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Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels
Written by an L. A. County homicide detective and former atheist, Cold-Case Christianity examines the claims of the New Testament using the skills and strategies of a hard-to-convince criminal investigator.
Christianity could be defined as a “cold case”: it makes a claim about an event from the distant past for which there is little forensic evidence. In Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace uses his nationally recognized skills as a homicide detective to look at the evidence and eyewitnesses behind Christian beliefs. Including gripping stories from his career and the visual techniques he developed in the courtroom, Wallace uses illustration to examine the powerful evidence that validates the claims of Christianity. A unique apologetic that speaks to readers’ intense interest in detective stories, Cold-Case Christianity inspires readers to have confidence in Christ as it prepares them to articulate the case for Christianity.
Christianity could be defined as a “cold case”: it makes a claim about an event from the distant past for which there is little forensic evidence. In Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace uses his nationally recognized skills as a homicide detective to look at the evidence and eyewitnesses behind Christian beliefs. Including gripping stories from his career and the visual techniques he developed in the courtroom, Wallace uses illustration to examine the powerful evidence that validates the claims of Christianity. A unique apologetic that speaks to readers’ intense interest in detective stories, Cold-Case Christianity inspires readers to have confidence in Christ as it prepares them to articulate the case for Christianity.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
2394 people are currently reading
9676 people want to read
About the author
J. Warner Wallace
34 books689 followersJ. 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.
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.
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May 14, 2015
TL;DR - This book is not for the skeptic. It's for the Christian who wants to feel safe.
This book was frustrating. I need more time to reread and gather all my thoughts, but here is a brief over-view.
My mother recommended this book, hoping it would help with my apostasy. The author, J. Warner Wallace, was a detective and self proclaimed former atheist and skeptic.
First the good: The style is interesting and it's a half decent intro to hermeneutics for laymen. Even with all of the following rants and complaints, it has those two on its side. Unfortunately the style does not make up for the total presentation.
After reading the prologue I knew I was in for a long slog. Wallace's former self did not sound like a skeptic to me. Just a loud mouth who thought he knew it all. His discovery of the bible was so odd. I come from a diametrically opposite background. I was a believer and loved reading the scriptures even as a kid. My dad fondly remembers me devouring the book of Isaiah when I was a young boy. But to listen to this guy say he shit on the bible without reading it? How is that skeptical? It might be true, but if this guy didn't bother reading the bible before he criticized and mocked it, what are the chances he's read the actual intellectual arguments against the bible?
Which comes to my second pet-peeve of the book. He presents a simplified version of 'the skeptics' as though there is some skeptics dogma. He seldom if ever references a skeptic save for opening quotes in a chapter, and gives us no source to check the actual argument a real person made. This is made even more frustrating when he happily references people and books in his own side, often very meticulously. Granted, he doesn't have to make their arguments for the opposition. But if he's addressing actual arguments, he needs to source them. I constantly shouted at my phone 'Who? Who said that?'. There might be an actual skeptic who is like what he thinks, (perhaps he is arguing against his old, uneducated beliefs) but this presentation is a mockery.
In most segments he presents a little story from when he was a detective to illustrate an idea. This is actually a good technique to help the reader grasp the concepts being presented. I give him props for the style. However his stories often contradicted what he was trying to present. In chapter 13 (were they accurate) he tells a story about a man he called 'Jassen' who initially gave one testimony and then when asked years later, evidently forgot his initial testimony and gave a different answer. He was caught in a lie because the officer had written down his initial testimony. The lesson is, if the story doesn't change, then it's accurate. The New Testament is well recorded and has not really changed since its first writing. So why does the example fail? Well, no one recorded the initial reactions. Those were recorded years and years later. Not hundreds of years, no. Even the twenty or so years Wallace claims for the earliest New Testament book is still years later. Jassen's example should make us more skeptical.
Last pet peeve for now. Let's not forget this strange concept of eyewitness he uses. A person telling me what he says another person claimed to see is not an eyewitness. Even worse when the assumed eyewitness tells the writer things he found not have eye-witnessed. Testimony? Okay. But if I tell you what my brother said he saw, I'm not an eye-witness. My testimony is not eyewitness testimony.
If you've read this far, thank you for reading my initial ramblings. There's actually a lot more I want to talk about (eg his odd concept of preconceptions, which he gets half right) but I would like to organize my ideas better first.
Long story short, this book is not for the skeptic. It's for the Christian who wants to feel safe.
This book was frustrating. I need more time to reread and gather all my thoughts, but here is a brief over-view.
My mother recommended this book, hoping it would help with my apostasy. The author, J. Warner Wallace, was a detective and self proclaimed former atheist and skeptic.
First the good: The style is interesting and it's a half decent intro to hermeneutics for laymen. Even with all of the following rants and complaints, it has those two on its side. Unfortunately the style does not make up for the total presentation.
After reading the prologue I knew I was in for a long slog. Wallace's former self did not sound like a skeptic to me. Just a loud mouth who thought he knew it all. His discovery of the bible was so odd. I come from a diametrically opposite background. I was a believer and loved reading the scriptures even as a kid. My dad fondly remembers me devouring the book of Isaiah when I was a young boy. But to listen to this guy say he shit on the bible without reading it? How is that skeptical? It might be true, but if this guy didn't bother reading the bible before he criticized and mocked it, what are the chances he's read the actual intellectual arguments against the bible?
Which comes to my second pet-peeve of the book. He presents a simplified version of 'the skeptics' as though there is some skeptics dogma. He seldom if ever references a skeptic save for opening quotes in a chapter, and gives us no source to check the actual argument a real person made. This is made even more frustrating when he happily references people and books in his own side, often very meticulously. Granted, he doesn't have to make their arguments for the opposition. But if he's addressing actual arguments, he needs to source them. I constantly shouted at my phone 'Who? Who said that?'. There might be an actual skeptic who is like what he thinks, (perhaps he is arguing against his old, uneducated beliefs) but this presentation is a mockery.
In most segments he presents a little story from when he was a detective to illustrate an idea. This is actually a good technique to help the reader grasp the concepts being presented. I give him props for the style. However his stories often contradicted what he was trying to present. In chapter 13 (were they accurate) he tells a story about a man he called 'Jassen' who initially gave one testimony and then when asked years later, evidently forgot his initial testimony and gave a different answer. He was caught in a lie because the officer had written down his initial testimony. The lesson is, if the story doesn't change, then it's accurate. The New Testament is well recorded and has not really changed since its first writing. So why does the example fail? Well, no one recorded the initial reactions. Those were recorded years and years later. Not hundreds of years, no. Even the twenty or so years Wallace claims for the earliest New Testament book is still years later. Jassen's example should make us more skeptical.
Last pet peeve for now. Let's not forget this strange concept of eyewitness he uses. A person telling me what he says another person claimed to see is not an eyewitness. Even worse when the assumed eyewitness tells the writer things he found not have eye-witnessed. Testimony? Okay. But if I tell you what my brother said he saw, I'm not an eye-witness. My testimony is not eyewitness testimony.
If you've read this far, thank you for reading my initial ramblings. There's actually a lot more I want to talk about (eg his odd concept of preconceptions, which he gets half right) but I would like to organize my ideas better first.
Long story short, this book is not for the skeptic. It's for the Christian who wants to feel safe.
December 28, 2012
There is an abundance of apologetics books available, many of them saying the same thing in the same way. J. Warner Wallace offers something unique as he brings in his experience as a cold-case detective on the Christian faith. The book is filled with real life criminal cases that illustrate how we must sift through evidence and evaluate testimony. These illustrations bring out the biblical evidence in a fresh way. This would be a great book to give to a skeptic as it is very well written and will keep interest, while at the same time will present a clear case for the truth of Christianity.
April 5, 2014
This is an excellent book. Of course in the spirit of complete disclosure I am a Christian so there's no real controversy here for me.
If you've read The Case for Christ you have read a little of what's here but Mr. Wallace goes further and lays out a coherent case for each piece of evidence. He goes so far as to "track the evidence chain" to look at the reliability of said evidence.
The bottom line for belief or unbelief is that we all look at the same evidence. Some come to Theistic belief others come to an atheistic belief (some remain agnostic). The key can come down to what is the evidence and how reliable is it and it's source. That's what we cover here. Looking at the evidence as a police detective he (the author) lays it out and holds it up for examination.
I like the book and recommend it.
If you've read The Case for Christ you have read a little of what's here but Mr. Wallace goes further and lays out a coherent case for each piece of evidence. He goes so far as to "track the evidence chain" to look at the reliability of said evidence.
