evidence for the reliability of information. Many believers today understand that not everything in the Bible has been factually proven. An outstanding topic many scholars pay attention to lies within the four gospels. The three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, replay essentially the same story with minor inconsistencies, while John portrays Jesus in an entirely different way. The differences in each gospel are due to how each gospel entertains different portrayals of the life and understanding of Jesus himself, in order to persuade
In this first chapter of Jesus and the Disinherited , the author Howard Thurman describes
Beyond the Bible, written by Howard Marshall, is a compilation of essays that seek to propose a biblically sound way to move from biblical text to doctrine and application. Marshall believes that if one is going to move “beyond the bible,” they must do so “biblically.” A concern for Marshall is also how to properly apply scripture to controversial matters in the church today. The book includes more than just Marshall’s work, but essays written by Kevin Vanhoozer and Stanley Porter as well, which backs the idea that hermeneutics should be a discussion, not a solo speech.
At the time of Edwards’ sermon, the height of the great awakening to Christianity had peaked (Farley ). Considering this period and his audience, Edwards use of the Bible as evidence for his arguments is practical. His cla...
Why would others seek out God, when they believe lies about the Faith? We need to be pointing the world to the truth of God. Alex McFarland points to a God that others will want to know more about. Without piling on a lot of Christianese, McFarland presents a compelling picture of the God we have fallen in love. The God that we love and wish to introduce others to. If you have questions about God, then this is a perfect place to start. If you are a believer and want answers to the questions of a post-Christian culture, then this a book you should add to your library. I truly enjoyed this book and I hope you will
I found the book to be a thought provoking and fascinating narrative, that was easy to get into. Author Beck's story of his spiritual journey made for worthy reading, especially, with his grounded, detailed recollections and comfortable writing style that flows fluently in an easy going conversational tone that invites you to read on. At times gritty, sometimes impassioned, and tangibly emotional this memoir of a young man looking to find his place in the world and finding it through the awakening of his faith and love for Jesus Christ was a worthwhile
This paper is written to discuss the many different ideas that have been discussed over the first half of Theology 104. This class went over many topics which gave me a much better understanding of Christianity, Jesus, and the Bible. I will be addressing two topics of which I feel are very important to Christianity. First, I will be focusing on the question did Jesus claim to be God? This is one of the biggest challenges of the Bibles that come up quite often. Secondly, I will focus on character development.
In The Judaeo-Christian Tradition by Jack H. Hexter, the trial of Jesus is addressed in an unorthodox perspective. The trial of Jesus incorporates two trials: the Roman trial and the Jewish trial. In Hexter's book the Roman trial is addressed in great length while the Jewish trial is almost unaddressed. Hexter provides a perspective of the trial of Jesus with only one cause: the charge of sedition, for claiming to be king of the Jews. By using the four gospel texts, Hexter's view is illuminated and we find crucial aspects to the trial that not only counter Hexter's view on the sedition charge but also provide evidence for other important charges. Themes other than the charge of sedition supporting Hexter's perspective include, the blasphemy charge addressed in the Jewish trial, along with Jesus' holy new kingdom and Pontius Pilates innocent role throughout the trial.
Stanton, Graham. Gospel Truth?: New Light on Jesus and the Gospels. Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International, 1995. Paperback.
From the excerpt from the novel, “Under the Feet of Jesus” by Helena Maria Viramontes, the main character is Estrella, a young Spanish girl with a powerful desire to learn to read. Although she is persistent, her teachers refuse to educate her because they are more concerned of Estrella’s personal hygiene. This leaves Estrella resentful because of the barrier between herself and knowledge. Estrella remains silent until a man named Perfecto Flores teaches her how to read by using his expertise in hardware and tools to represent the alphabet. Viramontes depicts the heartfelt growth of Estrella through her use of tone, figurative language, and detail.
He goal was to return thinking to classic theism and classic Christianity. Henry’s project required a great deal of apologetic work; a labor that provided a rational defense for Christianity vs. philosophy. The rationale was based in the supreme authority of Scripture. Henry accredited Divine revelation as the source of all truth. He offered Scripture as the instrument that helps us understand truth.
The trial has at least started people to thinking.” (Lienesch, 2007, p. 168) Darrow’s interrogation of the scientific credibility of the Bible caught many eyes Theoretically, fundamentalist had won, for the law stood. But In reality, both sides were neither victorious.
The book Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes shows you the story of Estrella and her family and the struggles they face as migrant workers. Among all the symbolism in the book the one that stand out the most is Petra’s statue of Christ, which symbolizes the failure of religion and the oppressive nature of the Christian religion especially in minorities. Throughout the book, Estrella’s mother, Petra relies on superstitions and religion to get her through the hardships in life. In tough times, she turns to the statue and prays for guidance. Her thirteen-year-old daughter Estrella is the first of her family to realize that she needs to stop relying on religion and take control of her life. This brings in a wave of self-empowerment, not only for Estrella but eventually for all the characters as well. In the book, you’re able to see how religion exemplifies the failures of religion in minorities and how it hinders the growth of the characters while helping some of them.
...hal. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Called to Love: Christian Witness Can Be the Best Response to Atheist Polemics." America 198 (2008): 23. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.
Nash, R. H., 1992. Worldviews in Conflict: Choosing Christianity in a World of Ideas. Grand Rapids, MI: Academie/Zondervan.