The priest. . . . Brought back to life on an operating room table after a horrific car crash, Father Paul Bartholomew is haunted by frightening visions—especially the moments when he seems to inhabit the body of Christ at Golgotha.
The skeptics. . . . Dr. Stephen Castle, a New York City psychiatrist and renowned atheist, has built an international reputation for his book arguing that religion is a figment of human imagination. Professor Marco Gabrielli, an Italian religious researcher and chemist, has made a career of debunking supposed miracles, of explaining the unexplainable.
The miracle. . . . For centuries, however, the Shroud of Turin has defied scientific explanation. Is this ancient remnant that bears such a vividly detailed pictorial representation truly the burial cloth that wrapped Christ after he was taken down from the cross? Or is it the biggest fraud ever perpetrated on the Christian community?
As Father Bartholomew—newly returned to his parish, the venerable St. Joseph’s Church in upper Manhattan—celebrates Mass, blood starts running down his arm. The horrified congregation watches him collapse to the ground, his vestments soaked with the blood pouring from wounds on his wrists.
The phenomenon is known as stigmata, when a person appears to manifest the wounds that Christ suffered upon the cross. But in Father Bartholomew’s case there is a mysterious added dimension: he has been transformed to resemble in almost every physical aspect the Christ-like figure represented on the Shroud of Turin.
Worried that Bartholomew’s case could be proved a hoax, the Vatican employs Dr. Castle and Professor Gabrielli to investigate. But for the well-known psychiatrist and the experienced man of science both, Father Bartholomew presents the most perplexing challenge either has ever faced.
Dr. Castle watches in person while the priest appears to writhe in agony, blood spurting from wounds identical to those portrayed on the famous shroud, and he wonders if he too can have been sucked into some kind of shared hallucination. Meanwhile, Professor Gabrielli—confident that he can reproduce the shroud by using materials and methods available in the Middle Ages—works frantically to prove that the shroud is a medieval forgery.
But when the priest’s uncanny resemblance to the crucified Christ on the Shroud prompts the two men to investigate the famous artifact itself, each is finally forced to face mysteries that cannot be explained by sheer reason alone. It will be the most unsettling—and eventually soul-wrenching—journey of discovery they have ever undertaken.
From Jerome R. Corsi, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Obama Nation, comes a magnificent, thought-provoking first novel. Grounded in the same kind of in-depth, all-encompassing research that has distinguished Corsi’s nonfiction, The Shroud Codex plumbs the farthest reaches of science and the human spirit.
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"WOW!!! This is quite a book. very academic? I think. Well researched. Very explicit details of the suffering the Jesus endured during his time with his Roman executioners . I wonder what the church thinks of this book"
— Joan (5 out of 5 stars)
“ Corsi weaves an intriguing tale of science and religion that is more than a good read— it is about as near to an out-of-body experience as we are bound to witness. Believers and non-believers alike will be attracted to this book, if not for the same reasons. ”
— Bill Donahue" Hard to understand at times, as they explored many of the laws of physics, not one of my strong points. Have read better. "
— Fran, 1/12/2014" Why did I bother reading this book? I wouldn't have if I had known what other books this author had written (Unfit For Command: Swift Boat Veteran...) "
— Lyn, 11/29/2013" Lots of mistakes in the text! Much like Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. "
— Holly, 11/14/2013" Grammatical errors aside, not as dull as I thought it would be. "
— Michelle, 9/22/2013" If you like Dan Brown and the science-meets-religion theme, you'll like this book. "
— Kelly, 8/20/2013" Corsi's first work of fiction. Good read although a bit repetitive. Main critique: he never explained how a person could psychosomatically cause injuries (like stigmata) to self. The characters were interesting but underdeveloped. I'll look forward to his next novel to see how he has improved. "
— Helen, 6/10/2013" Entertaining in parts but this book was written by a Shroud enthusiast and not a writer. "
— Merry, 2/26/2013" Book about physics and other dimensions allowing a priest who looks like the image in the shroud of Turin to manifest the wounds Jesus suffered on the cross. Pretty technical and a bit far fetched, but not a bad book. "
— Jason, 5/21/2012" First half of the book was interesting but became too wordy and proselytizing. Main character comes off a an arrogant prat. Far-fetched ending. "
— Rhonda, 4/9/2012" A very interesting story revolving around the Shroud of Turin...Quite an enjoyable read for believers and non believers alike! "
— Jacinda, 12/31/2011" It was interesting. A look at how particle physics closlely resembles religion. And it wasn't too preachy or anything. "
— Shayna, 12/27/2011" This didn'thold my interest enough to want to finish it when there were other books calling me. "
— Dale, 12/9/2011" Great mix of fact and fiction "
— William, 11/15/2011" Overall I feel "meh" about this book. Basic editing wasn't done properly; more than once, the wrong character was referenced in a sentence. And the author re-used adjectives to an annoying level. If I read "he nodded appreciatively" one more time I was gonna puke. "
— Andrea, 4/12/2011" Another wonderful book. Again left with wanting more. If you enjoy a story dripping with actual fact and research, read The Shroud Codex! "
— Angela, 3/24/2011" Entertaining in parts but this book was written by a Shroud enthusiast and not a writer. "
— Merry, 1/3/2011" If you like Dan Brown and the science-meets-religion theme, you'll like this book. "
— Kelly, 12/26/2010" First half of the book was interesting but became too wordy and proselytizing. Main character comes off a an arrogant prat. Far-fetched ending. "
— Rhonda, 12/16/2010" Corsi's first work of fiction. Good read although a bit repetitive. Main critique: he never explained how a person could psychosomatically cause injuries (like stigmata) to self. The characters were interesting but underdeveloped. I'll look forward to his next novel to see how he has improved. "
— Helen, 11/4/2010" Another wonderful book. Again left with wanting more. If you enjoy a story dripping with actual fact and research, read The Shroud Codex! "
— Angela, 8/17/2010" Why did I bother reading this book? I wouldn't have if I had known what other books this author had written (Unfit For Command: Swift Boat Veteran...) "
— Lyn, 6/11/2010" Great mix of fact and fiction "
— William, 5/20/2010Jerome Corsi, PhD, is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality and the New York Times bestseller Where’s the Birth Certificate? The Case That Barak Obama Is Not Eligible to Be President. He is also co-author with John E. O’Neill of Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out against John Kerry, which was also a New York Times bestseller. He is a regular contributor to WorldNetDaily.com. He received a PhD from Harvard University in political science in 1972.
George Guidall, winner of more than eighty AudioFile Earphones Awards, has won three of the prestigious Audie Award for Excellence in Audiobook Narration. In 2014 the Audio Publishers Association presented him with the Special Achievement Award for lifetime achievement/ During his thirty-year recording career he has recorded over 1,700 audiobooks, won multiple awards, been a mentor to many narrators, and shown by example the potential of fine storytelling. His forty-year acting career includes starring roles on Broadway, an Obie Award for best performance off Broadway, and frequent television appearances.