An Adult Christ at Christmas: Essays on the Three Biblical Christmas Stories-Matthew 2 and Luke 2 [Paperback]

Raymond Edward Brown (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 50 pages
• Publisher: Liturgical Press (December 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081460997X
• ISBN-13: 978-0814609972
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #686,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Holidays > General
  • #72 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Jesus > General

More About the Author

Raymond E. Brown, S.S., taught for many years at Saint Mary's Seminary in Baltimore and was Professor of Biblical Studies at the Union Theological Seminary for two decades. He was the author of three books in the Anchor Bible series on the Gospels and Epistles of John and wrote the classic Anchor Bible Reference Library volumes The Birth of the Messiah, The Death of the Messiah, and An Introduction to the New Testament. He died in 1998.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Matthew and Luke wrote different things than you belive., January 3, 2002

By 

Ernesto Botero (Bogotá Colombia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Adult Christ at Christmas: Essays on the Three Biblical Christmas Stories-Matthew 2 and Luke 2 (Paperback)

I read this book in this time of Christmas, 2001-2002. The content was incredibly interesting and changed my mind about the narratives of Jesus infancy. The two initial chapters of Matthew and Luke now say different things than I understood just a month ago. Recommendable only for people with a very well cemented faith. Short and very interesting and clear reading. That is the reason why I am a father Brown's fan.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful and faithful book all Christians should read, September 27, 2001

By 

The Rev. James Richardson (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Adult Christ at Christmas: Essays on the Three Biblical Christmas Stories-Matthew 2 and Luke 2 (Paperback)

This book is short (50 pages) and well written. It can form the basis of an lay class on Christmas or Advent, either led by clergy or laity. Excellent resource.
This book is an exacting and thoughtful set of essays by the most eminent bibical scholar of our time, the late Fr. Raymond Brown. It is a summation of much of what he wrote elsewhere in his volumnious work (for example, his epic "The Birth of the Messiah"). In this 50-page book he explains why the gospel writers wrote the birth stories the way they did, with differing plot twists. Brown reaches profound insights with major implications for the spirituality and theology of the Christian Church. His insights about the centrality of Mary is particularly interesting, especially for a Roman Catholic. He sees the miracle of Mary not so much as the "virgin" birth or as the theotokos (mother of God) of the early Church, but rather as the first and most loyal disciple of Jesus. And that should have implications about the role of women in the Church and priesthood.
Brown, as ever, does his homework. His scholarship is solid -- even the footnotes are worth reading.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good news, March 18, 2001

By 

catherine guelph "catrina_g" (milano, italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Adult Christ at Christmas: Essays on the Three Biblical Christmas Stories-Matthew 2 and Luke 2 (Paperback)

I have learned a great deal from "an ADULT CHRIST at CHRISTMAS". Father Raymond Edward Brown, PhD, presents, yet another, work of brilliance. As with all of Father Brown's work, the scholarship is objective and thorough. He takes great pains to provide a balanced apologetic even with extremely controversial topics within his own organisation, by way of example, immaculate conception and mariology. The question posed here is, why were the infant narratives of Luke and Matthew deemed appropriate for to be included in the good news (greek: "gospels") which bear their names. The answer offered is that these narratives provide a salvific message consistent with the gospel message, in general, and the passion narratives, specifically. The writers of Matthew and Luke understood the christological significance of these early stories because, for them, the conception and birth consititute the moment when GOD revealed who the CHRIST was. That is the first important idea I learned from this short book. The second idea which was clarified for me was that the proclamation of a gospel message is met with two responses in the cannonised material. Some accept it, believe and dedicate their lives to its growth and development. Others reject it, despise it and dedicate their lives to its destruction. Each of these are equally valid individual decisions with their own respective conseqences. As those who are familiar with my comments elsewhere already know, I am in the former category of those who believe. For this reason, I have found great spiritual insight in this work by Father Brown. If you are interested in the gospel message of the first century christians, this book will be interesting to you