Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith

by J. Warner Wallace

Forensic Faith will help readers:
understand why they have a duty to defend the truth
develop a training strategy to master the evidence for Christianity
learn how to employ the techniques of a detective to discover new insights from God’s Word
become better communicators by learning the skills of professional case makers
With real-life detective stories, fascinating strategies, and biblical insights, Wallace teaches readers cold-case investigative disciplines they can apply to their Christian faith. Forensic Faith is an engaging, fresh look at what it means to be a Christian.

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Faith, Christian Non Fiction, Theology, Religion

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

J. Warner Wallace is a Dateline featured cold-case homicide detective, popular national speaker and best-selling author. He continues to consult on cold-case investigations while serving as a Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He is also an adjunct professor of apologetics at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) and Southern Evangelical Seminary, and a faculty member at Summit Ministries. J. Warner became a Christ-follower at the age of thirty-five after investigating the claims of the New Testament gospels using his skill set as a detective. He eventually earned a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Gateway Seminary.

J. Warner has appeared on television and radio, explaining the role that evidence plays in the Christian definition of “faith” and defending the historicity of Jesus, the reliability of the Bible and the truth of the Christian worldview. Jim also speaks at churches, retreats and camps as he seeks to help people become confident Christian case makers. J. Warner’s book, Cold-Case Christianity, provides readers with ten principles of cold case investigations and utilizes these principles to examine the reliability of the gospel eyewitness accounts. In God’s Crime Scene, he investigates eight pieces of evidence in the universe to make the case for God’s existence. In Forensic Faith, J. Warner makes the case for a more reasonable, evidential Christian faith.

J. Warner’s professional investigative work has received national recognition; his cases have been featured more than any other detective on NBC’s Dateline, and his work has also appeared on CourtTV and Fox News. He also appears on television as an investigative consultant (most recently on truTV) and had a role in God’s Not Dead 2, making the case for the historicity of Jesus. J. Warner was awarded the Police and Fire Medal of Valor “Sustained Superiority” Award for his continuing work on cold-case homicides, and the CopsWest Award after solving a 1979 murder. Relying on over two decades of investigative experience, J. Warner provides his readers and audiences with the tools they will need to investigate the claims of Christianity and make a convincing case for the truth of the Christian worldview.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading through this book. I’d let it slip down my tbr for too long until seeing the author speak in person a few weeks ago and really enjoying his approach. I was quite impressed with his easy, approachable manner and his talent for making the arguments feel so basic.

This book addresses briefly the need for the argument (primarily young folks leaving the church because of a lack of knowledge with which to combat secularism, but also the general aspects of witnessing in daily life) and the basic approaches to use as an answer for questions about faith. Each feature is concise and readable and tells the facts in a way that is easy to understand and repeat—but he also provided pen and ink illustrations throughout to show how things look.

Interspersed in all of the text are examples from real-life cases (and Dateline fans, where he’s often a guest, may be able to pinpoint the exact crime cases he used for illustration). My crime-solver self loved seeing the details about case-building and the processes of evidence.

This is the third of a set of books dealing with knowing why your faith is true and how to give a good answer for your belief. It stands just fine on its own but he does reference some content from the other two books for further reading/greater illustration.

If you know anyone with questions about their faith, buy them a copy too...but read it first yourself!

Thanks to the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so impressed with this book! I haven’t read any other books by this author, but I definitely plan to now! I plan to read Cold-Case Christianity as soon as possible, based on what I have learned in Forensic Faith.

I love how straight forward the author is in his explanations. He presents the information very clearly and in a method that makes sense. He does not speak down to the reader, yet he makes sure to not skip steps in his explanation.

I really appreciate the way the author takes the reader through the steps of solving and proving a cold case and applies that same method to proving the basis of the Christian faith.

I have already begun sharing about what I have learned in Forensic Faith with my oldest child and plan to do much more reading, learning, and sharing with all of my children in the near future in order to prepare them to be able to defend their faith when challenged.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...

[Lydia Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why I Choose this Book:

Christian Apologetics are something I've been interested in for a long time. I spent a lot of time studying them during my teens, but I haven't invested as much time into them recently. When this book popped up for review, it looked interesting - especially considering the author used to be an atheist. The fact that he's a homicide deceive and uses the training he's learned through that to help Christians learn how to defend their faith better? Well, how could I say no to that?

What I Thought about this Book:

Wow. I always know when a book should be five stars because I find myself telling pretty much anyone who will listen about the book, and I also want to look the author up and buy any other books they've written. That's totally how it was with "Forensic Faith." In fact, I already have a list of people who I want to give the book to so they can read it.

I took a week to read the book - reading a fair portion of it each day. In reality, the book probably should have taken quite a bit longer because there are lots of practical things you should be doing while reading the book. (I'm not sure if they'd be called assignments, but that's kinda what they are.) I found the book so interesting though, that I decided just to read it through this time, and then later on I hope to go back through and read it again and also do the things he suggests.

Mr. Wallace not only has a huge amount of good information to share, but he also has a really interesting and engaging way of sharing it. The book is full of sketches Mr. Wallace drew that go along with what he's talking about. There are also little boxes on a bunch of the pages that give different ideas, or explain words or concepts. All in all it makes the book draw the reader in. Just now I was flipping through it, and it makes me want to stop and study the sketches more. "Interactive" books like these get a huge thumbs up from me.

As for the information itself in the book.... Goodness. I am so happy with Mr. Wallace for standing strong on the truth and calling Christian's to rise up and learn how to defend their faith. I know that I've done a bad job recently of studying so I can defend my faith, and this book was like a wake up sign, reminding me of how incredibly important this is.

