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Religion and Philosophy







This page includes articles that deal with the religious and philosophical issues raised by the Shroud of Turin. Listed below (alphabetically) is the title and author of each paper, along with a brief description of its content and a brief bio of the author (where available). Simply select the paper you wish to read by clicking on its title. To return to this page while in mid-article, use your browser's "back" button. (NOTE: Some of these may be links to different websites. After viewing those articles, you will need to use your browser's "back" button to return to this website).

Submission Requirements

Are you interested in submitting your work for publication on this website? Please review the "Submission Requirements" page of this site for detailed instructions on the preparation and submission of papers and articles.

Read this for An Important Word About Formats used on this website

Copyright Notice

Access to this site does not grant the viewer any rights to copy, publish, sell, license or distribute any included materials, in any form or media, without the express, written permission of the copyright holders. Editorial opinions expressed herein are solely those of the respective authors.

Complete text of his address about the Shroud of Turin given on May 24, 1998 by Pope John Paul II.

Pope John Paul II visited the Shroud of Turin during the public exhibition in 1998 and delivered this address in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, providing his personal insights into the relic.

Design in the Shroud of Turin by Phillip H. Wiebe (.pdf format) [43k]

The author is a Professor of Philosophy at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia. This paper was originally presented at the Worldwide Congress "Sindone 2000" in Orvieto, Italy, in August 2000.

The Disciples On The Road To Turin by Joseph Marino

An interesting Biblical perspective on the Shroud and its study. Joseph is a noted Shroud historian and archivist whose contributions to Shroud research (and this website) are extensive. This presentation was originally delivered at the 1996 Esopus Conference.

Does the Shroud Body Image Show Any Physical Evidence of Resurrection? by Kevin E. Moran and Giulio Fanti (.pdf format) (From the IV Symposium Scientifique International du CIELT, Paris, France 2002)

An interesting article that looks at the Shroud from both a scientific and religious point of view.

The Ecumenical Implications of the Shroud of Turin by the Rev. Albert R. Dreisbach, Jr. (.pdf format) [263k] [May 2006] (From the 1st International Shroud Conferences in Terracina and Perugia, Italy)

Sadly, this is the final paper written by Fr. Dreisbach. He was on his way to deliver the paper at two conferences in Italy when he died. According to many, this is his finest work, completing a theme he had written about frequently.

Historical Epistemology, Jesus's Resurrection, and the Shroud of Turin. by Gary R. Habermas  (.pdf format) [45k] (From the June 1999 Richmond Conference)

Gary is a distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Liberty University and co-author of Verdict on the Shroud and The Shroud and the Controversy, and numerous other books.

It's the Message that Matters by Russ Breault (.pdf format) [48k]

Russell Breault is the founder of the Shroud of Turin Education Project, Inc. (STEP) and has been researching and lecturing on the Shroud for nearly 20 years. In this article, he reminds the reader that the message of the Shroud is more important than the image itself. He explores the different points of view amongst Christians as they relate to the Shroud and concludes, "If Christian educators, Protestant and Catholic, can get beyond their bias and fears and focus on the message, the Shroud could be used in the way God may have intended, as a visual Gospel to a video and information age."

Liturgical Clues to the Shroud's History by the Rev. Albert R. Dreisbach, Jr.

A study of possible references to the Shroud in the liturgy and the Bible. The Rev. Albert "Kim" R. Dreisbach, Jr., is an Episcopal Priest and the founder and Executive Director of the Atlanta International Center for the Continuing Study of the Shroud of Turin, Inc., (AICCSST). Author of numerous papers and a frequent Shroud lecturer, Fr. Dreisbach has often appeared on national radio and TV. In recent years he has served as a commentator and technical advisor on a number of Shroud related TV productions.

The Shroud and Healing by the Rev. Albert R. Dreisbach, Jr. (.pdf format) [81k]

This is the paper Rev. Dreisbach presented at the June 1999 Richmond Conference. During his presentation Rev. Dreisbach projected 18 slides which are not currently included with the article due to size considerations. However, since I plan to include these illustrations in the future, the references to them remain in the text.

The Shroud of Turin and the Resurrection Problem - An Anglican/Episcopal Perspective by Daniel R. Porter  (.pdf format) [44k]

I am pleased to include the first paper on this website by Daniel R. Porter, known to many Internet viewers as the founder of the excellent Shroud website ShroudForum.com.

The Shroud of Turin: Bridge Between Heaven and Earth? by Joseph G. Marino and M. Sue Benford, R.N., M.A. (.pdf format) [137k]

This article was originally published in the April 1999 (Volume 22, no. 2) issue of The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research. It has been amended slightly for the website and three photographs have been added to the end of the paper. Joseph Marino has been involved in Shroud research for many years and Ms. Benford is relatively new to sindonology.

The Shroud of Turin: Its Ecumenical Implications by the Rev. Albert R. Dreisbach, Jr.

