[3] Christ Illusion received generally favorable critical reviews, and entered the US Billboard 200 at number 5, making it the band's second highest U.S. chart position as of 2015.

[4][5] Guitarist Kerry King recalls nine of the eleven songs originally slated for Christ Illusion were demoed in 2004, with Dave Lombardo at the drum kit.

[7] In a July 2004 interview, guitarist Jeff Hanneman reported "Me and Kerry have a bunch of songs," and expressed the band's intent to finish the record that year.

[10] While Christ Illusion's recording was finally underway Rubin lent production to Metallica's Death Magnetic (2008), an action later described by King as a "slap in the fucking face.

[5] The song "Catalyst," meanwhile, almost saw inclusion on Slayer's 2001 album God Hates Us All, existing in an alternative version which features former drummer Paul Bostaph on drums.

[44] Thom Jurek of AllMusic hailed the album as "raging, forward-thinking heavy metal melding with hardcore thrash", and wrote that Christ Illusion marked a return to "what made them such a breath of fresh air in the first place.

"[45] Ben Ratliff of The New York Times described the album as possessing "a kind of demented gravity, and the music bears it out: it is the most concentrated, focused Slayer record in 20 years.

"[54] Blabbermouth's Don Kaye thought that "while flawed", Christ Illusion "proves that the band still has a few tricks up its sleeve and one very potent weapon behind the kit.

"[11] Peter Atkinson of KNAC.com felt similarly, and reported Lombardo's "performance is top notch throughout and does give the album a looser feel than Paul Bostaph's technical precision offered.

"[55] In 2011, Complex Media Network's music website, Consequence of Sound, honored Christ Illusion on a List 'Em Carefully installment dedicated to writer David Buchanan's top thirteen metal records released between 2000 and 2010, citing foreign controversy and overall sonic brutality during drummer Dave Lombardo's powerful return.

[56] Decibel Magazine gave it a favorable review, stating, "Their hatred for religion in general, Christianity in particular, unwitting Americans, and anyone on the other side of a soldier's gun has inspired Slayer to record their most vital album in years.

Chris Steffen of Rolling Stone magazine dismissed the album, noting that it "mines much of the same territory as its predecessor, God Hates Us All, just without the memorable riffs.

"[54] Jamie Thomson of The Guardian described the album as "wholly disappointing," and thought the band sounded "unwilling to ditch the nu-metal tendencies that have made much of their recent output so resistible.

Carroll, who had painted the cover artwork to previous Slayer albums such as Reign in Blood (1986), South of Heaven (1988), and Seasons in the Abyss (1990), resumed duties on Christ Illusion.

[60] The final image portrays Christ with a missing eye and amputated hands, and standing amidst a sea of blood and severed heads.

[61] Certain album pre-orders gave fans the chance to win one of ten autographed lithographs of the artwork,[62] while an alternative, non-graphic cover was made to appease retailers who had refused to stock the original version.

[64] Chris Steffen of Rolling Stone magazine commented that "The album art takes it all over the top with an image axeman Kerry King dubs 'Christ in a Sea of Despair'",[54] while KNAC.com's Peter Atkinson deemed the artwork "defiantly sacrilegious".

[55]Lyrical themes explored on Christ Illusion deal with terrorism, warfare and religion, which drew criticism from conservative groups.

It includes a depiction of the September 11 attacks from the viewpoint of one of the terrorists ("Jihad"), and a portrayal of a soldier's experience of post-traumatic stress ("Eyes of the Insane").

Thom Jurek of Allmusic felt the "dark, unrelentingly twisted-as-fuck lyrics reflect a singular intensity," and praised the band for connecting their anti-religion stance with a belief that religion has underscored many wars throughout history.

[54] Jamie Thomson of The Guardian wrote that the album left "no blasphemy... unuttered",[12] while Peter Atkinson of KNAC.com observed that "when not fixating on religion, the band revisit their other favorite subject — war — in surprisingly familiar terms," and remarked that Slayer had sunk "to the level of God-repelling dunderheads Deicide.

"[64] The memorandum was sent to Mumbai's police commissioner, and further expressed concern that the track "Jihad" would offend "the sensibilities of the Muslims... and secular Indians who have respect for all faiths.