In her recent book Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus (April 2025), scholar Elaine Pagels recalls a deeply formative—and devastating—experience from her youth:
I eagerly joined an evangelical church. There I could meet my “brothers and sisters in Christ,” and we would hug each other, pray, and praise the Lord, eating fragments of cracker and drinking grape juice from tiny plastic cups as we shared communion, as members of Christ’s body on earth. A year and a half later, though, everything changed. Suddenly devastated when one of my closest high school friends died in a car crash, I went to the church in shock. Members of our close-knit group, at first sympathetic, asked, “Was he born again?” When I said, “No, he was Jewish,” they said, “Then he’s in hell.” Feeling as if I’d been punched in the stomach, I nearly asked, Wasn’t Jesus Jewish? Unable to speak, and shocked that their sense of God’s love had nothing to do with anyone outside the circle of “Bible-believing Christians,” I walked out alone, devastated, and never went back.
This painful moment raises a hard but necessary question: Were her church friends culpable for Pagels’ leaving the church?
That question returned to me while reading a recent comment by prolificTeddi, who raised a different but related concern. Referring to those who question the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, she wrote:
And, I would urge you to not concern yourself with Luther and/or taking things to their logical extreme. Just think about whether what the Bible teaches about the culpability of, especially, pastors who lead people astray and the sowing of doubt in people about the Holy Shroud. While it might not be as big of a deal if a Christian does not believe in the Holy Shroud’s evidence of Jesus’ resurrection (and, that’s REALLY what the Holy Shroud is about–not Its just being something that wrapped a historical figure [divine or not]), it IS a big deal when an atheist might have come to Christ for his/her salvation (through the information regarding the Holy Shroud) but then does not (because of doubts that they have because of what skeptics have said about it.)
It’s an earnest appeal, rooted in concern for souls and informed by Scripture’s warning to spiritual leaders. But it also assumes something quite significant: that a person’s eternal destiny might hinge on whether they encounter the right argument about the Shroud—or avoid the wrong skeptic. That assumption deserves closer scrutiny.
Who Gets to Define the Terms of Salvation?
Teddi’s view, like that of Pagels’ former church, reflects a narrow definition of salvation—one that hinges on correct belief, often defined within a specific theological framework. In one case, it’s belief in a personal savior. In another, it’s belief in the authenticity of a linen cloth bearing Jesus’ image.
But Christian tradition—especially in its broader, more inclusive expressions—offers a wider horizon of grace.
In the Episcopal and Anglican traditions, for example, Christ’s atoning work is not presented as limited to those who pass a doctrinal test. It is proclaimed liturgically and sacramentally as:
“A full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.”
This is not a minimalist claim about a select group—it’s a cosmic one. And it leaves room for mystery. It leaves room for questions. It leaves room for those who—like Elaine Pagels—walk away from a distorted vision of God but still long for something sacred, real, and just.
What Christians Actually Believe
Surveys by Pew Research Center underscore this theological diversity. While some church leaders and official doctrines may hold exclusivist views, the majority of American Christians do not.
- 52% of American Christians say that some non-Christian religions can lead to eternal life.
- Of those, 80% name specific non-Christian faiths like Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism.
- 84% of Catholics and 82% of mainline Protestants affirm this inclusive view.
- Even 47% of white evangelicals say many religions can lead to salvation.
- 42% of Christians say even atheists can attain eternal life.
- Among younger born-again Christians, over 60% believe that Jesus, Muhammad, and Buddha can all lead to salvation.
(Source: Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, “Many Americans Say Other Faiths Can Lead to Eternal Life,” released December 2008, based on surveys conducted July 31–August 10, 2008.)
These numbers reveal a growing generosity in how Christians understand the reach of God’s grace. They also remind us to be cautious in treating belief about any one issue—even something as compelling as the Shroud of Turin—as salvifically decisive.
A Call for Generosity in Shroud Conversations
This diversity doesn’t mean that anything goes. But it does mean we should be slow to suggest culpability—especially when someone expresses doubt based on sincere reasoning.
If Elaine Pagels was right to walk away from a view of God that condemned her friend for being Jewish, then we must be equally cautious about implying that faith itself hinges on the authenticity of an ancient cloth. The Shroud may inspire awe. It may even be authentic. But salvation is not about passing an evidentiary test.
Christianity at its best is not fragile. It does not demand silence in the face of doubt. It does not fear critical questions. And it certainly does not depend on radiocarbon dating or forensic interpretations.
As we explore the Shroud—whether as believers, seekers, or skeptics—let’s do so with curiosity, reverence, and a wide embrace of the many ways God may be at work in the world. Let’s make room for faith to grow—not from fear, but from grace.
Hi, Dan,
I’m a bit astonished at your call for “generosity” with Shroud conversations given how you launched 4 pointed attacks–through 4 separate opinion pieces on your website, one after the other in rapid-fire-succession–against the Sign From God organization. Your attacks did not seem to be in the least bit generous. There were some technical errors on their website which need fixing, but that doesn’t really negate the compelling Truth to which that worthy organization seeks to spread.
You urge making room for faith to grow from grace and not fear. Proverbs 1:7 declares that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” the Bible is replete with references to how we should fear the Lord and how this is important as it helps us to get control over our sinful natures. Schmaltzy, “feel-good” versions of Christianity are leading people down the road to Hell that is paved with good intentions. I just don’t buy into that, and it’s not because I don’t have a proclivity to wanting to buy that bill of goods (because it’s quite attractive!), but because I don’t see where it is warranted given what the Bible informs us.
We have to wrestle not just with what will happen to the non-Christians. We must, must, must wrestle with the spine-chilling parable of the sheep and the goats. How many God-loving Christians will be cast into Hell? Yeah, we need to pay attention to what God is telling us, because forewarned is forearmed in terms of how we need to strive to live our lives.
Best regards,
Teddi
Let me be clear: this call for generosity applies to me as much as to anyone. Teddi was right to call me out on this. I recognize that I, too, may speak too sharply, too confidently, or without fully considering how my words might land. I appreciate the reminder.
As Jesus said:
“Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3, NRSV)
That doesn’t mean I retreat from the substance of my views. I stand by what I’ve said—even if I haven’t always said it in the most thoughtful or sensitive way. Humility must walk alongside conviction. Doubt must be tempered by kindness. And if we are going to talk about culpability, we must all be willing to ask hard questions not just of others, but of ourselves.