The concept of the book is pretty much learning how to look at how much evidence there is for the Christian faith, but searching the Bible, history, and the world around us. Mr. Wallace shares stories from the years he's been a detective, and then relates them back to how we can search for "clues" for the truth of the Bible, just like he searched for clues to solve his cases. I don't think I'm doing a good job of doing the book justice, because it's pretty amazing.

Conclusion:

Mr. Wallace does talk about a few details from different murderers he's investigated over the years. I didn't think anything was too graphic, but I can think of some people who probably wouldn't appreciate that part of the book.

Rating:

I’m giving Forensic Faith 5 out of 5 stars, and 10 out of 10.

*I received this book from Litfuse, it is an ARC, so stuff could be changed in the final product

[Andrea Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

by Andrea Renee Cox

Forensic Faith inspired me. It was such an encouraging book with lots of tips and suggestions for how to increase one's faith in an evidential way that will lend itself well to leading others to explore their own faith in God. This book was hard to put down at times, and I really appreciated the passion with which the author shared his message.

A few things I disliked:

1. The author put a lot of focus on combating atheism.
From what I have seen, there are many, many more opponents to Christianity than only atheism. I think it would be a great idea for readers of this book to observe their own communities prior to and during the process of using Forensic Faith's techniques to encourage others to explore Christianity.

2. Wimbledon is not played on clay.
This was a one-sentence remark late in the book, but it bothered me. First of all, I'm a sports fan and watch tennis often, so I know that Wimbledon is played on grass. Secondly, from the amount of detail the author provided in other areas of the book, particularly where his cases and research on atheism and Christianity were concerned, I thought he would have double-checked this one as well, so this disappointed me a little.
*I have been made aware that this remark was fixed prior to the final publication.

3. Mentions of the author's other books saturated the text.
At the first couple of mentions of the author's other books, I thought they would be great resources, and I was interested in reading them. But I quickly realized that the author referenced these other books much more than necessary. It swiftly became a bit of an infomercial at times, though the information in the chapters was still worth reading.

Despite the issues that bothered me, I did enjoy Forensic Faith, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to find more evidence for their faith, those who want to be able to better defend or explain their faith to non-Christians, or those who are struggling with doubts in their faith. When I was finished reading this book, I had a renewed passion for studying God's Word with a fresh perspective, and I think you might too.


I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, authors, and sites like Netgalley, Litfuse Publicity Group, and Blogging for Books. They do not require me to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forensic Faith: A Cold-Case Detective Helps You Rethink and Share Your Christian Beliefs by J. Warner Wallace is a comprehensive guide to sharing and defending your Christian faith. I was interested in reading this book because I often encounter people who are antagonistic toward my faith and sometimes have trouble articulating my beliefs in a clear manner. It's also difficult to overcome certain rote objections or fights by rabid atheists. The book description says:

"Forensic Faith will help readers: • understand why they have a duty to defend the truth • develop a training strategy to master the evidence for Christianity • learn how to employ the techniques of a detective to discover new insights from God’s Word • become better communicators by learning the skills of professional case makers With real-life detective stories, fascinating strategies, and biblical insights, Wallace teaches readers cold-case investigative disciplines they can apply to their Christian faith. Forensic Faith is an engaging, fresh look at what it means to be a Christian."

I really enjoyed this book! First of all, I'm a big fan of Dateline and J. Warner Wallace has featured on several episodes of Dateline and described a few that I vividly remember watching. It was fun to get a behind-the-scenes look at one of my favorite shows! Secondly, we're from the same area - he's a detective in Los Angeles County and I've lived in LA County my entire life. Forensic Faith is an extremely accessible book that's written in simple language that would be suitable for teenagers as well as adults. I enjoyed Wallace's hand-drawn illustrations throughout the book as well. This is a great guide for defending and sharing your Christian faith. I highly recommend it to every Christian age teen and up. I'm planning on picking up his other two books as well.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in order to provide an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

[Christian Fiction Addiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in an easy-to-read manner that will be accessible to a wide variety of audiences, "Forensic Faith" is a vitally important book that every Christian should read. Wallace makes truly compelling arguments about how Christianity is an evidence-based faith and how believers absolutely have a duty to not only know what we believe but why we believe it so we can "contend for the faith". Citing sobering statics about how few Christians hold a Biblical worldview, Wallace provides practical advice and training for every believer to engage others with a variety of worldviews. I personally think that this book will be helpful for teenagers learning to defend their beliefs in a culture growing increasingly hostile to Christianity. At the same time, those who have been Christians for a very long time will also benefit from this book, as the author makes a valid point that many Christians believe something without knowing why and what the evidence is behind it. Speaking the truth, in love, is so very important for sharing the message of Jesus with the world! In addition to this book, I also recommend his previous books "Cold-Case Christianity" (both the adult and children's version) and "God's Crime Scene" as well. Together, Wallace's books will not only shore up your own faith, but empower you to engage our culture in a loving and well-prepared manner.

Wallace has done a great job teaching apologetics in an interesting way with "Forensic Faith", and I am confident that readers are going to benefit from this book! I award this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher and the Litfuse Publicity Group, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

[Natacha Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely amazing!

I'm grateful beyond measure by James Warner Wallace's ministry. His commitment to equip believers to make the case for Christianity will never cease to inspire me.

Forensic Faith did 2 things for me: 1) Help me realize how important it is for people around me that I assume my role as a case maker 2) Open my eyes to see all the evidence I still need to master. I don't know it all. I need to keep studying.

AlbertThis book explains what, in my opinion, are very complex principles, but in a way that anybody can understand and relate to, which is a sign that the author really knows what he's talking about.

The urgency, passion, and commitment you feel while reading is almost tangible. This generation, maybe more than any other, needs us to love God with all our mind, and that's exactly what I feel compelled to do now.

Also, I think this book gives us hope, it shows us that it is possible to help others overcome their doubts and lead them to faith. Questions don't have to overwhelm us or dimish us. In fact, they can be the very source God uses to bring others back to Him.

