Lee Strobel, a renowned journalist and Yale Law School graduate
The miraculous true story of an atheist who turned pastor.

“My atheism is based on the historical evidence for Jesus.
"It melted in front of the light"

After a two-year, persistent journey, and conversations with 13 leading authorities,
Exploring the Truth of Jesus!

Lee Strobel, a former reporter for the Chicago Tribune, cross-examines several prominent authorities in history, archaeology, and manuscript studies as he reflects on his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith.
Lee Strobel begins the interview with questions such as, “Is there credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was really the Son of God?”, “How reliable is the New Testament?”, “Is there evidence for the existence of Jesus outside the Bible?”, and “Is there good reason to believe that the resurrection actually happened?”
The author, a Yale Law School graduate and intellectual, began his journey from atheism to becoming a pastor through this interview.

A seasoned journalist
Tracking 'the biggest story in history'!

You may be familiar with the story up to this point.
This book was published in 2002, about 20 years ago, and has been read by many people, and has even been made into a movie.
Now, after quite some time, this book has been revised and published, with the hope that it will once again be in people's hands.
Lee Strobel's tough, sharp questions make this book a fast-paced and exciting novel.
But this book is not fiction.
An ecstatic journey to uncover the truth about the most remarkable event in history: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
This revised edition includes new discoveries and additional research material on archaeology and manuscripts.
The book tells the stories of those who have influenced it, provides behind-the-scenes information, and includes new interviews that address skeptics' criticisms.

The attempted murder of James Dixon is often referred to by prosecutors as the "perfect gun murder."
It was clearly an attempted murder.
A little research would have been enough to prove that Dixon shot police officer Richard Scanlon in the stomach.

Several testimonies and pieces of evidence drove Dixon into a corner.
Fingerprints and a weapon were found, and witnesses and a motive were presented.
It involved an injured police officer and a defendant with a violent criminal record.
The justice system was now ready to sentence Dixon.

The truth was very simple.
Sergeant Scanlon received a call reporting a man with a gun and immediately rushed to the scene.
When Scanlan arrived, he saw Dixon arguing with his girlfriend through the front door of her home.
Dixon saw the police officer and thought it would be safer to come out.
Then my girlfriend's father showed up.
Suddenly a scuffle broke out between Dixon and her father.
The officer quickly intervened and tried to break up the fight.
At that very moment, a gunshot rang out.
The officer staggered down with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Soon after, two police cars arrived, and officers rushed over to restrain Dixon.

Dixon's .22 caliber gun was found near the scene of the crime, covered in his fingerprints and with one bullet fired.
He must have thrown the gun away after he fired it.
Her father was unarmed, and Sergeant Scanlan's revolver was still in its holster.
Judging by the burns on his skin from the gunpowder explosion, he appeared to have been shot at very close range.

Fortunately, however, the slope's injuries were not life-threatening.
Instead, his injuries earned him the Police Officer's Medal of Courage.
The police superintendent himself put it on his chest.
He was very proud.
Meanwhile, police discovered Dixon's criminal record showed he had a previous conviction for discharging a firearm.
Clearly, he had violent tendencies.

Finally, a year later, in court, Dixon formally pleaded guilty to shooting the 15-year veteran police officer.
At that time, I, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, was sitting there taking notes.
The case was concluded that way because of the confession added to all the evidence presented above.
After ordering Dixon detained, the judge banged the gavel to signify the case was closed.
Justice has finally been fully served.

The next day, I put my notebook in my pocket and walked slowly downstairs to the press room, thinking that the editor would give me at most three paragraphs to cover this story.
That was certainly enough.
Because there wasn't much to talk about.

(syncopation)

I had ample evidence that Jesus was a lie.

The reason I revisited this particular case is because, in some ways, my own spiritual journey was quite similar to the James Dixon experience.
I didn't believe in Christianity for a long time.
In fact, I even considered myself an atheist.
In my view, there was too much evidence that God was merely an artificial being created by people's wishes, ancient myths, and primitive superstitions.
How can a God who casts people into hell simply for their unbelief be a God of love? How can miracles that defy the fundamental laws of nature occur? Doesn't evolution offer a satisfactory explanation for human origins? Hasn't supernatural belief already been eliminated by scientific thinking?

Don't you know that Jesus never claimed to be God? He was simply a revolutionary, a wise man, a Jew who advocated breaking away from convention.
But God? No.
Jesus never said anything like that! Don't you know that many credible university professors say the same thing?
Let's take a look at it ourselves.
Even a little research would prove that Jesus, though possessed of extraordinary kindness and wisdom, was nothing more than a human being like you or me.

But that was all the evidence I presented.
It was a superficial investigation.
I have already read many books on philosophy and history to support my suspicions.
I searched through books for clear facts, scientific theories, lucid quotes, and compelling arguments.
Of course, there were some differences and contradictions, but I was very tempted to ignore them.
If I ever changed my mind and became a follower of Jesus, I might have to completely give up my selfish and immoral life.

(syncopation)

Jesus of Nazareth: What Kind of Man Was He Really?

Perhaps, readers of this book have also formed their spiritual thoughts based on evidence they have observed around them, books, and evidence they have obtained from university professors, family, and friends.
But does your conclusion truly best explain the evidence? If you delve deeper, discard your preconceptions, and systematically examine the evidence we've presented, what would you discover?

That is precisely the purpose of writing this book.
In fact, I would like to look back and expand on my spiritual journey of almost two years.
We will be speaking with 13 leading authorities, all of whom are impeccable in their academic credibility.
I've traveled all over the country, from Minnesota to Georgia, from Virginia to California.
It was to hear the opinions of experts, to present my own views as an unbeliever, to defend their positions with clear data and persuasive arguments, and to test them with questions you would ask if given the opportunity.

---From the "Prologue"