Lee Strobel

Strobel 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]

Lee 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 has said 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]

Strobel 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]

In 2020, he founded the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics at Colorado Christian University.^[16]

In 2007, he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree by Southern Evangelical Seminary in recognition of his contributions to Christian apologetics.^[17]

Strobel and his wife Leslie have two children and several grandchildren. His daughter Alison is a novelist,^[18] and his son Kyle is an assistant professor of Spiritual Theology and Formation at the Talbot School of Theology.

Strobel appeared in the 2016 film God's Not Dead 2.^[19]

A film titled The Case for Christ, based on Strobel's book, had its theatrical release in April 2017.^[20] The film was directed by Jonathan M. Gunn and is about an atheist reporter who tries to prove Christianity to be a cult.^[21]

• 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

• 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)
• Is God Real? Exploring the Ultimate Question of Life (2023)
• Seeing the Supernatural: Investigating Angels, Demons, Mystical Dreams, Near-Death Encounters, and Other Mysteries of the Unseen World (2025)

Children's apologetics series

• 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

• The Ambition: A Novel (May 14, 2011), Zondervan, ISBN 9780310334224