Lee Strobel

Infobox Writer


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name = Lee Strobel
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occupation = Writer
nationality = United States
period = Current
genre = Religion
subject = Christian apologetics
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spouse =Leslie
partner =
children =Kyle, Alison
relatives =
influences = Frank Morison (English journalist)
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website = http://www.leestrobel.com/

Lee Patrick Strobel is a writer and Christian apologist and a former journalist and megachurch pastor. He is the author of several books, including an Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Christian Book of the Year and a series which addresses challenges to a Biblically inerrant view of Christianity. [cite news|last=Smith|first=Lisa|title=Author digs deeper to defend Christianity|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=36131|publisher=Daily Herald|date=2007-09-12|accessdate=2007-11-05] Strobel also hosted a television program called "Faith Under Fire" on PAX TV, [cite news|last=Falsani|first=Cathleen|title=Ex-reporter still asking tough questions on 'Faith Under Fire'|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20041001/ai_n12567576|publisher=Chicago Sun-Times|date=2004-10-01|accessdate=2007-11-15] and runs a video apologetics web site.

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 in South Barrington, Illinois, from 1987 to 2000, and of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California from 2000 to 2002, before shifting his focus to his writing and producing his TV show. He continues to speak periodically at both churches and has been a board member of the Willow Creek Association. In 2007, Strobel was awarded an honorary doctoral degree by Southern Evangelical Seminary in recognition of his contributions to the field of Christian apologetics. [cite web | title = Lee Stroble | url = http://www.outreachconvention.com/LeeStrobel.htm | accessdate = 2007-11-07]

His daughter, Alison, is a novelist. [http://www.leestrobel.com/Bio.php About Lee Strobel] ]

Books

The Case for a Creator

"The Case for a Creator" consists of interviews with intelligent design advocates and Christian apologists who argue for the existence of a creator. The advocates interviewed in the chapters and their topic(s) of discussion are as follows:
* Intelligent design advocate, Discovery Institute Center for Science and Culture (CSC) fellow and Unification church theologian Jonathan Wells presents a case against evolution;
* Intelligent design advocate, CSC fellow 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;
* CSC fellow and philosopher of religion William Lane Craig discusses the Big Bang and argues for a creator as first cause, invoking the Kalam cosmological argument;
* International Society for Complexity, Information and Design fellow and philosopher Robin Collins discusses the anthropic principle and argues that the universe must be designed by a creator;
* Intelligent design advocates and CSC fellows Guillermo Gonzalez (an astronomer) and Jay Richards (a theologian) present a case that the Rare Earth hypothesis supports intelligent design;
* Intelligent design advocate, CSC fellow and biochemist Michael Behe discusses irreducible complexity in biology as an argument for a creator; and,
* CSC fellow, 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.

Critics of this book accuse it of bias, which they assert is contrary to the book's own claims of being neutral and scientifically rigorous. [http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/paul_doland/creator.html Another Case Not Made: A Critique of Lee Strobel's "The Case for a Creator" (2005)] , Paul Doland] [Callahan, Tim. [http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5452676/No-case-at-all-Book.html| No Case At All] , [http://www.skeptic.com/| Skeptic] , June 22, 2005.] Paul Doland commented that Strobel portrays himself as a skeptic who would ensure a balanced perspective on the issue, but no scientists who oppose intelligent design were interviewed in the book and that the book claims to investigate scientific evidence for a creator, but most of the interviewees have their doctorates in philosophy or theology, rather than science. The book was the recipient of a 2005 ECPA Christian Book Award in missions and evangelism. [ [http://www.ecpa.org/christianbookawards/cba2005.php 2005 Christian Book Awards Winners – Missions/Evangelism category] ]

Other books

Strobel says that he wrote "Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary" to "help advance your understanding of unchurched people so that your evangelistic efforts and the efforts of your church might become more effective." It contains insights based upon his own experiences as a former atheist, and upon psychological research, on why people avoid Christianity. [ [http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=37561 Christianbook.com Product Description] ] The book was the recipient of a 1994 ECPA Gold Medallion Book Award in missions and evangelism. [ [http://www.ecpa.org/christianbookawards/gm1994.php 1994 Gold Medallion Book Awards Winners – Missions/Evangelism category] ]