Long story short: I loved it, but not in the way that would make me scream for a while and then forget the whole thing, but in a quiet and subtle way that will leave an impression in my heart forever.

**I received a copy of this book from David C. Cook through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own**

[Elizabeth Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are new to apologetics, this is a decent book for explaining why it matters so much in today's world. It is not, in itself, a conclusive defense of the gospel, but rather a practical 'how to' manual for compiling evidence that supports Christianity's claims. It was interesting seeing the connections between apologetics and investigative work, and I enjoyed the real life analogies, which the author used to explain the necessity of compiling and utilizing evidence that supports our Christian faith in a logical and compelling manner. The Rebuttal Notes and Evidence Locker sections at the end are especially helpful. I did get a little bogged down in the middle, as the (very long) chapters seemed to repeat the same points in multiple ways. While I appreciated the thoroughness of the case, I feel it could have been stated a bit more succintly. But overall, a decent introduction to the subject.

NOTE: Highly recommend sticking to paperback for this one. The Kindle version is missing charts and has weird formatting for all the 'sidebar' content that made it challenging to read.

[Luke Nix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book on the case for making an evidential case as part of our evangelism. Highly recommended if you are curious about "apologetics," have kids, or just would like to be more bold in presenting the Gospel to unbelieving friends and family.

Check out my full, chapter-by-chapter review here: https://lukenixblog.blogspot.com/2017...

[Christian Pilgrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found it to be a little bit repetitive. I would recommend his other book Cold Case Christianity instead.

[Jay Medenwaldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the single most important apologetics book for anyone to read in our current culture. Wallace is a great writer, who is respectful of others while making a fantastic case for the need for apologetics. This is a book every Christian should read and a book that apologists should give out to other Christians.

The book is also very enjoyable to read because of the real-life examples Wallace writes about from his experience as a detective. This is one of those rare books that everyone should buy a copy or two extra of so they can give it out to others. I cannot recommend this book (and Wallace's first book, Cold-Case Christianity) highly enough.

[Lourdes Varela · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
Que puedo decir de este libro, además de que me encanto, muy bueno, muy revelador y confrontador.
Este libro me hizo reflexionar bastante sobre muchos aspectos de mi vida cristiana, me ayudo a pensar, a ser más critica y a investigar más sobre mi propia cosmovisión.
Creo que es un libro que todo cristiano debe leer.
100% RECOMENDADO.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helps point out how important it is to understand the evidence that proves Christianity is true. Not only for the readers benefit but for the unbelievers we come in to contact with.

[Todd Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a perfect book—but it is a really good book, nonetheless.

This is a great choice for a summer youth camp. In fact, that's exactly why I was tasked with reading it.

Former cop J. Warner Wallace takes a "forensic approach" to sharing the Christian faith. And, I think he did a really good job. There were a few sentences that could be reworded and a few paragraphs that seemed out of order. But overall, this is a worthwhile read.

[Syd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this book. I loved the comics and drawings in each chapter; made it more interesting.

Recommended ages 13\14 & up.

[Michael K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love J. Warner Wallace's perspective on the matter of apologetics! He puts everything into simple terms, as much as possible (but of course, learning a few new words can never hurt you, either!), and guides you through the process of helping others to Christ. Of course, there is no silver bullet for this, but it is a great basis for an apologetic mindset! I am a firm believer in such a mindset. And if you want to better understand, or be able to verbalize, why you believe what you believe...Mr. Wallace is one of the best teachers! Definitely worth the time to read, or if you take the curriculum course...even better!

[Tia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to give you a guideline to help you defend the faith, witness to others and know why you believe what you believe.

J. Warner Wallace was in the movie God's Not Dead 2 when he had to take the witness stand to defend the faith. He does make references to the two previous books that he wrote and it does help if you read those before reading this book.

If you want to dig deep and love CSI stuff, this book is for you and it does help put our faith in perspective as to build a case to defend the faith and God's Word. We so need this instead of being faced with questions and have no answers. Now we do have a guideline that we can use to tell others and actually have a case and defend it without any doubts, second guesses and shrugging our shoulders in that we don't know anything.

[Joel Hinrichs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly marvelous in every detail - - except one.
His initial work, The Case For Christ, Wallace makes a watchword of following the evidence wherever it leads, happy or not. "Evidence is neutral," i.e. it has no point of view and no bias. It's data.
But in this book the term "Naturalist" is synonymous with "chucklehead" and "counter to Christ." He's too diplomatic to throw terms around like "atheist."
The difficulty is that the evidence is neutral. Interlocking mountain chains of mutually corroborative evidence exist, all of it substantiating evolution as *fact.* A priori decisions to read Genesis with word-for-word honor, which pertains to the New Testament, trip over the vision of "heavens and earth" that GOD gave Abraham. I presume that people alive today don't argue with the notion that earth is a sphere spinning on a tilted axis. We see the sun "going around us" when in fact the spin, which defines the length of our day, only makes it look that way. We go around the sun, and the axial tilt gives us our seasons.
Moreover, the sun is a star one million times the size of earth. Psalm 19:5a uses poetic language when it says the sun emerges each morning from a tabernacle, likely going into it every night. No one asks us to believe in that tabernacle.
Yet sincere Christians, "Bible-believing," require themselves to parse the liturgy in Genesis 1 with the same detailed apprehension that we accord Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.
On the one hand we accept without a qualm details which Genesis chapter 1 can't get away with unless we add the caveat "looks like." The sun looks like it goes around us. Or in other words, Genesis isn't as literal, as word-for-word faithful, as we want.
Reading Genesis as though fully literal *still* *requires* *us* *to* *cheat* to help GOD's meaning become clear. And this, bluntly stated, demeans GOD.
Ahem.
There is no two ways about it. Either Genesis is literal, or our Hubble Space telescope, manned missions to the moon's surface, etc. amount to The Great Deceiver telling us, in effect, "Believe your lying eyes."
Wallace says in effect that "naturalists" who give the overwhelming evidence their full faith and credit are guilty of failing to "interpret" the evidence.
The Case For Christ didn't have to interpret a thing; everything laid itself out in black and white. Atheist Wallace followed it, listened, and realized that it said in neutral, dispassionate terms, that Christ's divinity and resurrection are *fact.*
So is evolution.
The challenge for actual students of GOD's Creation, which reveals more and more of its secrets year on year, is to follow where that leads.
(A) GOD made the Universe.
(B) GOD's Universe is vast; there are a trillion galaxies.
(C) GOD's Universe is ancient; "Let there be light" happened 13.78 billion years ago.
Therefore (D) evolution is not GOD's enemy, it's the knife He used to sculpt our clay.
This is hard to wrap a mind around; ask me and I'll spell it out in smaller steps. But the underlying truth is that Creation v. Evolution is the grandest possible example of the False Alternative. GOD is real, and so is evolution. GOD has made them fit; now it's our turn to develop our understanding of that great truth.
Wallace, man: follow the evidence; it's neutral.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many readers are likely familiar with Lee Strobel's The Case for ... series. His early work The Case For Christ, in fact, was recently made into a movie and released in theaters nationwide on April 7, 2017.

