66 pages • 2 hours read
Lee StrobelThe Case For Christ
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1998A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Why does Strobel choose to weave a discussion of his own theological journey throughout his investigation into whether Christianity is true? Explain whether this technique supports or detracts from his argument citing specific evidence from the text.
Why does Strobel spend so much time proving the historical accuracy of the Bible? Why is historical accuracy fundamental to Strobel’s argument about the plausibility of Christianity?
The Case for Christ is a book about arguments—which ones hold water, which ones do not, and how those arguments impact a skeptic’s understanding of Christianity. Pick the chapter you find most compelling and the chapter you find least compelling, then compare them to one another. Be sure to discuss what makes one argument more persuasive than the other.
Look back at Strobel and Metzger’s discussion of the biblical canon in Chapter 3. Do the criteria for determining whether a text should or should not be in the Bible seem reasonable? Why or why not?
Throughout The Case for Christ, Strobel interviews scholars who specialize in biblical research. What are the benefits to this approach? What issues does it cause with his argument? Be sure to support your argument with evidence from the text.
Each of the chapters in The Case for Christ starts with a real-world anecdote, or story, from Strobel’s time covering the legal beat for the Chicago Tribune. Why does he start each chapter this way? How do these stories help readers better understand Strobel’s argument?
One of the motifs in The Case for Christ is credentialing, or proving a person’s qualifications. What role does credentialing play in Strobel’s book? Explain your answer with evidence from the book as well as at least one outside example of credentialing (from the news, another book, etc.).
Strobel presents his investigation of Christianity much like a legal case: he calls witnesses to the stand, questions them, and then interprets their answers for the reader. Why do you think Strobel decides to set up his book this way?
Merriam Webster defines belief as “strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.” But Strobel’s book does just that: it attempts to use facts and evidence to argue for the existence of God and the validity of Christianity. After reading The Case for Christ, do you believe Strobel proved his case? Explain your answer.
