Lee Strobel
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| Lee Strobel | |
| Born | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | United States |
| Writing period | Current |
| Genres | Non-fiction |
| Subjects | Christian apologetics |
| Spouse | Leslie |
| Children | Kyle, Alison |
| Influences | Frank Morison (English journalist) |
| Website | http://www.leestrobel.com/ |
Lee Patrick Strobel is a writer and Christian apologist. He is best known for writing the semi-autobiographical books The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, The Case for Easter, and The Case for a Creator, which have sold a combined 4 million copies.[1] Strobel also hosted a television program called Faith Under Fire on PAX TV. Strobel runs a video apologetics web site.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Strobel earned a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School. He was a journalist for fourteen years, at The Chicago Tribune and other newspapers. Strobel was a teaching pastor of Willow Creek Community Church[2]
In 2007, Strobel was awarded an honorary doctoral degree by Southern Evangelical Seminary in recognition of his contributions to the field of Christian apologetics.[3]
His daughter, Alison, is a novelist.[2]
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[edit] Books
[edit] The Case for Christ
The Case for Christ is described by Strobel as a retracing and expansion of the spiritual journey he undertook in becoming a Christian. It contains a summary of Strobel's interviews with thirteen leading evangelical apologists, Craig Blomberg, Bruce Metzger, Edwin Yamauchi, John McRay, Gregory Boyd, Ben Witherington III, Gary Collins, D.A. Carson, Louis Lapides, Alexander Metherell, William Lane Craig, Gary Habermas, and J. P. Moreland, in which they provide answers with which Strobel defends the historical reliablity of the New Testament.
No expert holding views skeptical of the historicity of the New Testament was interviewed.[4] Earl Doherty wrote a book entitled Challenging the Verdict: A Cross-Examination of Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ", in which he challenges Strobel's conclusions.
[edit] The Case for Faith
The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity offers replies to eight of the more difficult concerns people have regarding Christianity:
- Since evil and suffering exist, a loving God cannot
- Since miracles contradict science, they cannot be true
- Evolution explains life, so God isn't needed
- God isn't worthy of worship if he kills innocent children
- It's offensive to claim Jesus is the only way to God
- A loving God would never torture people in Hell
- Church history is littered with oppression and violence
- I still have doubts, so I can't be a Christian
[edit] The Case for a Creator
The Case for a Creator consists of interviews with Intelligent design advocates and Christian apologists whose arguments support the existence of a creator. The advocates interviewed in the chapters and their topic(s) of discussion are as follows:
- Intelligent design advocate and Unification church theologian Jonathan Wells presents a case against Darwinian evolution;
- Intelligent design advocate and philosopher of science Stephen C. Meyer discusses the relationship between science and religion, as well as the origin of life, arguing against the likelihood of abiogenesis without the assistance of a creator;
- Philosopher of religion William Lane Craig discusses the Big Bang and argues for a creator as first cause, invoking the Kalam cosmological argument;
- Philosopher Robin Collins discusses the anthropic principle and argues that the universe must be designed by a creator;
- Intelligent design advocates Guillermo Gonzalez (an astronomer) & Jay Richards (a theologian) present a case that the Rare Earth hypothesis supports Intelligent Design;
- Intelligent design advocate and biochemist Michael Behe discusses irreducible complexity in biology as an argument for a creator; and,
- Philosopher and theologian J.P. Moreland examines the supposed existence of consciousness separate from the brain, including near-death experiences, as an argument for a creator.
Although Strobel positions himself as a skeptic who would ensure a balanced perspective on the issue, no scientists who oppose Intelligent Design were interviewed in the book.[5]
Although the book purports to investigate scientific evidence for a creator, most of the interviewees have their doctorates in philosophy or theology, rather than science.[5] All but one of the advocates interviewed are fellows of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, a conservative Christian think tank based in Seattle, Washington, that is the main proponent of Intelligent Design.[6][7] The remaining interviewee, Robin Collins, is a member of the closely associated International Society for Complexity, Information and Design.[8]
The book was made into a documentary film published by Ilustra Media, a company owned by the Discovery Institute. The DVD featured numerous extras, which all supported Intelligent Design, as opposed to evolution.[citation needed]
[edit] Influences
Strobel credits English journalist Frank Morison, author of Who Moved the Stone? as "an important early link in a long chain of evidence that God used to bring me into his kingdom" in the foreword of the new edition of Morison's book.
[edit] Bibliography
- Reckless Homicide? Ford's Pinto Trial (1980) ISBN 0-89708-022-X
- Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary (1993)
- What Jesus Would Say (1994)
- God's Outrageous Claims (1998)
- The Case for Christ (1998) ISBN 0-310-20930-7
- The Case for Faith (2000)
- The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions (2001), (Foreword)
- Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage (2002)
- The Case for a Creator (2004)
- The Case for Easter (2004)
- Experiencing the Passion of Jesus (2004)
- The Case for Christmas (2005)
- Discussing the Da Vinci Code : Exploring the Issues Raised by the Book and Movie (2006)
- The Real Jesus (2007)
- A Case for a Creator for Kids
- Off My Case!
- The Case for Faith for Kids
- The Case for Christ for kids
[edit] References
- ^ Smith, Lisa. "Author digs deeper to defend Christianity", Daily Herald, 2007-09-12. Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
- ^ a b About Lee Strobel
- ^ Lee Stroble. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
- ^ Review of Lee Strobel The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, Jeffery Jay Lowder, Philo 2 (1999), pp. 89-102
- ^ a b Another Case Not Made: A Critique of Lee Strobel's The Case for a Creator (2005), Paul Doland
- ^ Center for Science and Culture Fellows
- ^ "Q. Has the Discovery Institute been a leader in the intelligent design movement? A. Yes, the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. Q. And are almost all of the individuals who are involved with the intelligent design movement associated with the Discovery Institute? A. All of the leaders are, yes." Barbara Forrest, 2005, testifying in the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial. Kitzmiller Dove Testimony, Barbara Forrest
- ^ ISCID Fellows
[edit] External links
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