The Politics of Christmas
Christmas is about spending time with family and friends… at least that is what the vast majority of us think. Yet, this safe, domestic Christmas was largely an invention of the Victorians. The Christmas stories themselves as told in Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels are far less peaceful and far more unsettling.
In the latest Theos report, The Politics of Christmas, author Stephen Holmes argues that contrary to our popular modern understanding of the festival, the Christmas story is in fact highly politicised. Economic exploitation, imperial oppression, social stigma, petty tyranny: are all in the sights of a story in which God himself is born into a poor, vulnerable and somewhat unorthodox family unit.
Holmes concludes that Christmas must undoubtedly be a time for family and generosity, but it should also be a moment when we hear and attend to the Bible’s message of justice and freedom for all.
Follow this link to open a PDF of the report.
Theos is a public theology think tank which exists to undertake research and provide commentary on social and political arrangements.