Former Skeptic Now Declares Shroud of Turin 'Evidence to the Resurrection of Jesus'
Dr. Jeremiah J. Johnston, a New Testament scholar and author, has publicly reversed his position on the Shroud of Turin, now declaring the ancient burial cloth to be authentic evidence of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
Johnston, who serves as pastor of apologetics and cultural engagement at Prestonwood Baptist Church near Dallas, Texas, and president of Christian Thinkers Society, told CBN News on October 28, 2025, that he is now fully confident in the Shroud's authenticity after years of dismissing it as a forgery.
"I wrote a bestselling book called 'Body of Proof' on the resurrection, and I never mentioned the Shroud because I was a total skeptic on the Shroud," Johnston said. "That's the funny part. I mean, I have a PhD from England, like, it was hammered into me that the shroud was a forgery."
Johnston completed his doctoral residency at Oxford in partnership with Oxford Centre for Mission Studies and received his PhD from Middlesex University in the United Kingdom with commendation. He also holds Masters Degrees from Acadia University in Canada and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the United States.
Johnston explained that his skepticism was based on "sound bites and not substance," but his perspective changed completely once he began investigating the evidence more thoroughly and speaking with experts. "I now believe the shroud is authentic," Johnston declared. "I think it's the greatest evangelism discipleship tool I've ever seen in my ministry."
The scholar pointed to extensive scientific research supporting the Shroud's authenticity. "I've met many of the 102 scientists, and then the 102 scientific disciplines that have put their academic and reputation on the line to prove, and that it's the first time I've used that word, to prove that the shroud is not a hoax," Johnston said.
According to Johnston, these scientists have spent over 600,000 hours of scientific study on the Shroud of Turin. He noted that the pollen spores found on the Shroud come from Jerusalem, and recent research using wide-angle X-ray scattering by the Institute of Crystallography in Italy confirmed the linen's age to be around 2,000 years old.
"It's the only artifact that we have outside of the Bible that gives evidence to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus all in one artifact," Johnston said. The Shroud of Turin is a 14-foot-long linen cloth bearing the image of a crucified man that many believe to be Jesus Christ. The image shows details consistent with Roman crucifixion, including wounds to the hands, feet, and side.
Johnston emphasized his confidence in the New Testament's authenticity. "The authenticity of the New Testament is without question," he said. "The Bible is a historical book and these are books about real people, real places, real events. Our scriptures are not fairy tales. They're not legends. They're not lore. And they are so well-evidenced."
He added that Christianity is unique among world religions in its historical verifiability. "Christianity is the only religion that you can test against history, and it passes the test at every turn," Johnston said. "And this is where things like the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus are so well evidenced, and what's amazing is, I believe, as we get closer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we are seeing a controlled revelation of discoveries tied to technology."
Johnston is the author of several books, including "Body of Proof" and "Peace of God Bible: Discover and Experience God's Shalom Throughout the Bible." He is an elected member of the preeminent New Testament scholarly guild Studorium Novi Testamenti Societas and serves as Senior Fellow of Christian Origins at Dallas Baptist University.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
Dr. Jeremiah Johnston spent years dismissing the burial cloth of Christ as a medieval forgery because that's what the academic establishment hammered into him.
Sound familiar?
This is what happens when Christians accept secular narratives without investigating the evidence themselves.
Johnston's transformation reveals something critical: the scholarly world has been lying to us about the Shroud for decades.
They pushed the flawed 1988 carbon dating study while ignoring 102 scientific disciplines and over 600,000 hours of research proving the Shroud's authenticity. The pollen is from Jerusalem.
The age is 2,000 years old.
The blood is real.
The crucifixion wounds match the Gospel accounts perfectly.
Yet academia buried this evidence because they can't stand physical proof of Christ's resurrection...
This is why we must question everything the secular establishment tells us about Christianity.
They called the Shroud a hoax.
They say the Bible is myth.
They claim Jesus never rose from the dead.
But when honest scholars actually examine the evidence without bias, the truth emerges: our faith is historically defensible, scientifically supported, and intellectually credible.
Johnston said it perfectly.
Christianity is the only religion you can test against history, and it passes every test. While other faiths require blind acceptance, Christianity invites investigation. The Shroud stands as physical testimony that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and conquered death.
No wonder the world fights so hard to suppress it.
TAKE ACTION
Christian Thinkers Society https://christianthinkers.com/
Email: info@christianthinkers.com
Body of Proof Book https://www.amazon.com/Body-Proof-Reasons-Resurrection-Jesus/dp/0764230832
Shroud of Turin Research https://www.shroud.com/
