Relics of the Christ

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Overview

Religious relics, defined as "either portions of or objects connected with the body of a saint or other holy person," are among the most revered items in the world. Christian relics such as the Holy Grail, the True Cross, and the Lance of Longinus are also the source of limitless controversy. Such items have incited people to bloodshed and, some say, have been a source of miracles. Relics inspire fear and hope among the faithful and yet are a perennial target for skeptics, both secular and Christian. To research ...
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Overview

Religious relics, defined as "either portions of or objects connected with the body of a saint or other holy person," are among the most revered items in the world. Christian relics such as the Holy Grail, the True Cross, and the Lance of Longinus are also the source of limitless controversy. Such items have incited people to bloodshed and, some say, have been a source of miracles. Relics inspire fear and hope among the faithful and yet are a perennial target for skeptics, both secular and Christian. To research the authenticity of numerous Christian relics, Joe Nickell takes a scientific approach to a field of study all too often tainted by premature conclusions. In this volume, Nickell investigates such renowned relics as the Shroud of Turin, the multiple heads of John the Baptist, and the supposedly incorruptible corpses of saints, first examining the available evidence and documented history of each item. From accounts of true believers to the testimony of the relics' alleged fabricators, Nickell then presents all sides of each story, allowing the evidence to speak for itself. For each relic, Nickell evaluates both the corroborating and contradictory bodies of evidence and explores whether the relic and attributed miracles can be reconstructed. In addition to his own experiments, Nickell presents findings from the world's top scientists and historians regarding these controversial objects of reverence and ire, explaining the circumstances under which each case was examined. Radiocarbon dating and tests to determine the validity of substances such as blood or patina indicate a variety of possible origins. Nickell even reveals some of the techniques used to create archaeological forgeries and explains how investigators have exposed them. Each relic is a mystery to be solved; guided by the maxim, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof," Nickell seeks only the truth.
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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Christian communities all over the world hold sacred material artifacts that supposedly date to early Christianity—baby Jesus' swaddling clothes, pieces of the sponge from which the dying Jesus drank, even a tear Jesus shed at Lazarus's grave. In this quirky little book, Nickell (author of more than 20 books and columnist for Skeptical Inquirer) debunks those relics. Nickell examines the Shroud of Turin, the Crown of Thorns, chalices that people have identified as the Holy Grail and so on. Could any of these objects be what Christian enthusiasts claim? In Nickell's view, the answer is a simple no. He concludes that "not a single, reliably authenticated relic of Jesus exists." For example, a 2003 scientific examination of the so-called "Holy Lance," purported to be the spear with which Jesus was pierced on the Cross, found that the gold sheath dated to the 14th century. Nickell includes a bibliography, but footnotes, directing readers to the specific scientific research on which he relies in each chapter, would have been appropriate as well. One of the most interesting passages comes in the epilogue, where Nickell notes that some defenders of relics are sincere believers. A longer discussion of people's experiences with relics would have rounded out this book. (Mar.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
From the Publisher

"Joe Nickell is the embodiment of the Mythbusters, Sherlock Holmes, and Richard Feynman: one part lab tinkerer, one part field sleuth, and one part theoretical genius. And the relics of the Christ that he investigates in this delightful narrative render themselves bare to the magnifying glass of his inimitable mind. Having Joe Nickell show up at your miracle is like having Mike Wallace arrive at your company" -- Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, columnist for Scientific Amer

"A provocative book." -- Milton C. Moreland, editor of Between Text and Artifact

"Free of sarcasm and without any sort of denigration of religion in general or Christianity in particular, this book provides an indispensable guide to the subject of relics, especially in its detailed refutation of hot-off-the-presses, spurious claims on behalf of the Turin Shroud and associated hoaxes." -- Robert M. Price, Professor of Theology and Scriptural Studies, Johnnie Colemon T

""Thorough, fair and entertaining."" -- Journal of American Cultures

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780813124254
  • Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
  • Publication date: 3/16/2007
  • Edition description: New Edition
  • Pages: 232
  • Product dimensions: 0.69 (w) x 6.00 (h) x 9.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), is the author of more than twenty investigative books, including Secrets of the Sideshows and Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal.

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Table of Contents


List of Illustrations     ix
Acknowledgments     xiii
Introduction: The Life of Jesus     1
The Christ     1
The Nazarene     5
The Mythologized Jesus     8
The Physical Evidence     11
The Cult of Relics     13
The Origin of Relics     13
The Veneration of Relics     16
The Dispensation of Relics     18
Authentication     21
Christian Relics     26
Nativity and Infancy     26
Life and Ministry     31
Disciples     33
Later Saints     40
The Holy Grail     50
Grail Legends     50
Historical Evidence     53
The Grail as Relic     56
The Da Vinci Hoax     60
Self-Portraits of Jesus     67
The Likeness of Jesus     67
The Image of Edessa     69
Veronica's Veil     71
The True Cross     77
Visions of Constantine and Helena     77
The Holy Cross     82
The Titulus     86
Fragments and Nails     90
Other Crucifixion Relics     96
Relics of the Trial and Scourging     96
The Crown of Thorns     100
The Holy Garments     103
The Lance of Longinus     106
Holy Shrouds     111
Jesus' Jewish Burial     111
Holy Winding Sheets     114
Shroud of Constantinople     117
Shrouds in Art and Liturgy     120
The Shroud of Turin     122
The Affair at Lirey     122
A Confessed Forger     128
Journey of the Holy Shroud     130
A Linen Cloth     134
"Photograph" of Christ     139
Image on the Shroud     139
The Imprinting     142
Medical Evidence     147
A Work of Art     150
The Sudarium of Oviedo     154
Companion Relic     154
Historical Record     156
Bogus Science     159
Carbon Dating     164
Blood of Jesus     167
Holy Blood     167
"Blood" on the Shroud     174
"Blood" on the Sudarium     177
The James Ossuary     180
Background     180
Provenance     184
Further Suspicions     186
The Verdict     189
Conclusion     191
References     193
Index     201
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