The modern Christmas themes of peace and joy were in short supply amid the ‘dislocation and danger’ of ancient Judea – as they are in today’s fractured world too.
Articles on Nativity
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Despite their seemingly secular modern-day iteration — featuring wine, chocolate or other products — Advent calendars continue to carry the spiritual foundation of the season.
‘Black Nativity’ may be different each time you see it − and that’s exactly what the playwright had in mind.
Historians know a fair bit about Herod the Great, the king of Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth.
The Christmas story is about Jesus coming to mankind. As holiday decorations show, Christians around the world often picture him in their own cultures.
The Catholic Church considers St. Joseph a role model of fatherhood and faith. In many countries, Father’s Day is celebrated on his feast day.
Trees that produce resin for frankincense and myrrh – used for thousands of years in healthcare, worship and trade – are facing collapsing populations.
The routine of holding nativity plays and other Christian practices has led them to be viewed as part of British culture.
Recent archaeological studies suggest that early Christians were identifying important sites as little as a century after the last of the gospels.
Nativity scenes showing the birth of baby Jesus first originated in the small Italian town of Greccio.
The inn, the shepherds, angels and animals: pretty much everything we think we know about the Christmas story is historically wrong.
The animals that are so familiar in Christmas cards and carols did not begin to make an appearance until hundreds of years after Jesus’ birth.
The nativity offers an enticing opportunity to discover how words and interpretations have shaped the story and our understanding of it.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer in Biblical and Religious Studies, University of Sheffield
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Director of Slang and New Language Archive, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, King's College London
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Associate Professor, New Testament, & Inaugural Director of The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy, University of Divinity
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Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Dayton
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Associate Director for Marriage Preparation
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Adjunct professor, Theological Studies, Concordia University
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Lecturer in Plant Science, University College Cork
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Professor Emerita of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism, and Honorary Professor of the Australian Catholic University, King's College London; Australian Catholic University
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Director of the Marian Library and Professor, University of Dayton
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Director of Catholic Studies, Georgetown University
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Associate Professor of Religious Studies, West Virginia University
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Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of Nottingham
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Professor of Archaeology and History, University of Reading
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Acting Chair of Theater, School of Theater, Film and Television, University of California, Los Angeles