Verdict on the Shroud: Evidence for the Death & Resurrection of Jesus Christ

by Kenneth E. Stevenson, Gary R. Habermas

Book by Kenneth E. Stevenson, Gary R. Habermas

Paperback

First published October 1, 1982

Reviews

[Diogenes the Dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shroud is legit. Either it is the true burial shroud of Our Lord, or it was one of a doppelgänger, in first century Palestine, that suffered the same death and whose body didn’t decay, which was somehow preserved for two-thousand years being believed to be the one of the famous counterpart.

[Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. Not at all what I thought going into it

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THESE EVANGELICAL AUTHORS SUPPORT THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SHROUD

Kenneth Stevenson was, from 1978 to 1981, the official spokesperson for the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP); he is currently pastor of a church. Gary Habermas (born 1950) is Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy and chairman of the department of philosophy and theology at Liberty University, and is a foremost evangelical apologist who has written many books such as 'The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus,' 'The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ,' etc.

They wrote in the first chapter of this 1981 book, "We wrote this book to provide a serious but popular presentation of the scientific data about the Shroud, as well as carefully researched conclusions about its possible significance... It is the only book about the Shroud which incorporates the results of the scientific testing and analysis conducted since 1978 by the Shroud of Turin Research Project... Both the authors are associated with the team; Stevenson is a full member, and Habermas is a research consultant to it. In addition, the authors lay great stress on the possible significance of the Shroud for a deeper understanding of the Christian faith." (Pg. 11-12)

They note, "The complex history of the Shroud of Turin poses a problem for historians. If Christ's burial cloth, imprinted with an image of his crucified body, had survived throughout the centuries, it would have been famous. The Shroud would be the most awesome relic in all of Christian history; one would expect its existence to be well documented. This is not the case. There is little historical record of the existence of Jesus' burial shroud before the mid-fourteenth century." (Pg. 15) They add, "Jeanne de Vergy and other members of the de Charny family never explained how Geoffrey de Charny managed to come into possession of so fabulous a relic..." (Pg. 16)

They admit, "The very first question is why the disciples of Jesus would have allowed their Lord's burial shroud to leave their possession. We cannot know for sure, but it is likely that the disciples regarded Jesus' burial garment somewhat differently than we might do today... Anyone who touched it was rendered ritually unclean... In short, Jesus' disciples had good reason not to talk much about his burial shroud; they could have hidden it away carefully." (Pg. 24)

They recount that "Ray Rogers, an American chemist employed at Los Alamos National Laboratory... said that if organic molecules, applied naturally or artificially, were responsible for the image on the Shroud, they would have changed color or burned at different rates during the [1532] fire, depending on their distance from the flames. A difference should be noticeable. However, no variation in the intensity of the image can be observed." (Pg. 77)

They argue, "Before concluding that the man of the Shroud is Jesus, we must consider the possibility that he is some else... We will now make our own calculations... We have estimated the probability that they happened to someone other than Jesus, deliberately using skeptical and conservative estimates. Yet, multiplying these probabilities, we have 1 chance in 82,944,000 that the man buried in the Shroud is not Jesus... There is no practical possibility that someone other than Jesus Christ was buried in the Shroud of Turin." (Pg. 162, 164, 167-168)

This book was "must reading" for persons interested in the Shroud; however, anyone seriously studying the Shroud or reading this book needs to read their book written since the Carbon-14 dating of the Shroud: 'The Shroud and the Controversy.'

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by my pastor! Actually read it YEARS BEFORE I met the man and joined his ministry.... expert on the Shroud of Turin, one of the founding members of STURP, The Shroud of Turin Research Project, was the scientific group's editor.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very convincing case for the authenticity of the Shroud of Turnin. Highly recommended.

[Linda McClure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book.

[Zachary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kind of a fascinating book to read in this day and age because the actual evidence under examination is completely out of date, but the book itself remains fairly interesting. Most of the book is actually a great example of how to expound upon scientific evidence to a lay audience, and does an admirable job working through both history and science in an easily digestible fashion. I was very much not expecting the book to turn so heavily into apologetics and evangelism at a certain point, which simultaneously felt natural to the book's trajectory at that point and also very jarring.

[Faith Burnside · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I won't say I believe, *cough* I believe *cough* it's very well researched and written

[Jerry-Book]

Old book on the Shroud picked up for a dollar. Makes the argument that the Shroud (1) shows the crown of storms; (2) is not a painting; (3) shows a spear wound in the victim's side; (4) reveals a flogging; (5) does not have broken legs like normal crucifixion victims; (7) shows nail imprints correctly in wrists and not erroneously in palms like most depictions of Christ; (8) was on first century Palestinian cloth; (9) depicts a figure that is consistent in every way with the gospels; (10) shows the victim died by asphyxiation; (11) shows the victim was nailed and not tied to the cross; (12) reveals a victim who was a resident of Palestine; (13) has an image that has so far defied modern science; (14) shows coins on the eyes consistent with a first century Jewish burial. Since this is an old book it does not deal the later carbon dating that tends to show the Shroud I was manufactured in the 14th century. I understand a later addition addresses this problem. Nonetheless, thought provoking.

[VERA25 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on Ian Wilson's book "The Shroud" (1978)