Why would anyone move from hard atheism to a place of Christian commitment? More: what if that person is a recognised investigative journalist with a major US daily newspaper? What if that person’s workplace had a banner over the open office “If your Mom says she loves you, check it out!” Simple question: how do the claims of Christianity square with laws of evidence that any court would accept?

The Case for Christ chronicles the journey of Lee Strobel in his role as a journalist with the Chicago Tribune. His strong opposition to the Christian faith become apparent when, after a life threatening event, his wife is drawn to Christianity and eventually makes a faith commitment.

Strobel sets out on a journey to disprove the ‘myth’ of Christianity. His journalist craft has him seeking out leading experts in archaeology, medicine, philosophy, and legal practice. As Strobel works his way through his ‘key witnesses’ the dominos of his atheism start to fall over. Strobel is not prepared to give in, or give up. Tensions mount, and the turmoil is evident as his once vibrant relationship with his wife starts to look shaky.

As the plot develops, we’re exposed to a significant array of evidence supporting Christianity and its core truth: the resurrection of Jesus. We’re taken through the reliability of the eyewitness accounts; the powerful documentary evidence supporting the accuracy of the New Testament; the medical evidence supporting the actual death of Christ on the cross. Strobel is confronted with a wall of facts which he finds impossible to scale. So the man who set out to demolish what he regarded as a myth finds himself undone by the compelling truth about Jesus Christ.

The Case for Christ is well produced, accessible, and engaging. While there were a few  melodramatic moments, t is an excellent portrayal of Strobel’s journey from atheism to faith. The movie is also a wonderful resource as presentation of the truth of the Christian account. Churches, Home Groups, and individual Christians will be keen to use this to open up the reality of the good news, and to show the truth of Jesus Christ, who is the centre of it all.

The Case for Christ in cinemas from May 04. The book, The Case for Christ is available at major book sellers like Koorong, The Book Depository and Amazon