"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 reliability of the New Testament. No expert holding views skeptical of the historicity of the New Testament was interviewed. [ [http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jeff_lowder/strobel.html 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] The book was the recipient of a 1999 Gold Medallion Book Award in missions and evangelism. [ [http://www.ecpa.org/christianbookawards/gm1999.php 1999 Gold Medallion Book Awards Winners – Missions/Evangelism category] ] 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. ["Challenging the Verdict: A Cross-Examination of Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ", Earl Doherty, 2001, Age of Reason Publications, Canada, ISBN 0968925901]

"The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity" offers replies to eight concerns people have regarding Christianity. It covers the Problem of evil, the contradiction between miracles and science, whether God is worthy of worship if he kills innocent children, whether Jesus is the only way to God, the problem of Hell, the church's history of oppression and violence, and whether it is possible to be a Christian if you still have doubts. [cite web | title = ChristianBooks.com Contents page scan| url = http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product_slideshow?sku=20158&actual_sku=20158&slide=2| accessdate = 2007-11-12] The book was the recipient of a 2001 Gold Medallion Book Award in missions and evangelism. [ [http://www.ecpa.org/christianbookawards/gm2001.php 2001 Gold Medallion Book Awards Winners – Missions/Evangelism category] ]

"The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ" presents a number of counter-arguments to challenges to the evangelical Christian view of Jesus and his message. Strobel addresses differences between how Jesus is portrayed in the non-canonical gospels versus the four canonical gospels, whether tampering by the church which damaged the Bible's portrayal of Jesus, new explanations that refute Jesus' resurrection, whether Christianity's portrayal of Jesus was drawn from pagan religions, whether Jesus fulfils messianic prophecies, and whether contemporary people should be able to choose what to believe about Jesus. [ [http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6461567.html Publishers Weekly Nonfiction Reviews: Week of 7/23/2007] ]

"Experiencing the Passion of Jesus" was co-written with Garry Poole as a discussion guide for Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ. [ [http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=259320 Christianbook.com Product Description] ] The book was the recipient of the 2005 ECPA Christian Book of the Year award. [ [http://www.ecpa.org/pr/pr.php?id=6 ECPA Announces 2005 Gold Medallion Book Award Winners] ]

Bibliography

* "Reckless Homicide? Ford's Pinto Trial" (1980) ISBN 0-89708-022-X
* "Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary" (1993) ISBN 0310375614
* "What Jesus Would Say" (1994) ISBN 0310485118
* "God's Outrageous Claims" (1998) ISBN 0310266122
* "The Case for Christ", September 1, 1998, Zondervan, ISBN 0310226058
* "The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity", October 1, 2000, Zondervan, ISBN 0310220157
* "Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage" (2002) ISBN 0310220149
* "The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God" (2004), Zondervan, ISBN 0310263867
* "The Case for Easter: Journalist Investigates the Evidence for the Resurrection" (2004), Zondervan, ISBN 0310254752
* "Experiencing the Passion of Jesus" (2004), with Garry Poole, Zondervan, ISBN 0310263751
* " The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger" (2005), Zondervan, ISBN 0310254760
* "Discussing the Da Vinci Code : Exploring the Issues Raised by the Book and Movie" (2006) ISBN 0310272637
* " The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ" September 10, 2007, Zondervan, ISBN 031024210X

Children's apologetics series

* "The Case for Faith for Kids" (2006), Zonderkidz, ISBN 978-0310711469
* "The Case for Christ for Kids" (2006), Zonderkidz, ISBN 978-0310711476
* "A Case for a Creator for Kids" (2006), Zonderkidz, ISBN 978-0310711483
* "Off My Case for Kids: 12 Stories to Help You Defend Your Faith" (2006), Zonderkidz, ISBN 978-0310711995

References