I read The Case for Christ many moons ago; while I remember reading and thinking generally positively about it, I don't recall it being as approachable as Wallace's Forensic Faith. The latter reads -- well, more like a crime scene than a book, and I appreciated that. It reads quickly, but packs a punch; it challenges me to do the research for myself.

The Case for Christ tells one man's story of becoming a Christian, and the evidence that convinced him -- the results of his findings, if you will. (Which is great, and absolutely necessary!) Forensic Faith, on the other hand, challenges the already-Christian to make that research their own: to dig deeply and ask, "Why do I - not Lee Strobel, not J. Warner Wallace, but I - believe? Why is Christianity true?"

Forensic Faith is the "why/how" counterpoint to The Case for Christ's "what"/data. You will find encouragement in your faith walk and, likely, more confidence and willingness to share your testimony and faith publicly. The experts say the best stories are those we are passionate about. Are you passionate about your faith? Do you pursue it and truly love God with all your mind?

I'd much rather be a little bit wiser in my faith and its whys and wherefores a year from now. How about you?

Disclaimer: I received a free eARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book on making a case for Christianity by J. Warner Wallace. Wallace himself is quite an interesting fellow. A second generation Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputy turned cold-case detective, J. Warner Wallace became a Christian later in life after years of walking the path of skepticism. This is his third book on Christian apologetics that he authored and using his background as a detective he teaches us how to employ skillsets he has learned as a detective in the pursuit and defense of truth with specifically the Christian worldview in mind. Readers will feel the author’s heartbeat that he’s concerned about his own kids and the state of the future of the church and where everything is headed; which is why he wrote this work to address the crisis that more than ever young people in the church are apostatizing and Christians themselves are unable to articulate why they are Christians.
The main body of this book consists of four chapters. In the first chapter Wallace argues that Christians have the distinctive duty of being a Christian Case Maker. He argues his point by marshaling forth five examples that Christians should follow in being a Christian Case Maker. Chapter two of the book is titled “Targeted Training” in which the author provided five steps towards training Christian Case Makers. I really enjoyed this chapter and the author’s powerful point that there is a difference between merely teaching the Bible and training someone. Training has the idea of getting ready for a mission of some sort. What Wallace has to say about training youth groups in this chapter is filled with sound advice. The author sharing his story of his days as a youth pastor would no doubt be something many other youth workers resonated with, with the sad reality of seeing students fall away from the faith when they go off to college and the need to train the next generation. His story of bringing his youth to go out on apologetics’ mission’s trip reminded me of our ongoing own campus ministry doing evangelism and apologetics. This chapter was very pastoral which is a rare gem compared to most works on apologetics. Chapter three of the book is titled “Intense Investigation” and here the book presents five practices to help one examine Christianity like a good detective. I love how Wallace first gives us the investigative practice in the world of criminal investigations before transitioning to the spiritual realm the same practice. Chapter four is on convincing communication and here Wallace presents to the readers five principles to help the readers share what they believe like a good prosecutor. I thought this was a “homiletic” of Christian case making. I think we need more works like this in training Christians on the delivery of apologetics’ content both effectively and faithfully. But this chapter does not just look at the Christian case maker, he looks at those whom we are presenting the Christian case to as well. I thought here Wallace has a very good discussion of the ¾ Principle of how there are different kinds of “jurors” that is analogous with how there are different kinds of Christians and non-Christians and the spectrum of self-certainty and openness. The book ends with a postscript on protecting God’s flock and he uses the analogy of “Sheepdog” that those in the military and Law Enforcement would understand. This is followed by notes on quick rebuttals to a few objections and a bibliography on resources to help the lay Christian apologist which he wittingly titled “Evidence Locker.”
I really like the way J. Warner Wallace writes. He is great with analogies and breaking things down for people to understand. I also enjoyed the graphics throughout the book that served as great visual aids for greater understanding. He’s not kidding when he said he was an artist which gifting he did employed as a youth pastor. I also thought it was neat to see various Forensic faith sidebars throughout the book. For instance in chapter one we see sidebars such as “Forensic Faith Profiles” that highlights various Christian case maker, “Forensic Faith Definition,” “Forensic Faith Challenge” and “Forensic Faith Assignment.” Later chapters have other types of sidebars according to the need of the chapter such as “Forensic Faith Investigative Guideline,” “Forensic Faith Communication Guidelines,” etc. The book also has many lists which is helpful for readers to track along with the book. Wallace is not only good with lists, in the book he also teaches the readers to make lists of everything we gather from our studies. The purpose of a good list is that it helps us present the evidence in good summary form. And good summaries are both brief and powerful which helps with our presentation.
I really appreciated the book. This book is jammed packed with information and practical suggestions and examples. It is well thought out, organized and clear. But more than just information I appreciated the fact that Wallace is a man of God who sees the importance of pursuing excellence in our apologetics and dealing with the evidences. I appreciated his testimony of his pursuit of excellences in all areas of life too. From reading this book I learned that Wallace was not only a detective in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department but apparently he was the top graduating honor recruit of his graduating class in the Sheriff’s Academy. Wallace was also a member of the Sheriff’s version of the SWAT team. Apparently Wallace is quite well rounded: he has an architectural degree from UCLA and is a musician and an illustrator. I found his example of doing things well very compelling and we must not forget our personal character does have a role in our evangelism and apologetics.
I recommend this book. Don’t just buy it, read it. Don’t just read it and move on; have it around as reference.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by David C. Cook, Litfuse and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