The bottom line for belief or unbelief is that we all look at the same evidence. Some come to Theistic belief others come to an atheistic belief (some remain agnostic). The key can come down to what is the evidence and how reliable is it and it's source. That's what we cover here. Looking at the evidence as a police detective he (the author) lays it out and holds it up for examination.
I like the book and recommend it.
November 27, 2017
A homicide detective's investigation into the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Overall, this was an okay read. The author attempted to collect all the historical data from documented sources, summarize such, then analyze it as if he were solving a murder case. His conclusions are generally consistent with his acknowledged Christian faith, but he does stay true to relying only on facts he believes are supported by the evidence to backup his positions. My only criticism is that the narrative is very dry, reading like a professional paper, or case study, of a true murder case, which made it a less-than-exciting reading experience for me personally.
To end with the obvious, this book is tailored toward Christians or those open-minded about the religion, so if you find religious works tedious, then this probably isn't the book for you.
Overall, this was an okay read. The author attempted to collect all the historical data from documented sources, summarize such, then analyze it as if he were solving a murder case. His conclusions are generally consistent with his acknowledged Christian faith, but he does stay true to relying only on facts he believes are supported by the evidence to backup his positions. My only criticism is that the narrative is very dry, reading like a professional paper, or case study, of a true murder case, which made it a less-than-exciting reading experience for me personally.
To end with the obvious, this book is tailored toward Christians or those open-minded about the religion, so if you find religious works tedious, then this probably isn't the book for you.
August 18, 2018
Before picking this up I feared it would be too similar to Strobel's The Case for Christ, but I was pleasantly surprised. They are similar — one man using his vocational experience to evaluate Christianity — but it's written in a very different voice and style. Wallace is very grounded in his time as a detective, whereas Strobel was a journalist. Wallace uses court cases as direct metaphors, and constantly keeps the focus on the reader as juror, evaluating evidence to reach a conclusion.
The first section uses the dynamics within court cases to illustrate arguments for Christianity, focusing on circumstantial and eyewitness evidence.
The second section discusses the reliability of the Gospel accounts, using historic and archaeological evidence.
Really good bibliography and resources at the back.
The first section uses the dynamics within court cases to illustrate arguments for Christianity, focusing on circumstantial and eyewitness evidence.
The second section discusses the reliability of the Gospel accounts, using historic and archaeological evidence.
Really good bibliography and resources at the back.
December 13, 2018
A first-rate scholarly defense of Christianity…coming from the uniquely original viewpoint of a seasoned criminal investigator…examining the New Testament “case” for its evidentiary reliability and veracity.
A must-read for anyone interested in the field of Christian apologetics…J. Warner Wallace makes a compelling argument that the gospel writers were first-hand eyewitnesses of the events of the life and teachings they wrote about, the early dating of the New Testament, and the corroboration of non-Christian writer’s during the time of the early church.
I think this book will become a classic in a very important genre.
A must-read for anyone interested in the field of Christian apologetics…J. Warner Wallace makes a compelling argument that the gospel writers were first-hand eyewitnesses of the events of the life and teachings they wrote about, the early dating of the New Testament, and the corroboration of non-Christian writer’s during the time of the early church.
I think this book will become a classic in a very important genre.
September 1, 2015
Sherlock Holmes would definitely be a Bible loving Christian. The Clues DEMAND it.
Of course Sherlock's nature and human desires would play a huge part in whether he embraced Jesus as his savior - or if he just embraced the truth of the Christian religion from logic and evidence (2 very different things). Thankfully J. Warner even mentions this on page 255: "Belief that" and "Belief in". What do we do with all those clues??? And how does it affect our life?
I've heard many atheists proudly declare that they "looked out their window and didn't see God" so they assumed he didn't exist. That is similar to a detective looking at a crime scene and declaring all we have is a dead body - we were too late, the crime already happened. Nothing more we can do. Lets all go home.
And Cold-Case Christianity is where the fun begins. Putting all those exciting pieces together to see if this Jesus business actually applies to reality. Look around carefully: God left us some crime evidence.
At this point in my life I can't NOT be a Christian: I've seen/experienced too much, read too much, and thought too much. Now it just so happens J. Warner put most of that in a book for us. The evidence of life and God is all around us. Sadly most people are too lazy to challenge it or think deeply about their assumptions, meaning and existence. Here's the layout to get you started: (page 39)
The Truth must be feasible: (we live on a functioning planet that went from Zero to 7 billion)
The Truth will usually be straightforward: (The Bible explains all of existence perfectly)
The Truth should be exhaustive: (A world full of Bible borrowers/twisters and Jesus blasphemers. Israel still fighting. Babies still being aborted.)
The Truth must be logical: (Humans, evil, sickness, love, morality, justice - it explains everything.)
The Truth will be superior: (Jesus as recorded in the Bible. All good comes from Him AND for Him)
OF course atheists will Poo-poo this, but what do they offer instead?: To explain the world of religions all around us? To explain the endless evil and abuse of morality we see daily? To see the failed hope and debauchery of human greed and power? Without Jesus and the Bible there is no GOOD to substitute as law - just adjustable preferences that do just as much harm as good...the greater good is never that all knowing. One man's prostitute is another man's daughter and mother.
Thankfully J. Warner succeeds where many fail: He keeps it focused on the Bible. If we can't trust the Bible as a divine document that does its job perfectly - then no other worldview can step in either (i've checked - atheists still can't decide if sex is sacred or just meaningless athletics: ask Playboy or a Rape counseling group, they differ incredibly on its meaningful/meaningless core value). Maybe we have nothing but nature (and often Mother Nature doesn't like us that much. Just watch the weather channel.)
But investigating the Bible is where the action starts: God left us an amazing collection of info from witnesses and history. Not just one record (like the Mormon stuff or Muhammad's Cave writing collection) but four Gospel accounts, and much history and thought recorded about this Jesus the Messiah - with a special thanks to the Holy Spirit for endless inspiration. (many people attempt to look at the Bible without crediting or leaving room for the Holy Spirit to do its THANG!) That's like trying to make sense of Star Wars without the Force.
I've figured out that only two things could possibly cause me to lose my Christian faith:
1. Have the entire planet appreciate the Bible story for it's perfect Love and Justice. Not gonna happen! They don't even have to believe it - just appreciate it.
2. And If the world stopped sinning. Any minute now...The Bible says we won't stop til we have NEW natures and are eternally with Jesus.
But in order to get to that place of assurance about Jesus: You must read stuff like J. Warner Wallace's Cold Case Christianity.
It's easy to be confused and over-whelmed by the Bible. But our world isn't really that different from the world of scripture. We do have one-less talking donkey in North America than we had in Biblical times. And our Gardens aren't generally surrounded by an Angel with a flaming sword. But Warner has shown us that there's definitely valid clues for everything else scripture offers, from life to morality to hope to the basics of trustworthy history and geography.
J. Warner even mentions the hardest challenges people will have getting to the truth: Over-coming your biases. I have a secret here, don't tell anyone. But here's a test to find truth and beat biased hatred or longing: DON'T CARE! I know, sounds nasty. But Warner even shows that people see and tell (and confuse) based on their hates and desires. Honestly, if the Bible wasn't true - I would simply move on. But all the pieces fit whether I want them to or not. But even science is assembled by endless biases - do some research You'll See.
Joyfully this book will help you learn to put the pieces together like an experienced detective. (but you WON'T be an experienced religious detective. Not until you have a few failures and successes.) Then write your own book.
Now i'm off to read J. Warner Wallace's NEW book: God's Crime Scene.
Of course Sherlock's nature and human desires would play a huge part in whether he embraced Jesus as his savior - or if he just embraced the truth of the Christian religion from logic and evidence (2 very different things). Thankfully J. Warner even mentions this on page 255: "Belief that" and "Belief in". What do we do with all those clues??? And how does it affect our life?
I've heard many atheists proudly declare that they "looked out their window and didn't see God" so they assumed he didn't exist. That is similar to a detective looking at a crime scene and declaring all we have is a dead body - we were too late, the crime already happened. Nothing more we can do. Lets all go home.
And Cold-Case Christianity is where the fun begins. Putting all those exciting pieces together to see if this Jesus business actually applies to reality. Look around carefully: God left us some crime evidence.
At this point in my life I can't NOT be a Christian: I've seen/experienced too much, read too much, and thought too much. Now it just so happens J. Warner put most of that in a book for us. The evidence of life and God is all around us. Sadly most people are too lazy to challenge it or think deeply about their assumptions, meaning and existence. Here's the layout to get you started: (page 39)
The Truth must be feasible: (we live on a functioning planet that went from Zero to 7 billion)
The Truth will usually be straightforward: (The Bible explains all of existence perfectly)
The Truth should be exhaustive: (A world full of Bible borrowers/twisters and Jesus blasphemers. Israel still fighting. Babies still being aborted.)
