Lee Patrick Strobel (born January 25, 1952) is an American Christian author and a former investigative journalist.[1] He has written several books, including four that received ECPA Christian Book Awards (1994, 1999, 2001, 2005)[2] and a series which addresses challenges to the veracity of Christianity.[3] He also hosted a television program called Faith Under Fire on PAX TV[4] and runs a video apologetics web site.
Lee Strobel | |
---|---|
Born | Arlington Heights, Illinois, U.S. | January 25, 1952
Occupation | Legal editor, writer, journalist, clergy |
Alma mater | University of Missouri (BA) Yale University (MSL) |
Period | Current |
Genre | Christology Historicity of the Gospels |
Subject | Christian apologetics |
Spouse | Leslie Strobel |
Children | 2 |
Website | |
leestrobel |
Early life and education
editStrobel was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He received a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School.[5]
Career
editLee was a journalist for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers for 14 years. In 1980, the UPI Illinois Editors Association newspaper award program gave him a first place for public service (the Len H. Small Memorial award) for his coverage of the Ford Pinto crash trial involving a class-action lawsuit against the Ford Motor Company in Winamac, Indiana.[6][7] Strobel later became assistant managing editor of the Daily Herald, before leaving journalism in 1987.[8][9]
Strobel states he was an atheist when he began investigating the biblical claims about Jesus Christ after his wife's conversion. Prompted by the results of his investigation, he became a Christian at the age of 29.[10][11]
Ministry
editStrobel was teaching pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, from 1987 to 2000.[12] In 2000, he became pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.[13] In 2004, he left his post as pastor to host the Christian apologetics show Faith Under Fire.[14] In 2014, he became a teaching pastor at Woodlands Church in The Woodlands, Texas, and a professor of Christian thought at Houston Baptist University.[15]
Recognition
editIn 2007, he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree by Southern Evangelical Seminary in recognition of his contributions to Christian apologetics.[16]
Personal life
editStrobel and his wife Leslie have two children and several grandchildren. His daughter Alison is a novelist,[17] and his son Kyle is an Assistant Professor of Spiritual Theology and Formation at the Talbot School of Theology.
Film
editStrobel appeared in the 2016 film God's Not Dead 2.[18]
A film titled The Case for Christ, based on Strobel's book, had its theatrical release in April 2017.[19] The film was directed by Jonathan M. Gunn and is about an atheist reporter who tries to prove Christianity to be a cult.[20] The film was produced by Triple Horse Studios and distributed by Pure Flix Entertainment.[citation needed]
Bibliography
edit- Reckless Homicide? Ford's Pinto Trial (1980) ISBN 0-89708-022-X
- Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary (1993) ISBN 0-310-37561-4
- What Jesus Would Say (1994) ISBN 0-310-48511-8
- God's Outrageous Claims (1998) ISBN 0-310-26612-2
- Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage (2002) ISBN 0-310-22014-9
- Experiencing the Passion of Jesus (2004), with Garry Poole, Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-26375-1
- Discussing the Da Vinci Code: Exploring the Issues Raised by the Book and Movie (2006) ISBN 0-310-27263-7
- The Unexpected Adventure: Taking Everyday Risks to Talk with People about Jesus (May 29, 2009), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-28392-2
- Today's Moment of Truth: Devotions to Deepen Your Faith in Christ (July 12, 2016), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-35940-6
"The Case for..." series
edit- The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (September 1, 1998), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-22605-8
- The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity (October 1, 2000), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-22015-7
- The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God (2004), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-26386-7
- The Case for Easter: Journalist Investigates the Evidence for the Resurrection (2004), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-25475-2
- The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger (2005), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-25476-0
- The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ (September 10, 2007), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-24210-X
- The Case for Christianity Answer Book (July 1, 2014), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-33955-3
- The Case for Hope: Looking Ahead with Confidence and Courage (2015), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-33957-X
- The Case for Grace: A Journalist Explores the Evidence of Transformed Lives (2015), Zondervan, ISBN 0-310-25923-1
- In Defense of Jesus: Investigating Attacks on the Identity of Christ (2016)
- The Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Supernatural (2018)
- The Case for Heaven: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for Life After Death (2021)
Children's apologetics series
edit- The Case for Faith for Kids (2006), Zonderkidz, ISBN 978-0-310-71146-9
- The Case for Christ for Kids (2006), Zonderkidz, ISBN 978-0-310-71147-6
- A Case for a Creator for Kids (2006), Zonderkidz, ISBN 978-0-310-71148-3
- Off My Case for Kids: 12 Stories to Help You Defend Your Faith (2006), Zonderkidz, ISBN 978-0-310-71199-5
Novels
edit- The Ambition: A Novel (May 14, 2011), Zondervan, ISBN 9780310334224
References
edit- ^ Marieann Klett, Leah (December 2016). "Former Atheist Lee Strobel on 'The Case for Christ' Film and Why He's Encouraged Amid Post-Modern Society (Interview)". The Gospel Herald. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "1994 Gold Medallion Book Awards Winners – Missions/Evangelism". Archived from the original on November 2, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). ecpa.org - ^ Smith, Lisa (September 12, 2007). "Author digs deeper to defend Christianity". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on September 22, 2007. Retrieved November 5, 2007.
- ^ Falsani, Cathleen (October 1, 2004). "Ex-reporter still asking tough questions on 'Faith Under Fire'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 15, 2007. [dead link]
- ^ Nancy De Gennaro, Bestselling ‘Case for Christ’ author to speak at local church, dnj.com, USA, October 23, 2014
- ^ "Tribune wins 21 awards in UPI contest". Chicago Tribune. May 16, 1980. p. 5. ProQuest 170148234.
- ^ "Tribune Reporter Honored". Chicago Tribune. June 8, 1980. p. b12. ProQuest 170211586.
- ^ Daley, Steve. "Paper Didn't Trample Privacy With Scoop", Chicago Tribune. May 25, 1986. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
- ^ Swartz, Tracy. "Former Tribune journalist to premiere his new Christian film in Chicago", Chicago Tribune. March 10, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
- ^ "Lee Strobel Answers Your Questions, Part 1". Friendly Atheist. January 2, 2009.
- ^ "A Case for Grace: Lee Strobel's Story". LifeWay.
- ^ Mary Alice Benoit, WILLOW CREEK PASTOR FOLLOWING HIS CALLING TO CALIFORNIA CONGREGATION, chicagotribune.com, USA, October 15, 1999
- ^ Elaine Gale, New Face of Faith, latimes.com, USA, March 12, 2000
- ^ Hartford Courant, New show 'Faith Under Fire' debates spirituality, tdn.com, USA, October 2, 2004
- ^ Allan Turner, An atheist finds God: Lee Strobel joins Houston church, university, houstonchronicle.com, USA, February 9, 2015
- ^ Tammy Ayer, Lee Strobel brings stories of grace to Fort Myers, news-press.com, USA, March 23, 2015
- ^ About Lee Strobel Archived October 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Leestrobel.com. Retrieved on November 14, 2011.
- ^ "'God's Not Dead 2' Offers Compelling Arguments for Jesus (Review)". The Christian Post. Retrieved November 2016
- ^ "Ex-Atheist Lee Strobel's Journey From Atheism to Christ Hits Theaters in Spring 2017 (Trailer)". The Christian Post. Retrieved November 2016
- ^ Jeremy Kay (November 3, 2016). "AFM: Pure Flix launches talks on 'The Case For Christ'". screendaily.com. Screen International. Retrieved November 2016