[Jason Mccool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forensic Faith is the 3rd of the excellent books by J. Warner Wallace that started off with Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. If you're not familiar with them, Cold-Case Christianity looked at the evidence for the reliability of the New Testament and the truth of Christianity, while God's Crime Scene: A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe looked at the evidence for an "outside agent" behind the creation of the universe. Now, Forensic Faith looks at the evidential nature of Christian Faith and the need for Christians to understand why they believe what they believe, be willing to engage with objections and answer them, and translate good intentions into actions. While the first 2 books made the case for the truth of different aspects of Christianity, this one makes the case for Christians making the case. Readers of his last 2 books will notice some necessary overlap in material, but the focus is different here. It is a call to action for Christians to quit sitting content to never share their faith because they know, deep down, that they're not really prepared to do so. But more than that, it is a strategic plan for accomplishing that. Most people probably don't want to hear someone simply telling them they should be doing more, at least not if that criticism is where it stops. But Wallace shows the need to do more, and then gives practical advice on preparing oneself to follow through on all those good intentions to share the gospel with your family/neighbors/coworkers/etc.

The book is divided into 4 chapters, with many section divisions, which makes it nice for reading a short section and getting to a good stopping point when you have limited reading time. Along the way, Jim has little sidebars with a) key terms defined; b) common challenges described to get you thinking how to respond to them; c) training opportunities described to open your eyes to applying these lessons; d) guidelines to help you grow in your skills; and e) assignments to help you work through these issues instead of letting it go "in one ear and out the other", so to speak.

Chapter 1 starts out by looking at accidental true belief versus evidential true belief. Do you believe the right thing for bad reasons? Or do you have a solid grounding for your beliefs? It's easier to share your beliefs if you know you're justified in believing them. Jim then profiles 5 historical examples of evidential case makers for Christianity as role models and cites the rich biblical basis for Christian case-making. In Chapter 2, he distinguishes between teaching and training: "Teaching is focused on imparting knowledge. Training is focused on preparing for a challenge." As he says, "Most of us see our church buildings as places to gather on Sunday; seldom do we think of them as places to train in preparation for deployment." He then goes through steps to train for deployment into the skeptical mission field that's right outside our doors if we are only paying attention. Chapter 3 is devoted to 5 practices drawn from his cold-case homicide investigations that can help Christians be better case makers. Even after writing a weekly apologetics blog for 4 years, and having read or heard much of Jim's material over the years, these are good, practical tips that I find myself needing to be reminded of. Chapter 4 is all about communication. As Paul says in Romans, how will people believe if nobody tells them? All the knowledge and skills don't do any good if they aren't put into practice communicating the truth to people. So this last chapter is a nice, practical summary of 5 principles to communicate effectively like a good prosecutor laying out his case. Again, good practical advice for everyone, whether new to apologetics or experienced in it.

The book ends with a postscript on being a "sheepdog". This is an analogy I first read in Lt. Col. Grossman's classic book "On Killing" when I was in the army, where Grossman applied it to soldiers and law enforcement officers. We were the sheepdogs that protected the flock from the wolves, whether they be enemy soldiers or terrorists or criminals. Tim Schmidt of the US Concealed Carry Association used that analogy extensively for private citizens that dedicate themselves to being prepared to protect innocent life wherever threats arise, whether a mugger attacking one's spouse or an active shooter in a public area. And Jim applies that same analogy so well to the role of Christian case makers. For long before Grossman or Schmidt, the Bible warned about wolves wanting to attack the flock of Christ. And like sheep, many in the Christian flock don't see any need for protection. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. But the need is real, and I am thankful for sheepdogs like J. Warner Wallace working hard to raise up a new generation of sheepdogs to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 3), always "ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15). As Jim says in the book, "the more you grow as a case maker, the more you want to go make the case." May the church be edified, strengthened, and built up by this book.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some people believe that the word apologetics means to apologize for something, but it actually means a way to defend what you believe. Most Christians fail miserably to defend their faith when push comes to shove. They know what they believe but they can't prove or defend it when it comes to someone who wants to know more. How then can we, as parents, provide the means to do just that, when sending our kids off to public schools and colleges only to have our kids unable to communicate effectively the case of faith in Jesus Christ?

The answer is so simple, and I myself found out the hard way when I opened up Forensic Faith, by homicide detective and former atheist, J. Warner Wallace. He found that by using the very same principles he used to re-open cold cases, and applied it to discovering the claims of Christianity, Jesus, the resurrection, God and if the Bible is in fact true. He pointed out something that is missing in churches and youth groups everywhere, that we are spending countless hours, teaching our children about the Bible and Jesus, but failing to train them in defending their faith, so when they leave home, they can be confident in their answers of why they believe what they believe. Just like our military and police don't receive teaching on their jobs or skills, they are trained in every potential situation that might come up in their line of work, that this is the very reason so many are walking away from their faith in Jesus temporarily or often times for good. We are missing the point of what we, as parents, teachers, pastors and others, should be doing in helping our children to be deployed into a world that is growing increasingly hostile towards Christians.

J. Warner Wallace is the author of Cold-Case Christianity and God's Crime Scene, helps readers understand that the very sample principles and techniques he used to re investigate cold cases is the very same techniques he teaches to defend our faith and belief in Jesus. He invites readers to answer 7 simple questions in under 21 minutes to show you where you need to spend more time in training yourself in preparing to defend your faith. These are your areas where you are weak and need to devote some time and training should you need it. They are: 1. Why are you a Christian? 2. What evidence do you have to believe God exists? 3. Why do you trust what the Bible says about Jesus? 4. Why would God send people to hell just because they don't believe in Jesus? 5. If God is all-loving and all-powerful, why is there so much evil in the world? 6. If God is the creator of everything, who created God? 7. Why would a loving God command the total destruction of all of Israel's enemies (including their children and livestock)?

I received Forensic Faith by J. Warner Wallace compliments of David C Cook Publishers and Litfuse Publicity. I can't recommend this book enough to Christians. This is exactly what should be happening inside our youth programs and churches, not only for our children but for new believers and old believers as well. Most people haven't even read their Bibles from cover to cover, and the Bible is our "casebook" that we rely on to determine our relationship with Jesus Christ. Why are so many people walking away from their faith? How as parents can we accurately answer our children's doubts when they have them? This book is the perfect engaging resource to help you know why you believe what you believe and help you to truly understand everything you ever wanted to know about defending the faith we so desperately hold on to. This book provides the training we need as well as resources to help you launch your own investigation into forensic faith. I easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and also recommend you pick up Cold-Case Christianity and God's Crime Scene which are referred to in this book as well for more ways to become an expert detective and investigator of the Christian faith.

[Michael Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believers are commanded in 1 Peter 3:15 to always be ready to “to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” Being able to provide such a defense requires the believer to have a functional understanding of the faith in which they have placed their hope. Part of this effort involves the practice of apologetics. Moreover, developing a good apologetic for the faith includes utilizing the vast amount of evidence available in support of the faith. Having valuable tools on hand which outline in a helpful manner this fount of evidence is also essential.

It can be argued that approaching the evidence for the validity of the faith from the perspective of an investigator is a tremendous method for not only exploring the truth, but also for ensuring all the relevant facts are explored thoroughly with little doubt left in the end as to what is true. It is this methodology which is employed by J. Warner Wallace in his latest book aptly titled Forensic Faith.

For those not familiar with Wallace’s previous works or his journey to faith in Jesus, he was a former atheist who spent a career as a cold-case homicide detective. This career developed in him a keen understanding of how to identify, review, and parse evidence, in particular in homicide cases where the evidential trail had become thin. This investigative background was part of his investigation of Christianity and which led to his embracing of the merits of the faith.

In this particular book, Wallace focuses on providing believers the needed skills to make a reasonable, thorough case based on the available evidence for Christianity. This is a tutorial of sorts, an investigative handbook replete with valuable information that will empower the believer to make a powerful defense and an air-tight case for the hope within them that would stand up to even the most potent cross-examination.

Where this book shines brightest is in its practicality. Scattered strategically throughout the book are vignettes called “Forensic Faith Profiles”, “Forensic Faith Assignments”, “Forensic Faith Challenge”, and “Forensic Faith Definition”. These provide the reader with nuggets of information to chew on if you will, informative tidbits that serve as beneficial road maps on the journey to understanding and employing one’s defense of the faith.

In this vein of practicality, also of note are the “Forensic Faith Practice” portions. Given this book is intended to serve as a training manual of sorts, including the opportunity for the reader to put into practice what they are learning is invaluable. It is after all one thing to simply read information and quite another to put what you have read into practice in a meaningful way. Wallace helps drive home the bounty of information he provides by giving the reader these practice sessions.

Forensic Faith by J. Warner Wallace is a book I highly recommend. In an age where we need more than ever to understand what we believe and more importantly, to be able to coherently and cogently declare the glorious message of the gospel, this book will serve as an excellent field manual for defending the faith.

I received this book for free from David C. Cook via Litfuse Publicity and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Evan Minton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book by J. Warner Wallace. I already knew it was a 4 star book when I was only 2 chapters in. This book, as Wallace makes clear, isn't a book making a case for the truth of Christianity. He already did that in his earlier books; Cold Case Christianity and God's Crime Scene. In this book, Wallace makes the case for making a case for Christianity. In other words, he gives a defense for giving defense. He gives an apologetic for doing apologetics. Forensic Faith could be said to be a sort of prequel to Cold Case Christianity and God's Crime Scene.

Unlike Cold Case Christianity and God's Crime Scene, Forensic Faith is aimed soley at Christians. Too many within the church either see no need for apologetics, don't even know what apologetics is, or in the worse cases, think apologetics is unbiblical! And even ones who do see the importance of it may not know how to equip themselves with the arguments.

And even worse is that there is no age in which the church needs apologetics than it does today. In the book, Wallace talks about how many young people (teens to those in their early 20s) are abandoning the faith because they are bombarded with anti-Christian rhetoric in the universities they attend. Oddly, this anti-Christian propaganda not only emerges in places you would expect (a science or philosophy course) but even in places you would not expect (one person whose letter Wallace quoted in the book revealed that he encountered objections to Christianity while pursuing a degree in engineering). Of course, as I have pointed out on my website (CerebralFaith.blogspot.com), the university isn't the only place your young person is likely to encounter challenges. The internet is full of anti-Christian blogs, YouTube videos, and memes. In fact, I first began to doubt my faith as a teenager after a conversation with a nasty atheist on Twitter. I now roll my eyes at the superficiality of his objections, but at the time, they shook me to core!