The Truth must be logical: (Humans, evil, sickness, love, morality, justice - it explains everything.)
The Truth will be superior: (Jesus as recorded in the Bible. All good comes from Him AND for Him)
OF course atheists will Poo-poo this, but what do they offer instead?: To explain the world of religions all around us? To explain the endless evil and abuse of morality we see daily? To see the failed hope and debauchery of human greed and power? Without Jesus and the Bible there is no GOOD to substitute as law - just adjustable preferences that do just as much harm as good...the greater good is never that all knowing. One man's prostitute is another man's daughter and mother.
Thankfully J. Warner succeeds where many fail: He keeps it focused on the Bible. If we can't trust the Bible as a divine document that does its job perfectly - then no other worldview can step in either (i've checked - atheists still can't decide if sex is sacred or just meaningless athletics: ask Playboy or a Rape counseling group, they differ incredibly on its meaningful/meaningless core value). Maybe we have nothing but nature (and often Mother Nature doesn't like us that much. Just watch the weather channel.)
But investigating the Bible is where the action starts: God left us an amazing collection of info from witnesses and history. Not just one record (like the Mormon stuff or Muhammad's Cave writing collection) but four Gospel accounts, and much history and thought recorded about this Jesus the Messiah - with a special thanks to the Holy Spirit for endless inspiration. (many people attempt to look at the Bible without crediting or leaving room for the Holy Spirit to do its THANG!) That's like trying to make sense of Star Wars without the Force.
I've figured out that only two things could possibly cause me to lose my Christian faith:
1. Have the entire planet appreciate the Bible story for it's perfect Love and Justice. Not gonna happen! They don't even have to believe it - just appreciate it.
2. And If the world stopped sinning. Any minute now...The Bible says we won't stop til we have NEW natures and are eternally with Jesus.
But in order to get to that place of assurance about Jesus: You must read stuff like J. Warner Wallace's Cold Case Christianity.
It's easy to be confused and over-whelmed by the Bible. But our world isn't really that different from the world of scripture. We do have one-less talking donkey in North America than we had in Biblical times. And our Gardens aren't generally surrounded by an Angel with a flaming sword. But Warner has shown us that there's definitely valid clues for everything else scripture offers, from life to morality to hope to the basics of trustworthy history and geography.
J. Warner even mentions the hardest challenges people will have getting to the truth: Over-coming your biases. I have a secret here, don't tell anyone. But here's a test to find truth and beat biased hatred or longing: DON'T CARE! I know, sounds nasty. But Warner even shows that people see and tell (and confuse) based on their hates and desires. Honestly, if the Bible wasn't true - I would simply move on. But all the pieces fit whether I want them to or not. But even science is assembled by endless biases - do some research You'll See.
Joyfully this book will help you learn to put the pieces together like an experienced detective. (but you WON'T be an experienced religious detective. Not until you have a few failures and successes.) Then write your own book.
Now i'm off to read J. Warner Wallace's NEW book: God's Crime Scene.
June 30, 2024
i read this book for a Bible study, and i'm honestly really glad i did. i have grown up as a Christian and always knew that i believed in the truth of the Bible, but seeing it from the perspective presented here really gave me concrete proof that it is true.
this book took the claims of the gospels and examined them as if it was a criminal trial, which interested me a lot as i want to be a lawyer. seeing the Bible compared to things like types of evidence, laws, and case proceedings really interested me because i had never thought about it that way before. i loved it when i was reading this and it would talk about something related to a court case and i would be like I KNOW THAT!!
i don't really know what else to write in this review, but i did really enjoy reading this and all of the illustrations made it fun and easy to understand as well.
i also just want to say that if you are a Christian, i definitely recommend reading this as it will help you better understand the history and context of the Bible, which will then help you come up with what to say to others about your faith. if you are skeptical of Christianity or maybe just don't believe it at all, i also suggest giving this book a try because it really does lay out convincing evidence and it might change your life. just know that Jesus loves you so much that he sent his son to die for your sins which is the greatest gift you could ever recieve!!
this book took the claims of the gospels and examined them as if it was a criminal trial, which interested me a lot as i want to be a lawyer. seeing the Bible compared to things like types of evidence, laws, and case proceedings really interested me because i had never thought about it that way before. i loved it when i was reading this and it would talk about something related to a court case and i would be like I KNOW THAT!!
i don't really know what else to write in this review, but i did really enjoy reading this and all of the illustrations made it fun and easy to understand as well.
i also just want to say that if you are a Christian, i definitely recommend reading this as it will help you better understand the history and context of the Bible, which will then help you come up with what to say to others about your faith. if you are skeptical of Christianity or maybe just don't believe it at all, i also suggest giving this book a try because it really does lay out convincing evidence and it might change your life. just know that Jesus loves you so much that he sent his son to die for your sins which is the greatest gift you could ever recieve!!
August 15, 2015
Review: COLD-CASE CHRISTIANITY by J. Warner Wallace
Author J. Warner Wallace writes in an intriguing and compelling style of his discovery of the Christian faith. He walks reader's through evidence of the Gospels, utilizing the same principles which he applied to fresh homicides during his long career, and later to cold cases, his current vocation.
Mr. Wallace's approach is easily comprehensible to readers, and following along is akin to investigating a cold case and applying the criteria of forensic science.
Author J. Warner Wallace writes in an intriguing and compelling style of his discovery of the Christian faith. He walks reader's through evidence of the Gospels, utilizing the same principles which he applied to fresh homicides during his long career, and later to cold cases, his current vocation.
Mr. Wallace's approach is easily comprehensible to readers, and following along is akin to investigating a cold case and applying the criteria of forensic science.
May 16, 2025
Love the style!
March 19, 2013
Caveat
I could tell by reading the promo material for Cold-Case Christianity that this book of Christian apologetics would land firmly in the camp known as “evidentialism.” The blurbs read like a who's-who of contemporary evidentialists: McDowell (and McDowell), Mittelberg, Moreland, Copan, McFarland.
I appreciate the work done in this camp—Josh McDowell was instrumental in my own mother’s conversion, and Evidence that Demands a Verdict was on our family bookshelf my whole life. I do sometimes feel, however, that the evidentialist camp forgets (or refuses to acknowledge!) that their camp is on my camp’s property. Evidentialism is, I think, properly viewed as a subset of presuppositionalism.
So I was pleasantly surprised to see author J. Warner Wallace bring up the important role of presuppositions at the outset of his book. He's quite strong on this:
However, I'm afraid the author crystallized something for me, because he turns right around and urges readers to be objective, to bracket out our presuppositions:
He uses an illustration from his forensics work to help prove this point. A murder victim lay in her bed, and Wallace's older partner read all the evidence in the room in light of one explicit presupposition: it's husbands who kill wives. Only when she was later found to be unmarried did they start on the track of the real killer. That presupposition, though generally accurate, caused them to misread the picture on the nightstand, the men's clothes in the closet, and the murder itself. Leaving that presupposition aside allowed them to examine the evidence fairly.
And in this case I think Wallace's idea about bracketing off presuppositions undeniably works. But presuppositions applied to a crime scene are not base-level in the human person. The belief that it's usually husbands who are guilty of killing wives is not a belief people, even homicide detectives, hold close to the center of their hearts.
I'm afraid that I, in turn, think it's naive to think that someone can set aside the kinds of presuppositions that come into play when evaluating the Christian faith. What Wallace crystallized for me was the role played by something deeper than merely cognitive presuppositions: the role of the heart. Someone who, in his heart, fundamentally hates God is not going to be persuaded by mountains of evidence and reasoning, however cogently presented.
Notice what I did not say: I did not say that faith is unreasonable or that the Christian faith in particular is irrational. Nor did I say that evidence and rational argumentation are useless. These are means God may choose to use to bring someone to faith. Surely reason plays a necessary role in every conversion. But fallen people are not fundamentally “reasonable,” because they refuse the very beginning of knowledge, the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7).
Commendation
As a convinced presuppositionalist, I had to start with all that. But I don't want it to detract at all from my hearty commendation of Wallace's excellent work. He writes clearly, concisely, and cogently. His unique angle—that of a cold-case homicide detective—provides numerous valuable insights into the use and evaluation of evidence. The structure of his work is very clear, easy to hold onto. You get the feeling that the rigors of his detective work have, Sherlock-like, turned his mind into a neatly useful filing cabinet. And as a seminary-trained pastor, he also shows a responsible grasp of New Testament studies: he handles topics such as textual criticism without beginner's gaffes. Also, responsible writers like Richard Bauckham pop up in his footnotes.
