Christmas As Religion

Author : Christopher Deacy
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198754566
Total Pages : 238 pages
Book Rating : 4.65/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Christmas as Religion written by Christopher Deacy and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work develops critical links between modern representations of Christmas and the category of religion.

Author : Hugh Chisholm
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 1016 pages
Book Rating : 4.09/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Encyclopaedia Britannica written by Hugh Chisholm and published by . This book was released on 1911 with total page 1016 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author : Christopher Deacy
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0191069566
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.67/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Christmas as Religion written by Christopher Deacy and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-07-28 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Christmas as Religion, Christopher Deacy explores the premise that religion plays an elementary role in our understanding of the Christmas festival, but takes issue with much of the existing literature which is inclined to limit the contours and parameters of 'religion' to particular representations and manifestations of institutional forms of Christianity. 'Religion' is often tacitly identified as having an ecclesiastical frame of reference, so that if the Church is not deemed to play a central role in the practice of Christmas for many people today then it can legitimately be side-lined and relegated to the periphery of any discussion relating to what Christmas 'means'. Deacy argues that such approaches fail to take adequate stock of the manifold ways in which people's beliefs and values take shape in modern society. For example, Christmas films or radio programmes may comprise a non-specifically Christian, but nonetheless religiously rich, repository of beliefs, values, sentiments and aspirations. Therefore, this book makes the case for laying to rest the secularization thesis, with its simplistic assumption that religion in Western society is undergoing a period of escalating and irrevocable erosion, and to see instead that the secular may itself be a repository of the religious. Rather than see Christmas as comprising alternative or analogous forms of religious expression, or dependent on any causal relationship to the Christian tradition, Deacy maintains that it is religious per se, and, moreover, it is its very secularity that makes Christmas such a compelling, and even transcendent, religious holiday.

Author : Bruce David Forbes
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520933729
Total Pages : 198 pages
Book Rating : 4.29/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Christmas written by Bruce David Forbes and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2007-10-10 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written for everyone who loves and is simultaneously driven crazy by the holiday season, Christmas: A Candid History provides an enlightening, entertaining perspective on how the annual Yuletide celebration got to be what it is today. In a fascinating, concise tour through history, the book tells the story of Christmas—from its pre-Christian roots, through the birth of Jesus, to the holiday's spread across Europe into the Americas and beyond, and to its mind-boggling transformation through modern consumerism. Packed with intriguing stories, based on research into myriad sources, full of insights, the book explores the historical origins of traditions including Santa, the reindeer, gift giving, the Christmas tree, Christmas songs and movies, and more. The book also offers some provocative ideas for reclaiming the joy and meaning of this beloved, yet often frustrating, season amid the pressures of our fast-paced consumer culture. DID YOU KNOW For three centuries Christians did not celebrate Christmas? Puritans in England and New England made Christmas observances illegal? St. Nicholas is an elf in the famous poem "The Night Before Christmas"? President Franklin Roosevelt changed the dateof Thanksgiving in order to lengthen the Christmas shopping season? Coca-Cola helped fashion Santa Claus's look in an advertising campaign?

Author : Christian Rätsch
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1594776601
Total Pages : 224 pages
Book Rating : 4.01/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Pagan Christmas written by Christian Rätsch and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006-10-24 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas • Analyzes the symbolism of the many plants associated with Christmas • Reveals the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the Christmas celebration The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship, agriculture, magic, and social exchange. But Christmas is no ordinary folk observance. It is an evolving feast that over the centuries has absorbed elements from cultures all over the world--practices that give plants and plant spirits pride of place. In fact, the symbolic use of plants at Christmas effectively transforms the modern-day living room into a place of shamanic ritual. Christian Rätsch and Claudia Müller-Ebeling show how the ancient meaning of the botanical elements of Christmas provides a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The fir tree was originally revered as the sacred World Tree in northern Europe. When the church was unable to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness, it incorporated the fir tree by dedicating it to the Christ child. Father Christmas in his red-and-white suit, who flies through the sky in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, has his mythological roots in the shamanic reindeer-herding tribes of arctic Europe and Siberia. These northern shamans used the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom, which is red and white, to make their soul flights to the other world. Apples, which figure heavily in Christmas baking, are symbols of the sun god Apollo, so they find a natural place at winter solstice celebrations of the return of the sun. In fact, the authors contend that the emphasis of Christmas on green plants and the promise of the return of life in the dead of winter is just an adaptation of the pagan winter solstice celebration.

