The Shroud of Turin:

Proving the Supernatural

Be sure to read The Shroud of Turin: A Brief Introduction; Shroud of Turin: Facts that Compel Belief; Shroud of Turin: Evidence against the Shroud’s Authenticity; and Shroud of Turin: Historical Documentation.

What if we’re wrong?

If we and millions of others are wrong and it turns out the Shroud is just a medieval fake, will that undermine our faith, and should it shatter yours? The answer is no. We will be disappointed, and perhaps intensely so, because unnumbered millions sitting on the fence will say to themselves that the skeptics, agnostics and atheists were right after all. Jesus is just a hopeful and fanciful myth. They will ignore the fundamental Christian principle that faith emerges from a simple and humble desire to know God. Our Lord does not impose himself upon us; he whispers to us and we can hear him only if we are listening. Unfortunately, I would expect that there are millions with the same mindset as Doubting Thomas and need proof to accept the Resurrection.

The Shroud will never deliver that proof. You cannot prove one supernatural event by another. You cannot prove the Divine by science. Science can make it easier for you to believe or disbelieve so we look to science, including documented history, to help guide us to an understanding of what the Shroud is and its origins. If the facts supported the conclusion that it was a fake we could accept that finding. On the other hand, and regardless of the facts, we could never prove with 100% certainty that the Shroud was the burial cloth of Jesus and that his likeness was somehow and mysteriously etched on it at the instant of the Resurrection. While the Divine Hand cannot be proven by mortal ones, we can make it more difficult for the true seeker to escape the trail of facts which, as he learns more, leads inevitably to Jesus. Consequently, the question of whether we can rely upon the Shroud of Turin as a testimonial of Jesus’ Passion, Crucifixion and as a divinely gifted picture of Jesus when he rose from the dead is an important one.

If it were any other artifact it would have been considered conclusively proved years ago that it dated from 1st century Jerusalem. But because it is purported to be the burial shroud that covered Jesus at the time of his resurrection its authenticity has been subjected to unparalleled critical scrutiny and misrepresentation. If it is “proven” to be genuine then non-Christians will be sent scrambling. Consequently, it is crucial for them that the Shroud be discredited and debunked. The burden on the Shroud believer is not so intense. If it shown to be a fake, the borderline Christian who had put his faith in an image and not a living personal Jesus may sadly cease his quest for the Savior. If it’s a fake, the real Christian will be disappointed and saddened, but his faith was never dependent upon a Shroud he’s never personally seen and located in a faraway country. He can just shrug his shoulders and reel in his disappointment. If on the other hand the Shroud is authentic – Wow! If the Shroud is fake there will be millions who will turn away from Christ’s door without even trying to enter. If it is real there will be millions who, as did Thomas the Apostle, will now believe, firmly and irrevocably, and bring others to Christianity.

Conclusion

Realistically, and regardless of the amount of overpowering evidence, we can never prove that that the Shroud of Turin is the Resurrection linen even if we can demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that it wrapped the body of a crucified man wearing a crown of thorns in 1st century Jerusalem. Nevertheless, any fair analysis must conclude that almost certainly the Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth of Jesus, and almost certainly this is his image imprinted upon the Shroud at the instant of his resurrection. Similarly, any fair analysis must conclude that the Sudarium of Oveido (The Sudarium Confirms the Shroud of Turin) is the rolled-up napkin in Jesus’ tomb that John mentions in his Gospel. As is the case with the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection, the Shroud and the Sudarium together present a compelling story of God’s love for us, available to anyone who seeks God with an open heart and mind.

Last modified June 15, 2019