In addition, the numerous visual illustrations were truly excellent. Well done and very helpful. (I go back and forth on whether or not the textual illustrations from real-live murder mysteries were salacious, helpful, or somewhere in between—but they attracted my interest, I must admit.)
A few other things I found valuable about the book:
• I had high hopes for the chapter on conspiracies; he very helpfully pointed out how difficult—nearly impossible—it is to hold together a conspiracy among multiple people. And yet that is exactly what the early disciples are supposed by some skeptics to have done.
• Along similar lines, I felt he made an argument I was familiar with helpfully more specific. The activity of the apostles is hard to explain without a genuine resurrection; I'd heard that. I believe it. But Wallace specified the kinds of motivations that are most common in criminal acts and showed convincingly that these were very unlikely to be present among the apostles.
• Speaking of likelihood, I also found it helpful to distinguish the kinds of doubt allowed in various types of court cases.
• Likewise, Wallace explains how "circumstantial evidence" can be relied upon to build a case. Yes, one piece of such evidence—a mud stain on someone's pants that matches the color of mud found at the murder scene—is not enough to build a case. But taken together, such evidence provides a cumulative case.
• He shows very helpfully (and from a real-life case) how it can be that two eyewitnesses can both testify truthfully and yet sound contradictory—because of their differing perspectives.
• He argues that because emotionally powerful experiences imprint themselves on one's memory, it is feasible that various eyewitnesses could remember Jesus' sayings with accuracy several years on.
• I loved the comparison he drew between the Johannine Comma, John 7:53–8:11, etc. and "artifacts" found at crime scenes—pieces of evidence that turn out to have no bearing on the matter at issue.
This kind of evidentialism is valuable, and I wish it were more ready on my tongue. But I still do believe that it has inherent limits: all it can do is show us that principles that appear to "work" in investigating cold-case homicides appear to work when applied to the New Testament. But what about the principles of evidence evaluation used in other cultures' systems of law? What if our own system changes? What if more evidence is found—hasn't the use of DNA "fingerprinting" overturned a number of apparently rock-solid cases?
And a more apposite question, I think: what if an intelligent person—more intelligent than you, I, or the author (I think we'd all agree such people exist)—reads the best evidential defense out there and still isn't persuaded? Is he being unreasonable? If so, who says?
If your answer is, "God says," then you're a presuppositionalist.
People do need more of the facts. They do need their barriers to be knocked down. And evidence and argument are sometimes effective tools (I'm told) for that work. But I think it's theologically and evangelistically unhealthy to forget that a person's loves are more ultimate than his thoughts. So I can't say things like the following:
Who says that rational doubts are more important or weighty than emotional or volitional ones? I don't think that's the Bible talking; that sounds like Enlightenment rationalism to me.*
Conclusion
I was moved to read of Wallace's conversion. And as a rigorous, logical thinker, it seems appropriate this his approach to Jesus involved a lot of careful study of the evidence. But a lot of people on earth can't even read, many who can don't, and not all paths to Jesus are smoothly paved and carefully lined. I'm reminded of a story D.A. Carson told once of a rigorously logical college student (Fred, I think his name was) who was converted after multiple Bible studies with Carson answered all his logical objections. Carson said Fred was a rarity. I hope many people will read this book and fill the world with Freds. More likely, I hope Christians will be strengthened in their faith and use Cold-Case Christianity as a resource book for apologetics discussions (that's what I'll do).
*One other theological complaint: Wallace argues that free will exists so that those who love God won't do so as automatons. I don't think that's a scripturally cogent argument, and he doesn't discuss the alternative.
I could tell by reading the promo material for Cold-Case Christianity that this book of Christian apologetics would land firmly in the camp known as “evidentialism.” The blurbs read like a who's-who of contemporary evidentialists: McDowell (and McDowell), Mittelberg, Moreland, Copan, McFarland.
I appreciate the work done in this camp—Josh McDowell was instrumental in my own mother’s conversion, and Evidence that Demands a Verdict was on our family bookshelf my whole life. I do sometimes feel, however, that the evidentialist camp forgets (or refuses to acknowledge!) that their camp is on my camp’s property. Evidentialism is, I think, properly viewed as a subset of presuppositionalism.
So I was pleasantly surprised to see author J. Warner Wallace bring up the important role of presuppositions at the outset of his book. He's quite strong on this:
Make no mistake about it, all of us have a point of view; all of us hold opinions and ideas that color the way we see the world. Anyone who tells you that he (or she) is completely objective and devoid of presuppositions has another more important problem: that person is either astonishingly naive or a liar.
However, I'm afraid the author crystallized something for me, because he turns right around and urges readers to be objective, to bracket out our presuppositions:
It's possible to have a prior opinion yet leave this presupposition at the door in order to examine the evidence fairly.
He uses an illustration from his forensics work to help prove this point. A murder victim lay in her bed, and Wallace's older partner read all the evidence in the room in light of one explicit presupposition: it's husbands who kill wives. Only when she was later found to be unmarried did they start on the track of the real killer. That presupposition, though generally accurate, caused them to misread the picture on the nightstand, the men's clothes in the closet, and the murder itself. Leaving that presupposition aside allowed them to examine the evidence fairly.
And in this case I think Wallace's idea about bracketing off presuppositions undeniably works. But presuppositions applied to a crime scene are not base-level in the human person. The belief that it's usually husbands who are guilty of killing wives is not a belief people, even homicide detectives, hold close to the center of their hearts.
I'm afraid that I, in turn, think it's naive to think that someone can set aside the kinds of presuppositions that come into play when evaluating the Christian faith. What Wallace crystallized for me was the role played by something deeper than merely cognitive presuppositions: the role of the heart. Someone who, in his heart, fundamentally hates God is not going to be persuaded by mountains of evidence and reasoning, however cogently presented.
Notice what I did not say: I did not say that faith is unreasonable or that the Christian faith in particular is irrational. Nor did I say that evidence and rational argumentation are useless. These are means God may choose to use to bring someone to faith. Surely reason plays a necessary role in every conversion. But fallen people are not fundamentally “reasonable,” because they refuse the very beginning of knowledge, the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7).
Commendation
As a convinced presuppositionalist, I had to start with all that. But I don't want it to detract at all from my hearty commendation of Wallace's excellent work. He writes clearly, concisely, and cogently. His unique angle—that of a cold-case homicide detective—provides numerous valuable insights into the use and evaluation of evidence. The structure of his work is very clear, easy to hold onto. You get the feeling that the rigors of his detective work have, Sherlock-like, turned his mind into a neatly useful filing cabinet. And as a seminary-trained pastor, he also shows a responsible grasp of New Testament studies: he handles topics such as textual criticism without beginner's gaffes. Also, responsible writers like Richard Bauckham pop up in his footnotes.
In addition, the numerous visual illustrations were truly excellent. Well done and very helpful. (I go back and forth on whether or not the textual illustrations from real-live murder mysteries were salacious, helpful, or somewhere in between—but they attracted my interest, I must admit.)
A few other things I found valuable about the book:
• I had high hopes for the chapter on conspiracies; he very helpfully pointed out how difficult—nearly impossible—it is to hold together a conspiracy among multiple people. And yet that is exactly what the early disciples are supposed by some skeptics to have done.
• Along similar lines, I felt he made an argument I was familiar with helpfully more specific. The activity of the apostles is hard to explain without a genuine resurrection; I'd heard that. I believe it. But Wallace specified the kinds of motivations that are most common in criminal acts and showed convincingly that these were very unlikely to be present among the apostles.
• Speaking of likelihood, I also found it helpful to distinguish the kinds of doubt allowed in various types of court cases.
• Likewise, Wallace explains how "circumstantial evidence" can be relied upon to build a case. Yes, one piece of such evidence—a mud stain on someone's pants that matches the color of mud found at the murder scene—is not enough to build a case. But taken together, such evidence provides a cumulative case.
• He shows very helpfully (and from a real-life case) how it can be that two eyewitnesses can both testify truthfully and yet sound contradictory—because of their differing perspectives.
• He argues that because emotionally powerful experiences imprint themselves on one's memory, it is feasible that various eyewitnesses could remember Jesus' sayings with accuracy several years on.
• I loved the comparison he drew between the Johannine Comma, John 7:53–8:11, etc. and "artifacts" found at crime scenes—pieces of evidence that turn out to have no bearing on the matter at issue.
This kind of evidentialism is valuable, and I wish it were more ready on my tongue. But I still do believe that it has inherent limits: all it can do is show us that principles that appear to "work" in investigating cold-case homicides appear to work when applied to the New Testament. But what about the principles of evidence evaluation used in other cultures' systems of law? What if our own system changes? What if more evidence is found—hasn't the use of DNA "fingerprinting" overturned a number of apparently rock-solid cases?
