The Origins of Christmas [Paperback]

Joseph F. Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 3, 2004

When was Christmas first celebrated? How did December 25 become the official date for Christmas? How did the Bible's "magi from the East" become three kings named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar who rode camels from three different continents to worship the newborn Christ? Why did medieval and Renaissance artists often portray Joseph as an old man? When did the first Christmas music appear? And who was the real St. Nicholas, and how did he become one of the most famous of all Christian saints? These and many other questions are answered in The Origins of Christmas. The story of the origins of Christmas is not well known, but it is a fascinating tale. It begins when Christmas did not exist, and finishes when Christmas had become an integral part of Christian life and Western culture. The Origins of Christmas covers a variety of topics in a concise and accessible style and is suitable for group discussions. Chapters are "The Birth of Jesus," "Creating the Christmas Story," "Creating Christmas Day and the Christmas Season," "Jesus, Mary, the Magi, and an Obscure Asian Bishop," and "The Popular Acceptance of Christmas." Joseph F. Kelly, Ph.D., who chairs the religious studies department at John Carroll University, is also active in the religious education apostolate of the Diocese of Cleveland. The World of the Early Christians (1997), The Problem of Evil in the Western Tradition (2002), and Responding to Evil (2003), published by Liturgical Press, are among his nine previous books. "What a wonderful little book this is—full of historical and scriptural information! It is readable and accessible to all. But best of all—what a splendid antidote to the commercialism of the Christmas season to be reminded of the true meaning of this happy, holy day." - Catholic Library World "One of the many pleasures this book has to offer is the chance to

Product Details

• Paperback: 145 pages
• Publisher: Liturgical Press (August 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814629849
• ISBN-13: 978-0814629840
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #482,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scripture Based Analysis Of Christmas As A Feast Day., February 2, 2005

By 

John P. Rooney "John" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Origins of Christmas (Paperback)

"The Origins Of Christmas" by Joseph F. Kelly, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 2004.

This book covers exactly what the title says, "The Origins of Christmas". Professor Kelly presents the establishment of Christmas as an important feast day in the Christian Church, with both eastern and western roots. Drawing heavily on the scriptural nativity stories, found in the Gospels of St Mark and St. Luke, the author shows the roots of story of the Three Kings, then Star over Bethlehem, the Flight into Egypt and many more commonly held aspects of Christmas as the present age knows it. Using historical analysis, Dr. Kelly makes it clear that Christ was probably born between 6 B.C,. to 4 B.C., (based upon the records for the death of Herod) and that the ancient Church chose December 25th as the date for celebrating the Birth of Christ as a holy remedy to Roman extravaganzas in that month of the year. Kelly shows how Christmas and Epiphany developed as competing feast days for the Nativity of Christ in Orthodox Catholic and Roman Catholic branches of Christendom. He also devotes some little time to St. Nicholas and how that saint's feast day metamorphosed into a gift giving day in certain countries (e.g. The Netherlands).

This is not, however, a book that deals with the tinsel: the origins of Christmas trees, or Christmas decorations or Christmas lights. Christmas carols are hardly mentioned, and the more modern aspects of Christmas, such Prince Albert's introduction of Christmas trees to England, are not emphasized in Kelly's book. If you want a bible-based analysis of the origins of Christmas, and how the biblical story grew into today's modern story of Christmas, then this is the book for you.

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Traces the evolution of Christmas in Christian life, October 7, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Origins of Christmas (Paperback)

In The Origins Of Christmas, Joseph F. Kelly (Professor of Religious Studies at John Carroll University) deftly traces the evolution of Christmas in Christian life and western culture. Readers will learn when Christmas was first celebrated as the birth of the Christ; how December 25th became the official date for Christmas; how the three "magi from the East" became the three kings known as Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar riding on camels and coming from three different continents to worship the newborn in a manger; why medieval and Renaissance artists tended to portray Joseph as an old man; when Christmas music first made its appearance; the real St. Nicholas and how he became the most well known of all the Christian saints. The diverse origins of Christmas will come as a fascinating surprise to most who know only the Sunday School version of the Christmas story from their childhoods. The Origins Of Christmas, is very highly recommended and informative reading in which Professor Kelly begins when Christmas did not yet exist, and concludes when Christmas had become an integral part of the world culture in general, and Christian communities in particular.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched history of Christmas in the early church, November 17, 2009

By 

P. Stoika "psstoika" (Madison WI) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Origins of Christmas (Paperback)

I bought this book in search of a text that would illuminate the history of Christmas as a sacred holiday in the church -- versus as a secular holiday (there are other good books on that topic). Kelly's book was a perfect fit for what I was seeking.

Kelly recounts the history of the feast of the Nativity (Christmas) in the early church, examining the years from the end of the B.C. era through about the 6th century. He draws on scripture (the gospel accounts) as well as apocryphal literature to identify the sources of details for the modern day nativity story that we know. His discussion of identifying the date of Christ's birth is interesting and, frankly, really helpful for other Bible study efforts, as he explains the reckoning of time in ancient cultures. Really interesting stuff.

I appreciated that the author drew not only on the canon, but on other sources, as well as taking a look at the culture of the day to explain how Christmas came to be celebrated. He illuminates the connection between Christmas and pagan winter celebrations without diminishing the significance of the Nativity.

If you are interested in early Church history, particularly as it relates to Epiphany and the feast of the Nativity, you will find rich information in this text. If you are searching for the "meaning of Christmas" in the context of your Christian faith, this book may make you pause and reflect, and might possibly move you toward a richer and deeper experience of the holiday season.