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PrevPrevious EpisodeHow Jesus’ Death Relates to his Birth Date (Part 3 of 5)
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Is Christmas a Celebration of Sun? (Part 4 of 5)

Table of Contents: Is Christmas a Celebration of Sun? (Part 4 of 5)

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Many people have said that Dec. 25 is an old Roman holiday celebrating the Sun in the sky.  Did the Catholic Church co-opt this holiday for their own religious purposes, or are there reasons to believe Jesus might have been born in December?  Dr. Jeffrey Chadwick, New Testament scholar at BYU answers that question.

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GT:  So do Catholics believe Jews was born in December?

Jeff: Yes.

GT:  Really?

Jeff:  Well, you know what Christmas means? Christ’s mass. They traditionally date Jesus’ birth to December.

GT:  I’ve always heard the Christmas came about because it was a pagan holiday of the Sun God, and it was December 25th. Was there some Roman [holiday]….

Jeff:  Well, this is certainly true. December 25th was Sol Invictus in the Roman pagan notion. But the Roman Empire became Christian right, by the fourth century. Particularly when Constantine comes in there, Christianity becomes even the preferred religion. But long before that, the notion that Jesus had been born in early winter existed within Christianity. The problem, I think, is that they didn’t know just when. The reason for this is that by the end of the second century, Christianity had become totally Gentile rather than Jewish, which was the way Christianity started out.

We will talk further about early Catholic/Christian beliefs about Christmas.  Dr. Chadwick doesn’t think it’s a problem that Christians re-appropriated a pagan holiday.  What do you think?  Check out our conversation….

Did early Christians appropriate a pagan holiday for Christmas? Do Catholics really believe Jesus was born in December?
Did early Christians appropriate a pagan holiday for Christmas? Do Catholics really believe Jesus was born in December?

Check out our other conversations about the first Christmas!

 

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More Podcasts with these Guests:

  • Myth of the Lambing Season (Part 5 of 5)
  • How Jesus’ Death Relates to his Birth Date (Part 3 of 5)
  • The Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and Birth of Christ (Part 2 of 5)
  • Was Jesus Born in December? (Part 1)

Get more information on the people and things discussed in this episode:

  • Guest: Jeff Chadwick
  • Theology: Mormon Scripture, New Testament, Theology
  • Jesus Christ
  • Historical Mentions Mormon History
  • Tags: Catholic, Catholic Christmas, Christmas, Christmas pagan, Christmas star, GT Podcast, iTunes, Jesus birth stories, Sol Invictus

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PrevPrevious EpisodeHow Jesus’ Death Relates to his Birth Date (Part 3 of 5)
Next ExpisodeMyth of the Lambing Season (Part 5 of 5)Next
  • Date: January 5, 2019
  • Guest: Jeff Chadwick
  • Theology: Mormon Scripture, New Testament, Theology
  • Jesus Christ
  • Historical Mentions Mormon History
  • Tags: Catholic, Catholic Christmas, Christmas, Christmas pagan, Christmas star, GT Podcast, iTunes, Jesus birth stories, Sol Invictus
  • Posted By: RickB

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Rick Bennett, Host of Gospel Tangents

Rick Bennett is the friendly, independent historian at the heart of Gospel Tangents LDS Podcast: The Best Source for Mormon History, Science, and Theology. When he isn't interviewing Mormon scholars, prophets, and others, he is teaching math and statistics at Utah Valley University. He also freelances as a research biostatistician in the fields of Dermatology and Traumatic Brian Injuries, as well as in the network television/cable T.V. industries as a sports statistician. Rick holds a Master of Statistics Degree from the University of Utah.

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