OpenTube

The Shroud of Turin: Evaluating the Best Arguments (For and Against)

Gavin Ortlund

52,053 views

Gavin Ortlund examines the evidence for and against the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, explains whether it can be identified as Jesus’ burial cloth, and clarifies what C.S. Lewis actually believed about it.

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Truth Unites (https://truthunites.org) exists to promote gospel assurance through theological depth.

Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is President of Truth Unites, Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Phoenix Seminary, and Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.

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00:00 - Introduction
01:23 - What Is the Shroud of Turin?
03:58 - It Is Understandably Emotionally Moving
07:53 - Evidence Doesn’t Compel Assent
16:33 - Radiocarbon Dating
20:26 - The Shroud’s History
23:35 - Caution Against Overconfidence
25:36 - C. S. Lewis on the Shroud
26:47 - Conclusion

20 Comments

@jimyoung9262 7 months ago

I've always been on team "no idea...cool if it is"

@famtomerc 7 months ago

as a filthy Papist, whether the shroud is authentic or not doesn't change the fact there's an empty grave.

@rickbrennan9222 7 months ago

I’m really glad you did this video. I honestly think you were pitch-perfect. I’ve read about the Shroud for years, but I’ve always hesitated to land firmly on one side or the other, for exactly the reasons you mentioned. You articulated that tension well. And ending with the C.S. Lewis comment made the whole video feel almost devotional. That surprised me in a good way. I had never really considered the value of the Shroud in that sense: that it compels us to visualize our Lord as a real, living man who was beaten, crucified, and then lay dead for three days, wrapped in a burial cloth, before the resurrection. That reframes the discussion entirely.
The devotional turn at the end was powerful. Thank you for that.

@Perktube1 7 months ago

They need to re-test the radio carbon using new samples. From the original fabric. Regardless of biases.

@jennytr5056 7 months ago

Agree completely, with one additional thought: motivated reasoning works both ways. If the shroud is not authentic, it does not threaten the truth of the gospel. But if it IS authentic, then it threatens those who want Christianity not to be true! Those motivated to disbelieve are going to be more invested in the inauthenticity of the shroud than those motivated to believe will be in its authenticity.

@SSamuel-wh5sh 7 months ago

I’m confidently undecided. The best evidence for me is the awe it inspires for Jesus. Just pondering what the actual burial cloths would record is compelling. The marks of suffering, yes, but also the glorious resurrection too. Conquering death through life must have left a mark too. That is wonderful to imagine.

@tjflash60 7 months ago

Thank you. Well said, “It is okay to live with uncertainty.”

@ThoughtfulReader 7 months ago

Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into making this video! I really appreciate your cautious and honest look at the evidence, and especially your exhortation to remember and be encouraged by what we do know, and not to be overconfident with what we don't know.

@donnylogs164 7 months ago

The older I get (and hopefully more mature as a believer), the more comfortable I’ve gotten with uncertainty. When I was young I was dogmatic about everything. While I remain dogmatic about scriptural truth, I’ve grown more discerning about which hills are worth dying on. I find the shroud fascinating and useful for making real my rock solid belief in the resurrection. Wether the shroud is genuine or an incredibly crafted work of man, my belief remains unchallenged.

@natalia1045 5 months ago

Saw it two days ago in Turin and has a full overwhelming experience of pure love and gratitude and just awe. I don’t know either, but I believe. ❤

@perilouspete 7 months ago

The message from CS Lewis at the end was beautiful.

@visualmapper 7 months ago

I continue to be enthused by your work sir

@Cleopatra444 7 months ago (edited)

The last quote from CS Lewis gave me goosebumps , because thats exactly what i thought at the beginning of the video !
(well, something among those lines)
thankyou Dr O
another well put and educational video 💛👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
*edited for spell check

@ToothpikcOriginal 7 months ago

Thank you Dr. Ortlund for studying these topics and breaking them down for us. I don't have time to read all of the books you mention, but through your work I've chosen a couple to read. Thank you

@Mr_Fairdale 7 months ago

This is good Gavin content ☺️

@DanielMorrison-p5v 6 days ago

Well done! I’ve seen a lot of videos on this subject & this is a good one.

@johnlauriestewart 5 months ago

Excellent summary of the main issues regarding the Shroud's authenticity. I'd like the Shroud to be authentic, but despite the unexplainable aspects the history of the Shroud and C!4 dating keep me from embracing it as Jesus' burial cloth. The Shroud has brought back discussing the issues of Jesus' death and resurrection, and that is a good thing.