He is risen indeed!
Remember the story of Doubting Thomas, and how Christ put his doubts to rest? Not an image, but live human flesh!
Luke 24:39 "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."
Luke 24:40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
Precisely.
Yeah, and did the Shroud image eat a fish by the shore of Lake Galilee? Kinda of a silly thesis this guy has.
Te Shroud as an artifact could well have cemented and confirmed the appearance of the Resurrected Christ. But it was never wholly essential to the narrative.
In the Maronite Catholic Church, the week following Easter is called the Week of Appearances. During this week, we read the gospel accounts of the various appearances of the Lord: to Mary Magdalene, the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, to Peter, the disciples on the road to Emmaus and the disciples gathered in the upper room. In overcoming the hesitation of Thomas, as you pointed out, the Lord revealed to the apostles the truth of the resurrection. Christ has risen, truly risen.
RE: Without a resurrection (not just viewing an image on a burial cloth), there IS no Christianity.
Exactly!!
‘But blessed are they who have not seen yet believe.’