The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus, by Lee Strobel (Zondervan, 1998).

The Case for Christ is much as its title reads, though not perhaps as one might expect.

Rather than being an academic criticism of the evidence for Christ and the actions surrounding him, the author catalogues his own journey as he attempts to examine the truth behind his wife’s claims that Jesus is her personal Savior.

He does not begin his journey as a Christian, and remains rooted in his profession as a journalist. He decides to embark on a critical analysis by interviewing many of the scholars regarded as authoritative voices on a number of controversial issues surrounding Jesus, his life and his claims.

It is a journey of discovery for the author just as much as a critical exercise. The style is informal, using the first person, as Strobel listens to and records the testimonies and findings of scholar after scholar.

It allows us to equip ourselves with the basic knowledge we might need to combat such questions without the exhausting burden of pouring over theological texts. Strobel finishes his book with a challenge to those who are not Christian to examine the evidence and come to their own verdict, just as he found faith in Christ through his journey.

The Case for Christ is an inherently useful handbook on some of the basic points of Christianity and the facts that support it, worth not only the read but a place in your library as a reference book when your friends ask those irritating questions.