To celebrate the Christmas season and the culmination of Epiphany, this episode presents a brief digression from our Atonement series to discuss that all-important date of December 25th. It's become popular to view this date with cynicism and a deconstructionist perspective, as we learn more about the pagan and non-Christan inspiration and roots of our Christmas celebrations. Is this cynicism warranted? Or is there room to appreciate the traditions and truths which undergird the season while still internalizing the meaning of the holiday?
Show Notes:
1. Steven Hijmans. "Sol Invictus, the Winter Solstice, and the Origins of Christmas." Mouseion, Series III, vol. 3, 2003. Pgs. 377-98.
2. C.P.E. Nothaft. "The Origins of the Christmas Date: Some Recent Trends in Historical Research." Church History 81(4), 2012. Pgs. 903-11.
3. Kurt Simmons. "The Origins of Christmas and the Date of Christ's Birth." JETS 58(2), 2015. Pgs. 299-324.
4. Mike Duncan. "A History of Rome Christmas." The History of Rome Podcast, Episode 18. 2010.
