'Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery' CNN's newest investigative series looks deep into the history of Jesus

CNN presents a new investigative show called "Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery" that aims to debunk and authenticate different artifacts, both physical and textual, about Jesus Christ and those in his life. Over a series of six episodes, the show plans on providing viewers with a new, more intensive outlook on Christian history.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - From the Shroud of Turin and the True Cross to the gospel of Judas and the relics of John the Baptist, Finding Jesus will research many artifacts with the help of scholars and institutions from different religious backgrounds.

"It's important to tell these stories because, whether you are Christian or not, Jesus is this immensely important person in human history," explained Dr. Candida Moss, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Notre Dame and series consultant. "The very best science, history and religious thinking is brought to bare on those artifacts. That's a way to think more about Jesus and more about Christian history."

The show's first episode, airing Sunday, March 1 on CNN will focus on the Shroud of Turin. The experts will investigate whether the imprint left on Jesus' burial wrap after his crucifixion is actually the face of Jesus or rather a forgery. The infamous imprint remains present on the shroud today.

According to Moss, CNN was aware that people have an appetite for well done religious programming. People want to know more about their faith, they want to know about their history. But they want it to be responsibly done, both historically and with a sensitivity to faith.

"What we're looking at are pieces of physical evidence that could be proof that Jesus existed; they could be proof that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. We're looking at something that could be a piece of the true cross, the cross on which Jesus was crucified," expressed Moss. "That would make this one of the most important items in human history. And you don't have to be Christian to think that. The Crucifixion, whether or not you're Christian, has shaped the world you live in."

CNN currently has clips from the series up on their website. Following the first episode's airing, viewers can write into the network, through the website, with questions or comments about the episode to be addressed by scholars invested in the series.

For more information please stop by the Finding Jesus webpage or the show's Facebook.

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