Synopsis

The Virgin Mary…or perhaps a grilled cheese sandwich? It’s a striking illustration of the public’s enduring readiness to interpret commonplace objects – statues, icons, relics, pictures, stains on tortillas, even scorch marks on a piece of greasy bread – as divine messages. Nonsense! We will investigate how preachers, faith healers, paranormal investigators, and ordinary individuals alike capitalize on the hopes of the devout. And we’ll speak with scientists, historians, philosophers, and writer