Inside Catholic: "Shroud Skeptics Bump against Science" [UPDATED]

An interesting post on the Shroud of Turin at Inside Catholic:

...Experts in many disciplines have added to the growing body of knowledge about the Shroud of Turin: Physicians, historians, botanists, chemists, artists, anthropologists, physicists, textile consultants, and photographers. Their collective assessment is that, while we do not know how the image was made, we do know how it was not made. The confounding of science thus far forces a certain respect for the artifact, whatever one believes it to be: a holy relic, a pious work of art, a 14th-century hoax...

[More]

Incidentally, I recently watched an excellent History Channel documentary titled "The Real Face of Jesus?", which "follows a team of graphic experts as they use cutting-edge 3D software to bring a holy relic known as the Shroud of Turin to life".

It was a very sympathetic portrayal of the Shroud as quite possibly being authentic. Apart from a weird and completely unnecessary tangent the program takes regarding 1st and 2nd century Gnosticism, this documentary is one I can highly recommend.


Promotional images from the History Channel special, "The Real Face of Jesus?"


UPDATE
Let me just say that, if the image on the Shroud truly is that of Jesus, the 3D image that the software engineer created is surely the most accurate depiction of what our Lord actually looked like that will ever be produced. For me, the most interesting part of the program was when the researchers took a bust of Christ that was produced from the 3D image and placed it over a document scanner to produce an almost-identical replica of the face on the Shroud.

I was also pretty amazed to see the uncanny likeness of the computerized 3D image the researchers created to the portrayal of Christ by Jim Caveziel in "The Passion of the Christ".


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
USAToday on NBC, the Turin Olympics, and the Shroud (or Lack Thereof)

USAToday: NBC Chooses to Keep the Faith Out of Olympics — For Now

Mention of Shroud Absent From Turin Olympics Opening Ceremonies

Holy or Hoax, Shroud Still a Draw

One Reporter's Futile Attempt to See the Shroud of Turin

Criterion Online Provides "Olympic Coverage With a Catholic Twist"

Shroud of Turin Would Outdraw Winter Olympics

Before the Olympics, Turin Had the Shroud

What I'm REALLY Looking Forward To During the Turin (Torino) Olympics ...