In this episode, cold-case homicide detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace finally turns his investigative lens on one of the most talked-about religious artifacts in history: the Shroud of Turin. Is it a medieval forgery created for profit, or a powerful piece of physical evidence that points to the crucifixion of Jesus? J. Warner walks through the chain of custody, the historical record, the scientific testing, and the forensic details, while also exposing the limits of what any single piece of evidence can truly prove.
Drawing on decades of experience presenting cases to juries, he explains how a detective evaluates artifacts, weighs competing explanations, and navigates the space between “possible” and “reasonable” doubt. He also shows why—even if the Shroud were authentic—it could never replace the historical case for the resurrection grounded in early eyewitness testimony. If you’ve ever wondered whether Christians should use the Shroud of Turin when making a case for Christianity, or avoid it altogether, this episode will help you think it through carefully. Here is the audio podcast (the Cold-Case Christianity Weekly Podcast is located on iTunes or our RSS Feed):
For more information about the reliability of the New Testament gospels and the case for Christianity, please read Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. This book teaches readers ten principles of cold-case investigations and applies these strategies to investigate the claims of the gospel authors. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Cold-Case Christianity DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case.
