The Shroud Body Image Generation. Immanent or Transcendent Action?

Abstract

In this article, we shall study the mechanism of the Shroud body image for-mation with the help of both natural sciences and religion. The various possibilities can be divided into three groups of hypothesis: the first one is that of the fake, the second one is the miracle and the third one of the natural event. The first hypothesis is discarded by the interdisciplinary work of the STURP (The Shroud of Turin Research Project) team. Their results do not support the hypothesis that the blood stains and the body image are due to a forger. In our opinion, even if the Miracle by God is possible, the proposed hypotheses of the supernatural event are theologically unacceptable. So, the natural one remains well supported by the “Ockham’s razor”. Obviously, this last model must be verified by experimental evidence. However, this result is not contrary to the hypothesis that the body image is the one of the Nazarene.