After Hugh Hefner’s Death, Lee Strobel Opens Up About “Sharing the Gospel” With Playboy’s Founder

The man who built and embodied the Playboy empire, Hugh Hefner, has died at the age of 91.

Hefner founded the sexually explicit magazine in 1953 and passed away yesterday in his world-famous Playboy Mansion in L.A.

After 64 years reigning as the undisputed king of female exploitation in the entertainment industry, it comes as no surprise that his death has ignited a wave of mixed responses.

“My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time in advocating free speech, civil rights and sexual freedom,” said Hefner’s son, Cooper. “He defined a lifestyle and ethos that lie at the heart of the Playboy brand, one of the most recognizable and enduring in history.”

Of course, key influencers in the Christian realm have a different take on the “ethos” that Hefner defined, and several leaders have spoken out on his death, criticizing his hedonistic lifestyle.

“The death of any person is a tragedy. Hugh Hefner is no exception to that,” wrote Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission president Russell Moore on Twitter. “We can’t though w his obits call his life ‘success’ or ‘a dream.'”

But of particular note is ‘The Case for Christ’ author Lee Strobel’s response to the Playboy founder’s passing.