Do You Believe? Exploring the Shroud of Turin

Editor’s note: Keep an eye out next week for our full-length piece about the Shroud of Turin.

The Shroud of Turin is believed to be the cloth that wrapped Jesus’ body when he was taken down from the cross. The most stunning fact about the shroud is that scientists can’t explain how the image of a man’s face and body are imprinted on the cloth — but our faith might hold an answer: the image could have been burned on at the moment of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. So, if it is genuine, the shroud just might be the most important artifact in Christianity. 

Over the years, scientists have taken a close look at the shroud to see how the physical evidence lines up with the history of this object. We put one of our best writers on the case — Tara Hunt McMullen is digging into the studies to see what kinds of answers she can find about this mysterious piece of cloth. 

But the questions that cloud around this object are even more interesting than the answers that so many are searching for. What role does physical evidence play in faith? Even if we had 100 percent certainty that the shroud is real, would it compel belief? How certain do we need to be in order to have faith? Or is doubt and uncertainty inherent elements of faith? And how can faith and science work together in pursuing truth?

Our senior editor, Josh Noem, dives into these questions — as well as the most compelling pieces of evidence from shroud studies — with Tara. Watch their conversation here: