The Shroud, a special course at the ISSR
By Professor Emanuela Marinelli
The Shroud has long been a significant topic at the university due to its scientific and religious value. In 2006, the permanent exhibition “Who is the Man of the Shroud?” was inaugurated as part of the activities of the Master’s Program in Science and Faith. The interest in this initiative is evidenced by the success of the recent video presenting it.
Furthermore, for the fifteenth consecutive year, the Science and Faith Institute is offering the Diploma in Shroud Studies, which is highly regarded, including its English and Spanish versions. Therefore, it was natural for the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences to focus on the Shroud’s pedagogical value, as it is a true Gospel of the Passion summarized in an image. In this age of visual learning, especially for younger generations, the Shroud is a powerful tool, a “photo-news report from Calvary,” as the late Vatican journalist Orazio Petrosillo defined it.
The Shroud, a “silent witness, yet surprisingly eloquent” (Saint John Paul II), is extremely interesting for teachers of Catholic Religion, as it can spark initial interest in the story of Jesus among young people.
Thus, in the 2023-2024 academic year, the semester-long course “Shroud and Catholic Religion Teaching” was created. Its purpose is to provide Catholic Religion teachers with essential knowledge on the subject and didactic guidance for presenting the complex issues surrounding the Shroud and the numerous studies conducted on it to students.
The topics are addressed with the aim of suggesting appropriate strategies to arouse student interest, both from a cultural perspective and in terms of its implications for faith, thereby stimulating a desire for further exploration. The course is taught by professors who are Shroud scholars with decades of experience, including in the field of teaching. Students are also provided with information on the necessary sources and teaching tools. Some hours are dedicated to practical proposals, with examples of specific lessons.
Enrollment was open to all interested individuals, including as auditors, and was a great success, with 230 registered participants. The students expressed great enthusiasm.
Without a doubt, this course has been very rewarding for the eight teachers who taught it (Bruno Barberis, Lucia DāAdamo, Fr. Andrew Dalton, L.C., Livio Giorgioni, Alessandro Malantrucco, Emanuela Marinelli, Fr. Rafael Pascual, L.C., Domenico Repice), and great thanks go to Fr. Marcelo Bravo, L.C. and Fr. Rafael Pascual, L.C., who conceived and supported it, with personal commitment, in every phase.