The Origins of Christmas

By: Joseph F. Kelly

Liturgical Press / 2004 / Paperback

3.5 out of 5 stars (4 Reviews)

Write a Review | Q & A

$9.99 (CBD Price)

Retail: ~~$14.95~~

Save: $4.96 (33%)

Availability: In Stock

CBD Stock No: WW29841

Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

Product Description

When was Christmas first celebrated? How was the date December 25 decided upon? How did "magi from the East" turn into three kings riding camels? Who was the real St. Nicholas? "Packs a lot of interesting information into a small book. A pleasure to read,"---Catholic Books Review. 145 pages, softcover. Liturgical Press.

Product Information

Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 160
Vendor: Liturgical Press
Publication Date: 2004

Dimensions: 8.25 X 5.38 (inches)
ISBN: 0814629849
ISBN-13: 9780814629840
Availability: In Stock

Publisher's Description

When was Christmas first celebrated? 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? These and many other questions are answered in "The Origins of Christmas," which covers a variety of topics in a concise and accessible style and is suitable for group discussions.Liturgical Press

Product Reviews

The Origins of Christmas 3.3 5 4 4

If you're expecting a truly academic book, this isn't for you. However, this book is written in an easy and understandable way. When the author gets to a point that most Christians wouldn't know, for example the New Testament Apocrypha, he stops and explains. Kelly does a great job on tracing back how Christmas, Christmas traditions, and customs were formed. If you'd like a source, besides the internet, on how Christmas originated, I recommend this book. This book includes several pictures, a bibliography, and index. November 17, 2010

Very interesting history of Christmas in the early Church, through the years B.C. through about the 6th century. The author does a nice job of identifying the sources for our contemporary "version" of the nativity story -- including, for example, looking to apocryphal literature, which is likely a source for some of those details. The author clearly explains that the apocryphal writings aren't part of the canon, but they obviously existed and influenced traditions. Considering that this is supposed to be a history, I think it's perfectly appropriate to identify the likely sources of modern traditions -- even if the sources aren't part of the canon.This is a much more in-depth and apparently carefully researched text than any others I have found. I appreciate that it draws from scripture but also goes beyond scripture -- because, clearly, our modern traditions draw on more than scripture too (since, for example, scripture says NOTHING about the feast of the Nativity ... and yet we celebrate it every year). An educational and illuminating read! Exactly what I was looking for. November 18, 2009

The author approached the biblical text from a theologically liberal perspective. For instance the author believes that Matthew and Luke write their accounts of the Christmas story to refute Mark's account. Much of the biblical information is not from the pen of the apostles but later Christians who are responding to their context. Thus the book gives some interesting history but lacks in any biblical foundation. December 16, 2008

It is a great book on getting the background on when and how Christmas came about. I thought that it provided much good information. One thing I really liked was how it went into quite a bit of depth on the pre-Christian holidays that Christmas is based on. September 18, 2008