STEP is seeking a grant for the purposes of creating a comprehensive set of student resources for placement in high school and college libraries nationwide for research papers, speech presentations or general interest.
Concept: The focus of STEP has been to introduce students to the historical Jesus by exposing them to the mystery of the Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be burial cloth that wrapped Jesus while in the tomb. Without question, Jesus is the most prominent figure in western history and was responsible for reshaping the ancient world. Yet because of inordinate fears of church and state separation, he is barely a footnote in today's public schools. By researching the Shroud, students are exposed to an intriguing representation of the historical Jesus but are also drawn into an array of disciplines that have been employed over the years to solve the Shroud's great mystery.
The Shroud encompasses numerous avenues of research including optical sciences, chemistry, particle analysis, blood chemistry, medical forensics, ancient art techniques, the role of icons in ancient Christianity, archaeology and the role carbon dating, botany and the study of pollen. It tracks a historical trail involving legends, folklore and historical references beginning in the first century on to Byzantium and even the Crusades. In addition it addresses first century crucifixion practices, Jewish burial customs, and biblical traditions. There are few subjects that span such a diversity of disciplines all focused on one artifact. Learning about the Shroud exposes the student to far more than just the religious aspect. It demonstrates the investigative role of science as well as it's limitations. It connects the student to past events, people and cultures that have shaped our world today.
The Shroud: The Shroud of Turin is 14 foot long linen cloth that bears the faint image of a bearded, crucified man. The cloth contains both frontal and dorsal images and exhibits the identical wounds inflicted upon Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. The blood has been determined to be human blood from actual wounds. There is no significant trace of paint, ink, dye, pigment, or stain to account for the superficial image that appears only on the surface of the threads. The bloodstains soak all the way through the cloth indicating two different mechanisms for the totality of the shroud; blood and image.
Science: In 1978, twenty-four scientists comprising the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) had hands on access to the Shroud for five continuous days. In 1981, after three years of analyzing the data, they concluded that the Shroud image "Is that of a real human form of a scourged crucified man, it is not the product of an artist. The blood stains appear to be composed of human hemoglobin according to spectral and chemical tests."
Controversy: In 1988, the Shroud was carbon dated to the Middle Ages. However, much controversy surrounds these tests since the protocol established for the dating was ignored. Only one sample site was cut from the cloth instead of the three sites originally required in the protocol. The controversy over the accuracy of the tests is exacerbated because the sample site chosen was from a location on the cloth adjacent to a burn, in the middle of a water stain and at the very outside edge where it had been handled hundreds of times over the years. New evidence now shows that the chemical composition of this sample was not representative of the entire shroud giving rise to the possibility of a reweave or repair of that area following the fire in 1532 that nearly destroyed the cloth. There are other factors that could have impacted the accuracy of the carbon tests that cannot be assessed with only one sample site from which to draw conclusions.
More Questions: The carbon 14 dating tests create more questions than answers. If the Shroud truly is medieval, then who was the artist more skilled than Leonardo d'Avinci and who predated him by at least 100 years? Why can't we replicate this image today? Why does the image appear almost photographic with its startlingly enhanced appearance in a photo-negative? Why does the Shroud appear to contain distance or 3-D information? There are many questions that remain unanswered. Despite science both pro and con, the Shroud remains one of the greatest mysteries in the world today.
The good news is "Everyone loves a mystery"! And so do students especially when it comes time to do research papers and speeches.
The Problem: The problem is that most schools have few if any books or resources on the Shroud and if they do, they are generally out of date. Not having the hands-on resources is an obstacle that most students would be unwilling to try to overcome on their own. They will simply choose another subject to research not realizing the richness the Shroud offers as a topic for study.
The Answer: The Shroud of Turin Education Project, Inc. will, with the help of financial partners, put into schools across America a complete Shroud Resource Library (SRL). The SRL will have three of the most recent books on the subject, a current CD Rom, a set of slides for use in presentations or speeches, several interview videos with leading Shroud experts and one good general documentary. The SRL will also have information on web based resources. The library would be displayed in a sturdy cardboard display to be placed on a research table so all the materials are kept in one place and in view of the students, not hidden away on a shelf. The display would be printed with the face from the Shroud with the simple phrase, "Explore the Mystery."
The library would be offered on a state by state, city by city basis with a letter from certified legal counsel discussing why such a display is not a violation of church and state. Lack of understanding of what can or cannot be done will be the single largest obstacle to placement of the Resource Library in a public school. This issue will be dealt with up front to avoid any confusion and help school officials answer any critics.
The Benefit: With the SRL being widely deployed, an intelligent discussion of the historical Jesus will ensue in classes across America. This can only have positive consequences given the near total absence of such discussion today. As America gets further away from its Christian heritage, such discussion can only help students not raised in Christians homes understand who Jesus was as well as his teachings. Such exposure can only help minimize anti-Christian bigotry in the future.
The Cost: The cost of producing the display and acquiring the components along with administrative overhead is estimated to cost $300 per school. In addition, the marketing and shipping costs will add another $50 per school for a total of approximately $350 per school. With most high schools having over 1,000 students, that's less than $.35 per student on average.
Our Appeal: Give today to Step's Shroud Resource Library Project and transform students and schools for the good. STEP is a for profit corporation. If a non-profit organization is needed, donations can be made to the non-profit AICCSST (Atlanta International Center for the Continuing Study of the Shroud of Tuirin) and ear marked for STEP.
Shroud Resource Library Project
PO Box 3397
Peachtree City, GA 30215
678-817-7188
Shroud2000@aol.com