In the first chapter, Wallace demonstrates that apologetics is biblical and that The Bible's definition of faith isn't blind. He goes over the biblical data to demonstrate that Jesus and the apostles frequently relied on arguments and evidence to establish their claims. In fact, in John 10, Jesus even tells his listeners NOT to believe in Him UNLESS He did the works of His father. In the second chapter and in the rest of the book, Wallace gives some instructions on how you can train yourself to be a Christian Case Maker (i.e apologist). In the later chapters

If this book doesn't get Christians to see the importance of training themselves to defend their faith, I don't know what will. If this book doesn't get Christians to wake up and learn how to answer their congregations questions, their children's questions, their friend's questions, I don't know what will. If this book doesn't ignite a fire in your heart, I don't know what will.

If you or someone you know is a Christian who is either opposed to or apathetic about Christian Apologetics, please read this book! Read this book, and when you're done, get Wallace's other books "Cold Case Christianity" and "God's Crime Scene".

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been interested in Apologetics for nearly four years, I discovered J. Warner Wallace’s videos on YouTube and his books on Audible and Kindle. When I discovered the (at the time) upcoming release of Person of Interest in early 2021, I decided to get his books in print form. (I already had God’s Crime Scene on both Audible and Kindle) I either bought or used credits to get Cold-Case Christianity, Forensic Faith, and Person of Interest on both Audible and Kindle. Then I bought both books of Person of Interest in early January and God’s Crime Scene, Cold-Case Christianity, and Forensic Faith early in March. I am reading all of these books (some for the second time) before I finally get to Person of Interest.
As far as Forensic Faith goes, I wanted to pace myself and not try to read too much at one time. I usually read chapter to chapter but realized that the chapters are long and chock full of information. So, I would read a couple of pages a day and do my best to take notes. I found that my wanting to pace myself was a good thing because I didn’t want to put the book down.
Mr. Wallace writes with enthusiasm that shines through the pages. He uses his knowledge as a cold-case detective to investigate the writings of the Gospels. He understands that various eyewitness accounts will never agree on all points. What matters is that the events captured in the Gospels are recorded and not necessarily all the minute details be 100% correct. You know that if the Gospels did get all details to agree with each other, then skeptics would say that they agree because they copied word for word and not by Divine inspiration.
Mr. Wallace provides step-by-step instructions on how to take and keep notes, diagrams to provide visual stimulation to accompany the reading, and various insights into past cases where he shows how his case making works.
In this book, Mr. Wallace expounds on the need for churches and people to focus on training people to defend their beliefs instead of just teaching the Bible. On pages 73-74, Jim tells the story of his son (also named Jim) and his learning self-defense. As the younger Jim continues to train, it takes his teacher longer and longer to get him into submission. As Christians, we should train for the inevitable time we are asked about our faith. We should be ready at all times to give a reasonable defense for the reason why we believe. (1 Peter 3:15)
On page 187, Jim mentions Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Greg Koukl, as being “the finest instruction manual for good Christian conversations available today.” I also have this book in Audible form and can attest that it is a very fine book with great information. However, I believe that this book (Forensic Faith) is just as fine a book on Christian Apologetics as any by Koukl, Craig, McDowell, and Sproul. I have learned quite a bit from within its pages and I pray that it continues to reach people from around the world.

[Frank Ehbrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that is much need at this very hour!

This book is important for all Christians to read! We must heed Wallace’s advice and become Christian “Case Makers” and it is more important now than ever before! Unfortunately many Christians have abandoned the evidence meant to give us a “forensic faith” and either believe either in spite of the oppositions arguments or blindly (without having ever considered the truth for the Christian faith). And even if we are firmly convinced of the truth and feel this book isn’t needed for us, Wallace reminds us that we all know people who are either starting to doubt their faith (youth especially), are beginning to question their doubts about God (moving towards faith but have questions), or are totally convinced that God does not exist and that Jesus isn’t the Son of God. We must be prepared to give them solid, evidential reasons for our faith and do it with gentleness and respect (1 Per. 3:15). Apologetics is very broad and can be overwhelming but Wallace suggests that we first focus on a specific piece of evidence and become experts on it. For example, you could study the Resurrection and know all the arguments and the opposing sides take, etc. and become a Resurrection expert. You might not be able to refute Evolution but this is a starting point to be able to show with solid evidence and reason that Christianity is true. If Jesus rose from the dead, then He is the Son of God which gives Him and the Bible credibility.

This book not only makes the case for Apologetics but shows how to start becoming a great Christian “Case Maker.” He suggests making lists and putting evidence from the Bible or other sources on paper. Something to help us study as we collect the evidence to help make a great case. Because, whether you realize it or not, Jesus is on trial in our culture. We need to be good “attorney’s” who are making the case to our “jury.” These are some of the examples Wallace uses to make his case for why we must make a case for our faith to the people around us. I am thoroughly convinced this is a serious undertaking and will take some serious study to become a good case maker. I have been studying apologetics for a year or so and this book was one of my favorites! I am going to take an even further step to become a “one dollar apologist!” Don’t delay, buy this book! Also, check out his podcast and website titled Coldcasechristianity.com and Cold Case Christianity Podcast, as they are also great resources!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being the daughter of a retired Pennsylvania State Trooper, I learned about deductive reasoning and forensic science at a young age. When I saw the title for this book, Forensic Faith:A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith by J. Warner Wallace, I knew I wanted to review it.

