The First Christmas

This class will begin on November 15, 2015. I hope to see you there!

We will look at the two stories of Jesus’ birth found in the Bible, one in Matthew’s Gospel and the other in the Gospel according to Luke. The class will consider the politico-religious context of these stories in the first century CE as well as what the stories mean for today’s world.

We will neither try to defend the stories as factual nor dismiss them as non-factual, but rather read them as narratives with both political and personal meanings for the ancient world and for our own. They presented a strong challenge to the empire of their time. What are their implications for our nation’s role in the world? On a personal level, they offer a challenge to live in communion with God. What does that mean for today’s church and today’s Christians? Join us for a lively discussion!

FirstChristmasI recommend the book, The First Christmas, by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan as a way to further your understanding of the issues we will discuss. You do not need to read the book to attend the class, though. Each class meeting will be understandable without it!