And a more apposite question, I think: what if an intelligent person—more intelligent than you, I, or the author (I think we'd all agree such people exist)—reads the best evidential defense out there and still isn't persuaded? Is he being unreasonable? If so, who says?
If your answer is, "God says," then you're a presuppositionalist.
People do need more of the facts. They do need their barriers to be knocked down. And evidence and argument are sometimes effective tools (I'm told) for that work. But I think it's theologically and evangelistically unhealthy to forget that a person's loves are more ultimate than his thoughts. So I can't say things like the following:
Let’s make sure that our objections and doubts are less emotional or volitional than they are rational. When I was an atheist, I never took the time to categorize my doubts into “rational” versus “emotional” classifications. I also never took the time to see if theism (or Christianity) offered a reasonable response to my doubts. Looking back at them, many of my doubts were merely possible doubts based on an emotional or volitional response.
Who says that rational doubts are more important or weighty than emotional or volitional ones? I don't think that's the Bible talking; that sounds like Enlightenment rationalism to me.*
Conclusion
I was moved to read of Wallace's conversion. And as a rigorous, logical thinker, it seems appropriate this his approach to Jesus involved a lot of careful study of the evidence. But a lot of people on earth can't even read, many who can don't, and not all paths to Jesus are smoothly paved and carefully lined. I'm reminded of a story D.A. Carson told once of a rigorously logical college student (Fred, I think his name was) who was converted after multiple Bible studies with Carson answered all his logical objections. Carson said Fred was a rarity. I hope many people will read this book and fill the world with Freds. More likely, I hope Christians will be strengthened in their faith and use Cold-Case Christianity as a resource book for apologetics discussions (that's what I'll do).
*One other theological complaint: Wallace argues that free will exists so that those who love God won't do so as automatons. I don't think that's a scripturally cogent argument, and he doesn't discuss the alternative.
January 1, 2013
When detectives investigate cases they take a look at all the evidence in order to find out what happened during the crime. What would happen if a detective took all of his training both in a secular job, and his training in seminary and wrote a book? What would happen is Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates The Claims Of The Gospels by J. Warner Wallace. Mr. Wallace was formerly a devout atheist and detective who worked cold cases and writes with great knowledge about not only the Scriptures and theology, but also about the process of examining legal evidence.
As Mr. Wallace weaves his many years of being a detective with his passion for theology and Apologetics—he gives us a unique and important insight into attacks on the Gospels that will help Christians to not only understand those attacks but defend the Truth of the Word of God.
The book takes a two-pronged approach—one for skeptics and one for Christians. Mr. Wallace wants to help skeptics of the Gospels to “assess the gospel writers in a new light. If you’re someone who has encountered Christians who were unprepared to defend what they believe, I’d like to encourage you to be patient with us because the Christian tradition is actually intellectually robust and satisfying, even if we believers are occasionally unable to respond to your challenges. The answers are available; you don’t have to turn off your brain to be a believer. Yes, it is possible to become a Christian because of the evidence rather than in spite of the evidence” (19). For Christians Mr. Wallace writes to provide “a few tools that can help you defend your faith in a more vigorous and informed way” (19). He wants to encourage Christians to become an “informed Christian, to worship God with your mind and to prepare yourself as a Christian case maker” (19).
The book is organized around ten important principles, Mr. Wallace learned while being a detective. Those principles are to “not be a know-it all” resisting the influence of dangerous presuppositions; learning how to infer: understanding the role of “abductive reasoning”, thinking circumstantially: respecting the nature of circumstantial evidence, test your witness: evaluating the reliability of witness, hang one very word: examining the choice and meaning of language, separate artifacts from evidence determining what’s important evidentially, resisting conspiracy theories: recognizing the rarity of true conspiracies; respect the chain of custody: establishing reliability by tracing the evidence, know when enough is enough: getting comfortable with your conclusions, preparing for attack: distinguishing between possible alternatives and reasonable refutations. Also examined in the book are the questions, “Were the Gospels written early enough to have been authored by true witnesses?”, “Is the testimony of the Gospel writes confirmed by outside sources and evidence?”, “Did the Gospel writes falsely report anything that would invalidate their testimony?”, “Were the Gospel writes motivated to lie about their testimony?”, and finally the book concludes by deciding to believe and defend the Truth.
The approach of the author in this book is not purely evidence-oriented, but rather one that combines a desire to analyze the worldview of why people think the way they do about the Gospels in order to show them the evidence for the Gospels. This is an important point that I think many readers of this book may not at first see, but as I read this book, I paid close attention to how the author used his own testimony and experience as a detective to illustrate his points. As the author uses his testimony, and expertise he helps the reader to understand not only what he is saying, but how serious and important the Gospels are. By using techniques he learned in the courtroom and gripping stories from his career to examine the powerful evidence behind Christianity claims, Wallace integrates worldview and evidential apologetic approaches to Apologetics in his book that will help skeptics to understand the importance of the Gospels, as well as help Christians to defend the Truth of the Gospels in a post-Christian culture.
Cold-Case Christianity appropriately concludes with a challenge for the skeptic and for the Christian. This book is important for three reasons; first Jim combines his expertise as a criminal detective to defending the truth of Christianity, which while unique packs a powerful combination of biblical examination with stories of court-room drama that will draw his readers into the evidence for the Gospels in a fresh and meaningful way. Second, the author doesn’t focus on his testimony and expertise to make himself look good, but rather uses it to point to the Truth about Jesus Christ. Finally, this book will challenge skeptics to consider the claims of Jesus, Himself who is the Way, Truth and the Life. This book will also challenge Christians to not be lethargic about the mission we’ve been called to, but rather be intentional about making much of Jesus and the mission He has given to us in proclaiming the Gospel to the lost. This would be a great book not only for the Bible college or seminary student for for all Christian readers who are interested in understanding how the Gospels are under attack, why the issue is so important, and how to share the Gospel with skeptics and those who question the authority of the Bible. I highly recommend this book, and encourage you to check it out.
Title: Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels
Author: J. Warner Wallace
Publisher: David Cook (2012)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the David Cook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. 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.”
As Mr. Wallace weaves his many years of being a detective with his passion for theology and Apologetics—he gives us a unique and important insight into attacks on the Gospels that will help Christians to not only understand those attacks but defend the Truth of the Word of God.
The book takes a two-pronged approach—one for skeptics and one for Christians. Mr. Wallace wants to help skeptics of the Gospels to “assess the gospel writers in a new light. If you’re someone who has encountered Christians who were unprepared to defend what they believe, I’d like to encourage you to be patient with us because the Christian tradition is actually intellectually robust and satisfying, even if we believers are occasionally unable to respond to your challenges. The answers are available; you don’t have to turn off your brain to be a believer. Yes, it is possible to become a Christian because of the evidence rather than in spite of the evidence” (19). For Christians Mr. Wallace writes to provide “a few tools that can help you defend your faith in a more vigorous and informed way” (19). He wants to encourage Christians to become an “informed Christian, to worship God with your mind and to prepare yourself as a Christian case maker” (19).
The book is organized around ten important principles, Mr. Wallace learned while being a detective. Those principles are to “not be a know-it all” resisting the influence of dangerous presuppositions; learning how to infer: understanding the role of “abductive reasoning”, thinking circumstantially: respecting the nature of circumstantial evidence, test your witness: evaluating the reliability of witness, hang one very word: examining the choice and meaning of language, separate artifacts from evidence determining what’s important evidentially, resisting conspiracy theories: recognizing the rarity of true conspiracies; respect the chain of custody: establishing reliability by tracing the evidence, know when enough is enough: getting comfortable with your conclusions, preparing for attack: distinguishing between possible alternatives and reasonable refutations. Also examined in the book are the questions, “Were the Gospels written early enough to have been authored by true witnesses?”, “Is the testimony of the Gospel writes confirmed by outside sources and evidence?”, “Did the Gospel writes falsely report anything that would invalidate their testimony?”, “Were the Gospel writes motivated to lie about their testimony?”, and finally the book concludes by deciding to believe and defend the Truth.
The approach of the author in this book is not purely evidence-oriented, but rather one that combines a desire to analyze the worldview of why people think the way they do about the Gospels in order to show them the evidence for the Gospels. This is an important point that I think many readers of this book may not at first see, but as I read this book, I paid close attention to how the author used his own testimony and experience as a detective to illustrate his points. As the author uses his testimony, and expertise he helps the reader to understand not only what he is saying, but how serious and important the Gospels are. By using techniques he learned in the courtroom and gripping stories from his career to examine the powerful evidence behind Christianity claims, Wallace integrates worldview and evidential apologetic approaches to Apologetics in his book that will help skeptics to understand the importance of the Gospels, as well as help Christians to defend the Truth of the Gospels in a post-Christian culture.