Author : Bruce David Forbes
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520965221
Total Pages : 464 pages
Book Rating : 4.25/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Religion and Popular Culture in America, Third Edition written by Bruce David Forbes and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2017-03-01 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The connection between popular culture and religion is an enduring part of American life. With seventy-five percent new content, the third edition of this multifaceted and popular collection has been revised and updated throughout to provide greater religious diversity in its topics and address critical developments in the study of religion and popular culture. Ideal for classroom use, this expanded volume gives increased attention to the implications of digital culture and the increasingly interactive quality of popular culture provides a framework to help students understand and appreciate the work in diverse fields, methods, and perspectives contains an updated introduction, discussion questions, and other instructional tools

Author : Richard Wagner
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1118069013
Total Pages : 429 pages
Book Rating : 4.11/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Christianity For Dummies written by Richard Wagner and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-04-20 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Get to know the beliefs and practices inspired by Jesus Christ Discover what it means to be a Christian and follow the gospel Curious about Christianity? This friendly guide helps you understand the basic teachings of the Christian faith, exploring the common ground that all Christians share, the differences among the major branches, the key events in Christian history, the key theological issues, and the many ways Christians live out their faith in today's world. The Dummies Way Explanations in plain English "Get in, get out" information Icons and other navigational aids Tear-out cheat sheet Top ten lists A dash of humor and fun Discover how to: Express the core essentials of Christianity Appreciate the life and teachings of Jesus Understand why the Bible is central to the faith Respect the unique roles of the Trinity Explore controversial issues among the branches

Author : Robin Harvie
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062064274
Total Pages : 322 pages
Book Rating : 4.71/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Atheist's Guide to Christmas written by Robin Harvie and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-11-02 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This funny, festive, and thoughtful collection delves into age-old holiday questions for the non-believer—like what do you get an atheist for Christmas? If you’re an atheist, you don’t believe in the three wise men, so this Christmas, we bring you not three, but forty-two wise men and women, bearing gifts of comedy, science, philosophy, the arts, and knowledge. What does it feel like to be born on Christmas day? How can you most effectively use lights to make your house visible from space? And where can you listen to the echoes of the Big Bang on December 25? The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas answers all these questions and more: Richard Dawkins tells an original Christmas story. Phil Plait fact-checks the Star of Bethlehem. Neal Pollack teaches his family a lesson on holiday spirit. Simon Singh offers a very special scientific experiment. Simon le Bon loses his faith (but keeps church music). AC Grayling explains how to have a truly happy Christmas. Plus thirty-six other brilliant, funny, free-thinking pieces perfect for anyone who doesn’t think of holidays as holy days.

Author : Bruce David Forbes
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520251040
Total Pages : 195 pages
Book Rating : 4.45/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Christmas written by Bruce David Forbes and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2007-10-10 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In a fascinating, concise tour through history, the book tells the story of Christmas-from its pre-Christian roots, through the birth of Jesus, to the holiday's spread across Europe into the Americas and beyond, and to its mind-boggling transformation through modern consumer culture."--Page 2 of cover.

Author : Donald Heinz
Publisher : Fortress Press
ISBN 13 : 1451406959
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.55/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Christmas written by Donald Heinz and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christmas: A Festival of Incarnation is a lively, engaging introduction to the history of Christmas: where it comes from, what meanings it holds, and why it is our most treasured celebration. From the origins of Christmas in the sacred texts - of early Christianity to the figure of Santa Claus to the commercial spree of today, Donald Heinz's work is a marvelous pilgrimage through lived religion as it appears in folkways, music, literature, and artùand includes a gallery of images, each capturing the spirit and significance of the nativity story. Provocative and persuasive, this insightful book shows how our "festival of incarnation" invites "wide-angled amazement" at the rich popular and theological meanings that this celebration holds. "Heinz offers a splendid overview on Christmas, blending history, theology, festival culture, and lived religious experiences. Readers will learn from it, perhaps be inspired by it. Recommended reading for both the faithful and those caught up in the spirit of the season but not quite Sure why or how."-Wade Clark Roof J.F Rowny Professor of Religion University of California at Santa Barbara