The Case for Christ

The Case For Christ

What happens when the wife of an atheist comes home declaring that she has become a Christian? I suppose it would depend on who you were; if you happened to be Lee Strobel, a journalist on the criminal beat, you would first and foremost figure that your marriage was about to end. You would feel that the kind, fun-loving person you married would become replaced by a sexually repressed prude who would spend nights in homeless shelters or soup kitchens conducting prayer vigils. When your wife instead displayed fundamental character and integrity changes; you would do what you were honed to do; conduct an investigation to learn what this Jesus movement was all about.

After a twenty-one month investigation, including manual research of secondary sources and interviewing experts on a variety of subjects; Strobel, a person convinced that God was merely a product of wishful thinking or ancient mythology, had now become convinced that evidence of every nature supported the issue of Jesus’ life on earth and his divinity.

Although I have been on my own quest to understand the Bible; I still felt that this would be a book that I would skim rather than read. While never considering myself an atheist, I had often considered the Bible as a soul instrument; the Old Testament being fables utilized to first explain how things came to be and to teach lessons; the New Testament being an historical document. I had never considered that any historical or archeological proof existed to back up the claims made in the Bible. I was wrong, just as I had been about whether or not this particular book would be interesting enough to read from cover to cover.

I found this to be not only exceptionally interesting, but exceptionally informative as well. I feel that Strobel did an excellent job at portraying his search, as well as portraying his findings. I was actually amazed to find that this was by far, NOT a book that could be skimmed through, it actually begged to be read.

It has made me think, and added new items to what I feel deserve further investigation. More importantly, I feel that everyone, no matter what their religious background, should take the time to read this book. I am positive that you come away with a deeper understanding of not only Jesus’ life, but also Christianity.

The Inquisitor

Prior to beginning a true review of the novel; The Inquisitor, I must admit, that my initial interest in the book stemmed to the fact that the setting is Buffalo and Western NY; the area in which I have lived my entire life. Rarely, are any of the novels of interest to me set in this area. I enjoy reading an area description and trying to figure out the real area that the author is discussing. This is like an additional piece to a puzzle; the most important piece being; the who done it aspect. With this in mind, please realize that this novel had a positive attribute before I even began reading it.

The setting is St. Paul’s Hospital in Buffalo, NY, where residents and new interns gather not only to help people and to learn, but during a new SARS epidemic. Within the novel, there are many things occurring at the same moment, first and foremost is the breakout of SARS, what it means to the hospital, how hospital staff, patients and visitors react, how it touches each person on an individual and professional basis. This theme enters the novel on page one and remains consistent throughout the book. It offers the reader a new perspective, that of a real doctor caught within such a situation, for the author; Peter Clement is just that, a real doctor.

The second theme running throughout the novel is that of personal versus professional lives and relationships. While centering on the lives of the novel’s main characters, ER Chief, Dr. Earl Garnet and his wife, Dr. Janet Graceton; the novel also entails the personal and professional lives of several members of the St. Paul’s staff. The attribute allows the author to pull the reader into several, who done it, directions, while not distracting the reader from the main theme of the novel.

The central theme of the novel revolves around what Dr. Garnet believes to be ‘cluster deaths’ on the Palliative Care ward. The theme begins when hospital chaplain, known simply to all as Jimmy, challenges Dr. Garnet to take his expertise from the ER, where he immediately reacts to the pain level of the patient in his care, to the Palliative Care Ward, where dying patients are under medicated, spending their last days on earth in excruciating pain. Guilted into action; Garnet medicates a terminal patient, only to have her die of a morphine overdose. Feeling that he has not erred on his judgment, Dr. Garnet and his wife begin their own private investigation into what now appears to be cluster deaths on the ward; deaths that are happening during a specific time period to patients who may not yet be near enough death’s door.

The investigation lends suspicions to many hospital employees; as well as assistance from those least likely to offer assistance. During the investigation, more people die, including doctors and patients; and an all out attempt to save not only patients but members of the St Paul’s staff, more specifically, Dr. Garnet’s own pregnant wife. Throughout the twist and turns of the adventures instilled within this novel; Clement keeps the reader just beyond the reach of making a definitive who done it decision.

Clement gets an A+ for keeping the reader’s attention and keeping them on the edge of their seat as the reader tries to learn the true identity of the hospital murderer before he or she can end the lives of the central figure. This book makes me want to read more works by Clement. I suggest everyone read The Inquisitor!