A Short History of Christmas (and Why It Matters)
Where did Christmas really come from—and should Christians celebrate it? This week, we explore the historical roots of Christmas, common objections about pagan origins and commercialization, and the role of Santa, imagination, and gift-giving. Along the way, we argue that the church’s call isn’t to retreat from culture but to redeem it. Ultimately, Christmas matters because the incarnation matters: God took on flesh, entered our darkness, and brought hope at just the right time. When understood rightly, even the most familiar Christmas traditions can point us back to Jesus.
In this episode:
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(00:00) Intro
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(01:15) Why Christians question Christmas
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(02:45) Pagan origins, Sol Invictus, and Saturnalia
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(06:10) Did Christians borrow Christmas?
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(09:15) The church’s call: withdraw from culture or redeem it?
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(15:30) Puritans vs. separatists: two ways of engaging the world
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(17:55) Lights, gifts, and redeeming Christmas traditions
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(19:45) Is Santa real? Imagination, myth, and meaning
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(23:10) Why stories teach truth better than arguments
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(25:10) Gift-giving, generosity, and reflecting God’s heart
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(28:45) Why the incarnation actually matters
Links
- Sol Invictus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus
- Saturnalia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia
- Yuletide: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule
- Enneagram: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enneagram_of_Personality
- Myers-Briggs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers%E2%80%93Briggs_Type_Indicator
- Separatism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separatism
- Puritans: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritans
- William Bradford: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bradford_(Plymouth_Colony_governor)
- John Newton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Newton
- John Bunyan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bunyan
- John Flavel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Flavel
- Jonathan Edwards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_(theologian)
- Thomas Edison: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison
- John Milton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Milton
- C.S. Lewis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis
- J.R.R. Tolkien: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien
- Andrew Peterson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Peterson_(musician)
- Jordan Peterson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Peterson
- Charles Dickens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens
- A Christmas Carol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol
- Starbucks: http://starbucks.com/
- Target: https://target.com
- Harry Potter: https://www.harrypotter.com/
- Disney’s Magic Kingdom: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/magic-kingdom/
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