Cold-Case Christianity appropriately concludes with a challenge for the skeptic and for the Christian. This book is important for three reasons; first Jim combines his expertise as a criminal detective to defending the truth of Christianity, which while unique packs a powerful combination of biblical examination with stories of court-room drama that will draw his readers into the evidence for the Gospels in a fresh and meaningful way. Second, the author doesn’t focus on his testimony and expertise to make himself look good, but rather uses it to point to the Truth about Jesus Christ. Finally, this book will challenge skeptics to consider the claims of Jesus, Himself who is the Way, Truth and the Life. This book will also challenge Christians to not be lethargic about the mission we’ve been called to, but rather be intentional about making much of Jesus and the mission He has given to us in proclaiming the Gospel to the lost. This would be a great book not only for the Bible college or seminary student for for all Christian readers who are interested in understanding how the Gospels are under attack, why the issue is so important, and how to share the Gospel with skeptics and those who question the authority of the Bible. I highly recommend this book, and encourage you to check it out.
Title: Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels
Author: J. Warner Wallace
Publisher: David Cook (2012)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the David Cook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. 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.”
December 25, 2018
Please, don't give this book to your skeptical relative!
From Wikipedia: "A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent."
This book is filled with straw man arguments. Wallace even mentions skeptics by name and quotes some, but never actually engages with any quotes like a proper response would. Instead, he assumes authorship of several texts and waters down the arguments of his opponents. It's really frustrating.
From Wikipedia: "A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent."
This book is filled with straw man arguments. Wallace even mentions skeptics by name and quotes some, but never actually engages with any quotes like a proper response would. Instead, he assumes authorship of several texts and waters down the arguments of his opponents. It's really frustrating.
December 5, 2012
While I appreciate the author's effort to prove Christianity is true, I am not convinced he has accomplished this task. However, the book is interesting and caused me to examine my own beliefs.
January 7, 2016
the literary style of this book was pretty interesting and I was very interested in the things the author had to say. Unfortunately I found myself not at all content with the way many arguments were made. the author seemed to treat the gospels as if they were exactly the same as eye witnesses, where the identities were known and where cross examining questions could be asked of them. the author often started with interesting insights but would then extrapolate a theory that did not at all meet his own criteria of being the most probable inferences. he often simply ignored the most reasonable of the opposing arguments, such as the confirming of stories between the gospels being a result of later authors using earlier texts as a source and expounding upon them. also, the entirety of evolution was dismissed in a single sentence, not bothering to mention any of its confirming evidence. finally, I'm quite tired of hearing the argument that without a god there could be no objective good or evil. the author simply asserts that an objective measure of good does exist, ignoring the possibility that a common set of opinions about what is good and evil could have arisen in a different way.
March 17, 2020
As a former cold-case homicide investigator, Wallace, a former atheist, set out to show the testimony of the Four Gospels was unreliable. Instead, he came to the opposite conclusion. This book is not easy to get thru. It combines modern-day examples of digging thru the facts of murder cases with a comparative look at the writers of the Gospels, examining their perspectives and motives. Entirely convincing and believable, and a refreshing approach to all those modern believe-or-go-to-hell TV fraudsters. This book offers plenty of fuel for thought.
July 8, 2020
The author makes the mistake of assuming that his background as a cold-case homicide detective makes him able to evaluate the historicity and trustworthiness of the New Testament. I was hoping that he would at least explain the technical aspects of how a forensic statement analysis would give the author special insight into copies of copies of copies of copies of copies of oral stories that were told almost two thousand years ago. But, to my disappointment, his insight fell short.
Instead of the professional insight that I thought would make this book unique, I got the usual boring apologetics. This book was lacking in its scope and depth and it was lacking in a substantial argument to support any of the author's claims. It seems that the author was duped by stories of people who were trying to manipulate and control a small sect of Messianic Jews and he was trying to conflate cold-case detective techniques with historical analysis.
Instead of the professional insight that I thought would make this book unique, I got the usual boring apologetics. This book was lacking in its scope and depth and it was lacking in a substantial argument to support any of the author's claims. It seems that the author was duped by stories of people who were trying to manipulate and control a small sect of Messianic Jews and he was trying to conflate cold-case detective techniques with historical analysis.
January 22, 2013
I've been a Christian nearly all of my life. As the child of a Bible scholar (not the author of this book) I've been well versed in Biblical history yet at the same time, I've been aware of nearly every argument imaginable as to why the Bible is bunk.
As a sort of "crime junkie" I love reading case files and watching detective TV, so when I came across this book at a Christian bookstore, I was intrigued.
This book takes you through forensic statement analysis, how to determine when books were written and by whom, chain of custody, circumstantial evidence and record keeping.
While others have written much more thorough reviews, I can say that this book has opened my eyes to things I never considered and has given me fodder for study.
After reading this book, if you can say, in all honesty, that the Bible can't be trusted, you can not trust any piece of history save for what you experienced with your own eyes.
As a sort of "crime junkie" I love reading case files and watching detective TV, so when I came across this book at a Christian bookstore, I was intrigued.
This book takes you through forensic statement analysis, how to determine when books were written and by whom, chain of custody, circumstantial evidence and record keeping.
While others have written much more thorough reviews, I can say that this book has opened my eyes to things I never considered and has given me fodder for study.
After reading this book, if you can say, in all honesty, that the Bible can't be trusted, you can not trust any piece of history save for what you experienced with your own eyes.
May 27, 2016
This is a very convincing book. The author is an investigator for the police department. He spent many years investigating cold cases (old cases that were not solved)..Using this expertise, he treated the four Gospels as a cold case to draw a conclusion as to their accuracy.
In the process of doing this, this atheist became convinced that the four Gospels were true and they should be believed. As a result, he became a Christian, went to seminary, and became a Christian pastor and author.
His investigative techniques are specified in lots of detail. His investigation was thorough and could be presented to any jury. If you read the book, you can become the jury.
In the process of doing this, this atheist became convinced that the four Gospels were true and they should be believed. As a result, he became a Christian, went to seminary, and became a Christian pastor and author.
His investigative techniques are specified in lots of detail. His investigation was thorough and could be presented to any jury. If you read the book, you can become the jury.
May 9, 2023
This book is not your run of the mill "you should believe in Jesus" book. This book takes a completely different angle than any I've read, as the author presents his own atheist to Christian journey. His journey and his perspectives are refreshingly different, as he has a history as a detective working cold case homicides, robberies, and etc.
The reasoned and methodical way he reviews the evidence, for the truth of the Gospels and their message, is quite appreciated. Besides the epilogue, the book has no heavy handedness to it, nor pushiness or judgment. I could have done without his last comments, about what he personally believes everyone has a God given mandate to do - being ready to give a reason (1 Peter 3:15) is not the same as becoming an armchair evangelist and theologian. This is how heresies get started, and I was surprised to see his argument, knowing he had read bits of church history.
Nonetheless, the author sheds light on several controversial issues, such as why the Gospel narratives are not identical, with arguments and reasons I've never heard used before. In brief, eye witness accounts are never identical, unless they're lies made up together beforehand. His perspective brings something new to the table and adds weight to arguments previously made.
There were a few things the author stopped short on investigating, and / or discussing in the book, and a couple of incorrect statements about the Catholic Church. I can only presume he has a bias against the Catholic Church, based on the evidence of what he wrote, and what was lacking. This was disappointing seeing how open he was to everything else he started out knowing nothing about.
Also, there were a couple of historical items taken out of context, such as what the Talmud supposedly says about Jesus. While there have been arguments made that some of these comments do refer to Jesus, there is no proof, and there are just as many arguments (which I find more convincing) that they do not refer to Jesus. He used the Talmud comments to bolster his argument for the existence of Jesus as a human person, but at this point that's not necessary. It's already well established that Jesus of Nazareth lived and died. The only point in question is the resurrection and his divinity.
My own knowledge filled in the gaps in his book and provided further detail where he was lacking (this comment is not specifically about Catholic details, but it does apply to those too), but alas, I shouldn't have had to do that since I'm not the author. If I recommend this book in the future I will certainly recommend additional books along with it to fill in details which were not provided in this book, but which further the overall argument.
A couple good reads:
The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright
The Case for Jesus by Brant Pitre
The reasoned and methodical way he reviews the evidence, for the truth of the Gospels and their message, is quite appreciated. Besides the epilogue, the book has no heavy handedness to it, nor pushiness or judgment. I could have done without his last comments, about what he personally believes everyone has a God given mandate to do - being ready to give a reason (1 Peter 3:15) is not the same as becoming an armchair evangelist and theologian. This is how heresies get started, and I was surprised to see his argument, knowing he had read bits of church history.
