Science News, Vol. 120, No. 19 (Nov. 7, 1981), p. 291Published by: Society for Science & the PublicStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3966319
Shroud clarification
I am a member of the team of scientists that
performed the scientific tests on the Shroud of
Turin in 1978. I recently returned from the conference
in New London, Conn., where the scientists,
for the first time, publicly presented all the
test results and the conclusions that can be
drawn from an examination of those collective
results. Having just read Dietrick Thomsen's
commentary on the Turin Shroud (SN: 10/3/81, p.
211), I felt I should add some comments to
clarify the situation.
First, although author Stevenson was with the
scientific team in Turin, the conclusions drawn
by him and his co-author Habermas are their
own, and are based on their personal interpretation
of the results. The consensus of the scientists,
as presented in New London, is that the
image is not caused by a scorch, but is visible
because of increased dehydration and oxidation
of the surface fibers in the image area.
Results of tests on the Shroud areas scorched in
a fire in 1532, and on laboratory scorched linen
samples, showed marked dissimilarities between
lightly scorched linen and the Shroud
image area, including enhanced UV fluorescence
of scorched fibers and total fiber discoloration
of scorched fibers (as opposed to the
surface discoloration for image area fibers).
Second, it was never the intent of the scientists
to answer the theological questions posed
by the Shroud, but rather to simply gather,
reduce and analyze all the scientific data
possible regarding the physical and chemical
nature of the Shroud. In the words of Dr. Alan
Adler, one of the scientists who did the analysis
on the microscopic surface samples taken from
the Shroud, "we can test for blood, or we can
test for paint pigment ... but science doesn't
have a test for Jesus Christ!"
John D. German
Member
Shroud of Turin Research Project, Inc.
Cedar Crest, N.M.
Science News, Vol. 120, No. 16 (Oct. 17, 1981), p. 245Published by: Society for Science & the PublicStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3966222
A federal district judge in Detroit has
ruled that a Michigan publishing company
can go ahead and distribute the book Verdict
on the Shroud. The book, whose publication
had been enjoined a day earlier by a
county judge, contends that the Shroud of
Turin is physical evidence for the resurrection
of Jesus of Nazareth (SN: 10/3/81, p.
211). It was written by Kenneth E. Stevenson
and Gary R. Habermas and is being
published by Servant Publications, Inc. of
Ann Arbor.
Meanwhile, in a prepared statement, the
Shroud of Turin Research Project, Inc.
(sTURP), said, "We can conclude that the
Shroud image is that of a real, human form,
of a scourged, crucified man. It is not the
product of an artist. The blood stains are
composed of hemoglobin." But the statement
went on to emphasize that there is
no conclusive evidence to prove that the
image is that of Christ.
In its suit against the publishing company,
STURP charges that the book claims
to represent the project's final report. The
defendants deny the allegation and point
out that the authors wrote that their conclusions
do not necessarily represent
those of the research team. Before the
injunction was overturned, Circuit Judge
Ross W Campbell said that publication of
the book might jeopardize STURP's attempt
to get permission for radioactive dating of
the Shroud's cloth-the final phase of the
project investigation. The Shroud's official
guardian, Anastasio Alberto Ballestro,
archbishop of Turin, is considering a request
to allow the dating test. The publishers,
according to news reports, have
agreed to send an insert page with the
books stating the book is not connected
with the research project. O
OCTOBER
Last modified: Sun Jan 13 14:50:01 PST 2013