Lee Strobel

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Lee Strobel bigraphy, stories - American writer

Lee Strobel : biography

January 25, 1952 –

Lee Patrick Strobel (b. January 25, 1952 in Arlington Heights, Illinois) is an American Christian author, journalist, apologist and pastor. He has written several books, including four which received ECPA Christian Book Awards (1994, 1999, 2001, 2005). ecpa.org and a series which addresses challenges to a Biblically inerrant view of Christianity. Strobel also hosted a television program called Faith Under Fire on PAX TV, and runs a video apologetics web site. Strobel has been interviewed on numerous national television programs, including ABC’s 20/20, Fox News and CNN.

Biography

Strobel received a journalism degree from University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School,. Theunexpectedadventure.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-14. becoming a journalist for The Chicago Tribune and other newspapers for 14 years. He states that he was an atheist and began investigating the Biblical claims about Christ after his wife’s conversion. As a result of the evidence he discovered in his investigation, he became a Christian. . Christnotes.org. Retrieved on 2011-11-14.

Strobel was a teaching pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, from 1987 to 2000, before shifting his focus to writing and producing his TV show. He continues to speak periodically at 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 Christian apologetics.

Strobel is married to Leslie and they have two children and several grandchildren. His daughter Allison is a novelist.. Leestrobel.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-14.

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. Critics of the book accuse it of bias, which they assert is contrary to the book’s own claims of being neutral and scientifically rigorous.Callahan, Tim. , , June 22, 2005.

The advocates interviewed in the chapters and their topic(s) of discussion are as follows:

  • Intelligent design advocate and Discovery Institute Center for Science and Culture (CSC) fellow Jonathan Wells presents a case against evolution;
  • 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, using 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;
  • Guillermo Gonzalez (astronomer) and Jay Richards (theologian) present a case that the Rare Earth hypothesis supports intelligent design;
  • 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.

Other books

Strobel says that he wrote Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary to help advance lay people’s understanding and to increase the effectiveness of evangelistic efforts, and says insights drawn from his own experiences as a former atheist on why people avoid Christianity.. Christianbook.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-14.

Strobel describes The Case for Christ as a retracing and expansion of his journey to becoming a Christian. It summarizes Strobel’s interviews with 13 evangelical Christian scholars — 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 — defending their view of the historical reliability of the New Testament.

The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity offers replies to doubts of Christianity, including 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, and the church’s history of oppression and violence.

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. Strobel addresses differences between the portrayal of Jesus in the non-canonical gospels versus the four canonical gospels, whether the church has changed this depiction over time, new explanations that challenge Jesus’ resurrection, the proposed origins of the Jesus story in pagan religions, whether Jesus fulfills messianic prophecies, and whether contemporary people should have the freedom to believe what they want about Jesus.

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.. Christianbook.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-14.