This article is the full version of the paper Rev. Dreisbach presented at the 1998 Turin Symposium. A long time sindonologist, Rev. Dreisbach provides us with his unique, articulate and well-qualified perspective on the ecumenical aspects of the Shroud and its significance today.

The Shroud of Turin: A Parable for Modern Times? by Thaddeus J. Trenn

In this article, Mr. Trenn provides us with his interesting perspective on the study of the Shroud of Turin. He defines the unique position it holds for both science and religion as he searches for an even deeper meaning to its significance. Mr. Trenn teaches in the science and religion program at Victoria College, University of Toronto. Reprints of the article are also available. For ordering information, visit the Reprints of Papers and Articles section of the "Website Store" page of this site.

The Soudarion: What the Fourth Gospel Reveals about the Shroud and the Oviedo Cloth by the Rev. Albert R. Dreisbach, Jr. (.pdf format) [September 2005] (From the 3rd International Dallas Conference)  

In this thoughtful paper, Fr. Dreisbach presents the Fourth Gospel clues to the Shroud of Turin.

Thomas & the Cenacle Reconsidered by the Rev. Albert "Kim" Dreisbach (.pdf format) [232k] (From the International Conference on the Shroud of Turin - Dallas 2001)

In this in-depth paper, Fr. Dreisbach discusses in detail the account of Thomas in the Upper Room or Cenacle [John 20:24-29] as he continues his ongoing Biblical research into clues about the Shroud in the Gospels.

Thomas & the Hymn of the Pearl by the Rev. Albert "Kim" Dreisbach (.pdf format) [181k] (From the Sindone 2000 Shroud Conference in Orvieto, Italy)

In this paper Fr. Dreisbach discusses The Acts of Thomas, which contain the Hymn of the Pearl and may well be an adaptation of an older work, redesigned to provide "spy clues" pointing to the Shroud and its image(s). The Hymn of the Pearl is one of the earliest documents in existence on Edessan Christianity.

What Does the Shroud of Turin Mean? by Robert Perry (.pdf format) [80k]

This thoughtful and well written article is by Robert Perry, a writer and teacher on the modern spiritual path ("A Course In Miracles"). He is President and Founder of The Circle of Atonement, a non-profit spiritual teaching organization which serves students of "A Course In Miracles," and lives in Sedona, Arizona. In this article he shares his personal point of view on the significance of the Shroud and the meaning it has for him, but his conclusions should strike a chord with many viewers. Robert can be reached via e-mail at circleofa@sedona.net or by snail mail at The Circle of Atonement, P.O. Box 4238, W. Sedona, AZ 86340.

Where Do We Go From Here? by Tom D'Muhala

Tom discusses his personal involvement in Shroud research, provides some much needed perspective on the carbon dating and suggests various courses of action for current and future Shroud studies in this insightful and often philosophic article. Tom was a founding member of STURP and was its president from 1978 to 1996. This presentation was originally delivered at the 1996 Esopus Conference.

An Important Word About Formats

For more than three years, every paper appearing on this website was available as a standard html page. However, converting scientific papers and articles that include scientific notation, formulas and other symbols into html code is time consuming and often results in less than complete accuracy. To alleviate the problem and make the addition of new papers to the website a simpler task, we are adopting the Adobe Acrobat .pdf file format and will begin producing many of the papers with it. For those of you unfamiliar with Adobe Acrobat, it is a powerful document viewing software that is fast becoming the standard for distribution of written and visual materials over the Internet and on CD-ROM. The best news is that the Acrobat Reader software is FREE and is probably already on your computer. It is generally found as a plug-in or helper application in Netscape Navigator, Netscape Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers. And it is completely compatible with either PC or Macintosh systertunately, .pdf format files are not accessible using WebTV.

One of the best features of this format is that you get to use a powerful document viewing tool right within your browser window, giving you much more control over the size and detail of your viewing. Acrobat allows you to zoom in on the document up to 800%, making it easy to read even the smallest text or symbols. And all you have to do is use your browser's "back" button to return to the website. Some documents contain searchable indexes and you can always copy and paste any materials from the document you are viewing into your own paper, keeping all of the formatting of the original. The only negative aspect of the format is that you have to wait for the entire file to load before you can view it. The largest of these takes less than a minute to load using a 28k modem and I have indicated the file size [in brackets] for each .pdf format file on the site.

The best way to see if it is already installed on your system is to select one of the (.pdf format) articles below and double click on it. You might be pleasantly surprised. If it is installed, it will launch from within your browser. If it is not on your system, you can go to the Adobe Free Acrobat Reader 3.0 Software website and download a copy. Just follow the instructions. Once it is installed on your system, should you need assistance configuring Netscape or similar brms. Unfoowsers for the Acrobat Reader, please review the configuration instructions. Properly configured, you will be able to open .pdf format files automatically, just like any other page on the Internet.

Watch for more articles to be added in the near future.


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