Nonetheless, the author sheds light on several controversial issues, such as why the Gospel narratives are not identical, with arguments and reasons I've never heard used before. In brief, eye witness accounts are never identical, unless they're lies made up together beforehand. His perspective brings something new to the table and adds weight to arguments previously made.
There were a few things the author stopped short on investigating, and / or discussing in the book, and a couple of incorrect statements about the Catholic Church. I can only presume he has a bias against the Catholic Church, based on the evidence of what he wrote, and what was lacking. This was disappointing seeing how open he was to everything else he started out knowing nothing about.
Also, there were a couple of historical items taken out of context, such as what the Talmud supposedly says about Jesus. While there have been arguments made that some of these comments do refer to Jesus, there is no proof, and there are just as many arguments (which I find more convincing) that they do not refer to Jesus. He used the Talmud comments to bolster his argument for the existence of Jesus as a human person, but at this point that's not necessary. It's already well established that Jesus of Nazareth lived and died. The only point in question is the resurrection and his divinity.
My own knowledge filled in the gaps in his book and provided further detail where he was lacking (this comment is not specifically about Catholic details, but it does apply to those too), but alas, I shouldn't have had to do that since I'm not the author. If I recommend this book in the future I will certainly recommend additional books along with it to fill in details which were not provided in this book, but which further the overall argument.
A couple good reads:
The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright
The Case for Jesus by Brant Pitre
September 11, 2014
What would happen if a cold-case detective turned his skills towards examining the truth claims of the gospels? Would the Bible come up wanting? Would he expose faulty evidence and discredit their reliability? J. Warner Wallace is such a cold-case detective and he shares his findings in his highly readable book, Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels.
Detective Wallace did not grow up in a Christian home, attend church, or read the Bible for the first 36 years of his life. As a matter of fact, he was an avowed atheist who liked to antagonize Christians. Once he finally sat down to study the Scriptures for himself—using all his skills in forensic statement analysis, eye witness questioning, and abductive reasoning—he discovered something startling. He was coming to believe that the gospel accounts were actual eye-witness testimonies. Throughout this book Wallace shares his own journey of coming to faith in the Scriptures and the God of whom they give testimony. And it is not a journey of existential angst or subjective emotion but one of a man examining the facts and weighing the evidence.
To read more of this review visit: http://www.christian-intellect.blogsp...
Detective Wallace did not grow up in a Christian home, attend church, or read the Bible for the first 36 years of his life. As a matter of fact, he was an avowed atheist who liked to antagonize Christians. Once he finally sat down to study the Scriptures for himself—using all his skills in forensic statement analysis, eye witness questioning, and abductive reasoning—he discovered something startling. He was coming to believe that the gospel accounts were actual eye-witness testimonies. Throughout this book Wallace shares his own journey of coming to faith in the Scriptures and the God of whom they give testimony. And it is not a journey of existential angst or subjective emotion but one of a man examining the facts and weighing the evidence.
To read more of this review visit: http://www.christian-intellect.blogsp...
September 8, 2024
I love J. Warner Wallace's work. I have read all of his books, excepting only the kids' books, and have also looked at many of his articles and listen to his podcasts. He is a very articulate speaker and writer and gets right down to the brass tacks of the subject of Apologetics. While I had read his COLD CASE CHRISTIANITY book, the original version, sometimes the anniversary edition has some other things that were not in the original. So, I went ahead an purchased his TENTH ANNIVERSARY edition. And I was not disappointed. As we grow older and gain a little more experience, we also gain some extra wisdom. And Mr. Wallace shares that wisdom with the rest of us that WE may be able to be a lighthouse to those who are lost. Definitely a MUST HAVE book in your collection, if you are into apologetics!
January 14, 2014
While I really enjoyed the detective-based approach and learning more about that field, the book didn't flow well and made it more laborious than it ought to have been.
I'd recommend a book like Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ" (and his other apologetics) over this one.
I'd recommend a book like Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ" (and his other apologetics) over this one.
April 29, 2018
This was an amazing book!!
I love how he used his old cases to prove the existence of Jesus.
I love how he used his old cases to prove the existence of Jesus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2016
I'd not go so far as to say that every Christian ought to read this book, but all Christians should have the author's confidence that the intellectual foundations of their faith are solid, that a rational & unbiased examination of the evidence strongly supports the conclusion that the biblical accounts of the life, death & resurrection of Jesus are historically probable. A book the author relies on for what he calls "expert testimony" is Richard Bauckham's Jesus & the Eyewitnesses, a book that turned my mind 180 degrees. Like many liberal Christians, I had regarded many of the principal teaching of Christianity as "myths" (that is, "nonhistorical truths"), such as "the Resurrection was somehting that happened not to Jesus, but to the minds of his followers," & in "form criticism" - that the stories about Jesus in the gospels were based on various kinds of popular folk narratives only written down decades after Jesus' lifetime & that what Jesus really said & did could never be discovered with certainty. Bauckham's book persuaded me that the gospels were written in the lifetimes of contemporaries who'd known Jesus personally & were based on their recollections. But Bauckham & many of the other authors that Wallace cites are better scholars than they are accessible writers. Wallace gives us their results placed in the very familiar framework of a detective investigating a past crime, & this device works very well, beause the principles of investigation are the same whether used by a police detective, a Scriptural scholar, or a historian. It's very high-powered contemporary Scriptural scholarship made "street legal"!
The only reservation I had was with Wallace's tone - he's simply too confident & makes the task of the Christian apologist seem too easy. Some Christians, like the 18th-century Bishop William Warburton, forget that "apologia" in Greek means "defense" - not attack. We're not the prosecution. We can't bludgeon skeptics into becoming believers with unanswerable intellectual arguments - faith involves the heart as much as the mind, which is why Christians believe the Holy Spirit has an essential role in conversion. But we should be ready to demonstrate, to anyone that wants to hear us share our faith, that Christainity is a reasonable choice for intelligent, educated, historically & scienfically knowledgable persons. Reading Cold Case Christianity is an excellent preparation for that conversation.
The only reservation I had was with Wallace's tone - he's simply too confident & makes the task of the Christian apologist seem too easy. Some Christians, like the 18th-century Bishop William Warburton, forget that "apologia" in Greek means "defense" - not attack. We're not the prosecution. We can't bludgeon skeptics into becoming believers with unanswerable intellectual arguments - faith involves the heart as much as the mind, which is why Christians believe the Holy Spirit has an essential role in conversion. But we should be ready to demonstrate, to anyone that wants to hear us share our faith, that Christainity is a reasonable choice for intelligent, educated, historically & scienfically knowledgable persons. Reading Cold Case Christianity is an excellent preparation for that conversation.
September 19, 2023
I remember reading the original edition of this when it came out ten (!!!) years ago, though I'll freely admit I did a very poor job at logging my thoughts at the time, lol! So I was very excited to revisit this revised/updated edition.
Even ten years ago, when the original version came out, I remember streaming entertainment wasn't as big as it is today. Fewer platforms and much less popularity = Meagan didn't watch much. Fast-forward to now, and I've watched a lot more, lol. While I don't go for the grittier shows, I've definitely enjoyed my share of action movies/TV series, especially shows like _White Collar_, _Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and basically any Hallmark series with Brennan Elliott/Lacey Chabert (_Crossword Mysteries_, anyone? LOL!). Suffice to say, I love me a good whodunit--and this book is right up my alley in that regard. It combines many of my favorite things all in one! And omw, the appendices at the end--more resources and books to add to my endless TBR pile? Yes, please. :)
I was especially interested in checking out the updated sections in this book. They weren't readily obvious to me beyond those specifically called out in the new preface--updated graphics and an afterword--so other sections Wallace noted he revised, I had to take his word for it, LOL. But, not a big deal. I appreciated what I got!
The graphics weren't always my cup of tea, just like everyone has their own favored art forms--but they were definitely effective, and that was more important than my own taste. (I'm not the author, so beggars can't be choosers, lol!)
Wallace brings together an incredibly comprehensive resource, and I love that in the years since publication he's been able to speak on the topic and even (as he notes in the afterword) debate on it with a number of audiences. This really proves to effectively vet not only this book, but The Book it's talking about. It's a resource I know I'll enjoy revisiting in my own personal study and in convo with others, for years to come.
