Relics of the Christ
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Published: March 2007
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 215
ISBN-13: 9780813124254
Subjects: Christian devotional theology; History of religion; Popular culture; Social Science; Religion - Church History; Sociology; Christian Theology - Christology; Christianity - History - General; Popular Culture - General; Relics; Religious articles
Description: "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."--BOOK JACKET.