Forensic Faith is a dynamic resource every Christian should read. In the opening Wallace shares some scary statistics that show too many Christians, especially young adults, are wandering away from their faith because they don't have a deep enough understanding of their beliefs. In Forensic Faith, Wallace clearly, concisely, and competently helps Christians learn how to investigate the "evidential" truth of their beliefs. He provides tools and insight to help you become a thorough investigator of the Truth by examining every piece of evidence and not merely going by your "gut feelings.". However, our faith doesn't stop with just knowing what we believe. We are also called to share our beliefs and the Truth, which Wallace addresses by helping provide the tools necessary to be a good communicator much like a Prosecutor laying out all of the proven facts and evidence for the jury. Being able to present the undeniable evidence in way that makes unbelievers and doubters truly listen is essential, especially during a time when Christian faith is dwindling at alarming rates.

Firsthand, I know the heartache of not being able to convince a family member of the Truth in Christian faith and in God being our Abba Father, in Jesus not only being God's son but also dying for our sin, and in the Holy Spirit being sent to guide us. My uncle was raised by believing parents who faithfully took him to church. He believed in prayer but not in God. Until his dying day, he held to his Atheist belief. My uncle was a very smart man who believed in science, in things he could see and test and know to be true beyond the shadow of any doubt. My mom, their sister, and I tried to show him the truth. Yet, I can't help but find myself wondering if we had read Forensic Faith sooner could former Atheist believer J. Warner Wallace's insight have helped us reach him with evidential truth. As Christians we are fighting a battle and we need to be armed. We are called to bring in the harvest and not merely agree with society because it is easier. Forensic Faith will teach us how to be prepared.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forensic Faith will help readers: understand why they have a duty to defend the truth,
develop a training strategy to master the evidence for Christianity, learn how to employ the techniques of a detective to discover new insights from God’s Word and become better communicators by learning the skills of professional case makers. With real-life detective stories, fascinating strategies, and biblical insights, Wallace teaches readers cold-case investigative disciplines they can apply to their Christian faith. Forensic Faith is an engaging, fresh look at what it means to be a Christian.

I found Forensic Faith to be a very interesting read that contained a great deal of information, some of which I have never previously read. The book is divided into 4 chapters; Distinctive Duty, Targeted Training, Intense Investigation and Convincing Communication. There is also a section at the end, called Evidence Locker, that contained a huge list of additional resources, both books and websites, that is divided into different sections. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is both the way it is written and the set up of the book. Throughout the book, there are illustrations, definitions and a great deal of scriptural references. One of the things I found to be particularly interesting was the information in the Intense Investigation chapter that listed many outside sources that provide accounts that support Christianity. There are listed as "unfriendly pagan accounts from outside the Christian casebook" and have a list of very old accounts dating back to AD 5. Several of the accounts describe the darkness and an earthquake around the time of Jesus's crucifixion, which I have previously never read. Another important lesson from this book is when the author is asking the question, "Why are you a believer?" in the preface. He listed several common answers and then explains to us that our answer should be, "I am a Christian because it is true." That is one of the most important things I found in this book and it honestly never occurred to me to give anyone this answer when they asked.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I really enjoyed that it was written in such a different style. It provided a great deal of information, including outside accounts, as well as Biblical references. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book.

[Katherine Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if you haven’t seen it, you’re probably aware that The Case for Christ has recently been in theatres around the country. The movie, of course, is based on the contemporary classic by Lee Strobel. Our family saw it, and enjoyed it, and partly because of this, examining the claims of Jesus — the basis for Christianity — has been at the forefront of my mind lately. Historically, I’m the kind of gal who tends to be guided by emotions and subjective experience. Which doesn’t on its own generally provide an effective witness for my faith. Personal experience can only take you so far.

Which is why I’m excited when books like J. Warner Wallace’s come on the scene that promise to help emotional creatures like me build a more reasoned case for what I believe and why I believe it. I believe in Jesus because it’s true (according to overwhelming historical evidence), but I don’t always have the facts at hand to defend that claim.

That said, Forensic Faith wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Through no fault of the author, I do not think I am the primary targeted audience. Reading this, I kept thinking it would make great material for middle- or high-school kids seeking evidentiary ways to strengthen their claims of faith. The illustrations and formatting of the book lends to that audience. As a group study, this would make a fantastic guide.

What I did find most valuable were the resources found at the back, including brief answers to these four common challenges to the Christian faith:

Faith is incompatible with reason
Christians are hypocrites
Science and religion are incompatible
Christians are intolerant
If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve probably been challenged on each of these at one time or another. Thanks to Wallace’s clear, evidence-based logic, next time it happens I’ll be much better prepared to meet these sorts of challenges kindly but rationally.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity and David C Cook for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a diehard fan of Dateline NBC and the copious cold-case and forensic files shows on TV, this book by cold-case homicide detective J. Warner Wallace is right up my alley!

Wallace uses his training & experience as a detective, along with his passion for apologetics, to present a case for “making the case” for Christianity. In particular, he references the need to equip our kids to know what they believe and why they believe it so that they have a fighting chance of surviving college with their faith intact.

I really liked the references to the cold-cases he investigated/solved and then how he tied this forensic process to how we should be examining our faith. All of his points are solid – and important – and copiously backed up with Scripture. Along with all the great information and instruction, the aesthetics of the book make the intellectual discussion feel more conversational. (And let’s be honest – the way the book is laid out appeals to that side of me that always wanted to be a cold-case detective lol)

Bottom Line: Forensic Faith by J. Warner Wallace is well written and engaging. It’s easy to follow and several added touches keep the interest level high. We don’t have to leave our intellect at the door when we decide to follow Jesus, and this book gives us permission to be smart about our faith. It also could give us permission to argue with people who don’t believe the same way, and this is my one hesitation about the book. Let’s be prepared to protect our hearts (and minds) when our faith is challenged, but let’s also keep in mind that Jesus said “they will know you are Christians by your LOVE”, not your arguments. We need to always be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have, yes, but let’s not leave our hearts at the door in the process of making sure we keep our brains.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

See my review at Reading Is My SuperPower