I received an eARC of the book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Even ten years ago, when the original version came out, I remember streaming entertainment wasn't as big as it is today. Fewer platforms and much less popularity = Meagan didn't watch much. Fast-forward to now, and I've watched a lot more, lol. While I don't go for the grittier shows, I've definitely enjoyed my share of action movies/TV series, especially shows like _White Collar_, _Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and basically any Hallmark series with Brennan Elliott/Lacey Chabert (_Crossword Mysteries_, anyone? LOL!). Suffice to say, I love me a good whodunit--and this book is right up my alley in that regard. It combines many of my favorite things all in one! And omw, the appendices at the end--more resources and books to add to my endless TBR pile? Yes, please. :)
I was especially interested in checking out the updated sections in this book. They weren't readily obvious to me beyond those specifically called out in the new preface--updated graphics and an afterword--so other sections Wallace noted he revised, I had to take his word for it, LOL. But, not a big deal. I appreciated what I got!
The graphics weren't always my cup of tea, just like everyone has their own favored art forms--but they were definitely effective, and that was more important than my own taste. (I'm not the author, so beggars can't be choosers, lol!)
Wallace brings together an incredibly comprehensive resource, and I love that in the years since publication he's been able to speak on the topic and even (as he notes in the afterword) debate on it with a number of audiences. This really proves to effectively vet not only this book, but The Book it's talking about. It's a resource I know I'll enjoy revisiting in my own personal study and in convo with others, for years to come.
I received an eARC of the book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
October 21, 2015
free on kindle
A journey from casual assent to committed trust, from belief that to belief in.
As a reader, you experience the journey CSI style. As a detective and a skeptic who rejected the bible has written his account of belief in by examining ten simple principles of evidence that can change the way you look at Christianity. There are many reasons why for unbelief, other Christians (which is a cop out, we are to follow Christ; not other Christians.), the evidence of God and his authority, self-sufficiency and pride.
Each 10 Principles we are introduced to a case and how to follow the evidence. It is by taking the evidence with objectivity and without preconceived ideas and prejudices, we can begin to learn and find the truth. An investigator of Cold Cases is always looking for the truth that is hidden and because of sin the truth of Christianity can be hidden as well. After each introduction of an actual cold case and the tools used to find the truth, you are redirected to a case of Christianity. Issues like the resurrection, the integrity of the bible, etc.
Christianity can be like a Cold Case that has not been solved because the truth has not been sought. It is a thoughtful and organized way to think thru Christianity that ultimately can change your life forever. I was greatly encouraged by his story of a case involving the man named Santiago who was arrested for a long list of felonies. In his conversation with Wallace, he admitted to making a decision to trust Jesus for his salvation, but he never made a decision to examine the life and teaching of Jesus. He failed to examine what he believed.
Wallace shares what kept him away from the Christian faith and how truth of the Christianity changed his life forever.
Encouraging read for the truth and the confidence it gives.
A Special Thank You to David C. Cook and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
A journey from casual assent to committed trust, from belief that to belief in.
As a reader, you experience the journey CSI style. As a detective and a skeptic who rejected the bible has written his account of belief in by examining ten simple principles of evidence that can change the way you look at Christianity. There are many reasons why for unbelief, other Christians (which is a cop out, we are to follow Christ; not other Christians.), the evidence of God and his authority, self-sufficiency and pride.
Each 10 Principles we are introduced to a case and how to follow the evidence. It is by taking the evidence with objectivity and without preconceived ideas and prejudices, we can begin to learn and find the truth. An investigator of Cold Cases is always looking for the truth that is hidden and because of sin the truth of Christianity can be hidden as well. After each introduction of an actual cold case and the tools used to find the truth, you are redirected to a case of Christianity. Issues like the resurrection, the integrity of the bible, etc.
Christianity can be like a Cold Case that has not been solved because the truth has not been sought. It is a thoughtful and organized way to think thru Christianity that ultimately can change your life forever. I was greatly encouraged by his story of a case involving the man named Santiago who was arrested for a long list of felonies. In his conversation with Wallace, he admitted to making a decision to trust Jesus for his salvation, but he never made a decision to examine the life and teaching of Jesus. He failed to examine what he believed.
Wallace shares what kept him away from the Christian faith and how truth of the Christianity changed his life forever.
Encouraging read for the truth and the confidence it gives.
A Special Thank You to David C. Cook and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
March 24, 2022
One of the most useless books I have read. I can only give it one star for the creativity of using detective narrative. On the whole, the book offers nothing new, and as usual with books in this category, it is not written to research, educate, or find out the truth, but to manipulate, distort, and tell half-truths. On pages 57-58, the author talks about how remarkably fine-tuned the planet is for sustaining life. Yes, it is, but how many planets are out there with no life? If you are holding the winning ticket in the lottery, statistics look different. But of course, the author only looks at this from the narrow self-centered point of the Christian church. On page 60, he talks about DNA and moral laws, bundling these two together. DNA is a biological molecule that has evolved over millions of years, and the moral code of the bible... well, let's say it has a lot to be desired. Exodus 21:20-21: 20 “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two since the slave is their property." If this serves as a moral code we do have a problem indeed. On page 160, he talks about and dismisses Mithras, an identical story to that of Jesus Christ. But not valid in the author's mind because no bible was created around Mithras. On page 227, he finally gets to external, that is none Christian sources, naming Tacitus, Thallus, Mara Bar-Serapion, and Phlegon as proof of gods existence. Well, Tacitus for one, says no such thing and only once mentions Christians, as a nuance sect. On page 255 and on, he talks about everyone who confirms the apostle's stories, or disciples as he calls them. Whom does he pick? The students of the disciples. Not an independent source, but the indoctrinated. Well, I have to forgive him, since there are no independent sources available. Don't read this, it is a waist of time!!!
June 26, 2013
***Veteran homicide detective teaches ten cold-case principles & how to apply them to the Bible***
Accomplished veteran homicide investigator Jim Wallace, was an “angry atheist” until he walked through the doors of Pastor Warren’s Saddleback church and met Jesus Christ. A “spiritual skeptic” for thirty-five years, he had rejected the Bible and thought Christian principles were not worth consideration until a “fellow officer” invited him to that church service.
The sermon “caught his attention” with what appeared to be eyewitness accounts from the Gospels, something Wallace was familiar with in his cold-case work. Afterward he bought a Bible and applied “cold case” and Forensic Statement Analysis (FAS) tools to biblical “linguistic tendencies,” a method that looks for evasion or deception in words or statements.
Accustomed to cold case investigations of past events, without living witnesses or physical evidence, he recognized that also described New Testament events and began to read. By the time Wallace finished he believed “Mark’s gospel was the eyewitness account of the apostle Peter.” He no longer thought Christ was simply a good teacher. Now he knew Jesus was the Son of God “…because of the evidence, not in spite of it,” writes Wallace.
Today he sees Christian beliefs under attack…Full Review: www.examiner.com/list/cold-case-chris...
Accomplished veteran homicide investigator Jim Wallace, was an “angry atheist” until he walked through the doors of Pastor Warren’s Saddleback church and met Jesus Christ. A “spiritual skeptic” for thirty-five years, he had rejected the Bible and thought Christian principles were not worth consideration until a “fellow officer” invited him to that church service.
The sermon “caught his attention” with what appeared to be eyewitness accounts from the Gospels, something Wallace was familiar with in his cold-case work. Afterward he bought a Bible and applied “cold case” and Forensic Statement Analysis (FAS) tools to biblical “linguistic tendencies,” a method that looks for evasion or deception in words or statements.
Accustomed to cold case investigations of past events, without living witnesses or physical evidence, he recognized that also described New Testament events and began to read. By the time Wallace finished he believed “Mark’s gospel was the eyewitness account of the apostle Peter.” He no longer thought Christ was simply a good teacher. Now he knew Jesus was the Son of God “…because of the evidence, not in spite of it,” writes Wallace.
Today he sees Christian beliefs under attack…Full Review: www.examiner.com/list/cold-case-chris...
April 2, 2019
Everyone in my small group really loved this study. It gives a unique perspective on the scriptures and digs into the heart of why we can trust the New Testament Gospels as eyewitness accounts--not just because we've been told the Bible is the word of God but because of factual evidence. I learned an immense amount about the specifics of the Gospels and why they hold up under scrutiny. Wallace's background as a cold-case detective gives him a uniquely qualified perspective--he's used to examining testimony and eyewitness accounts to look for falsehoods and he came at his investigation with a skeptical point of view. I'd read The Case for Christ years ago and worried that the information here might be too similar (or too basic), but I was pleasantly surprised by how the different perspectives led to very different investigations (even if they both led to the same conclusion).
I highly recommend this book to any Christian who wants to be able to express not just what they believe, but why they believe it (and also for skeptics who want to understand why someone would believe in the miracles as described in the New Testament).
I highly recommend this book to any Christian who wants to be able to express not just what they believe, but why they believe it (and also for skeptics who want to understand why someone would believe in the miracles as described in the New Testament).
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