Theology, Books, and Christmas

Books to Read During Advent and the Christmas Holiday

It is that time of year again when Christians begin preparing themselves for celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus, who came down from heaven in the form of a babe and grew to be a man. As both man and God he taught the 12 disciples, did ministry across Israel, lived a sinless life, died a criminal’s death, and rose again. We celebrate all of this during advent and Christmas, knowing that all of this was possible because of the Incarnation of Christ on Christmas nearly 2,000 years ago. That day, Mary the virgin, gave birth to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. The one whom she knew as her son, as God’s son, would give his life for the salvation of many. Praise God then for the incarnation! What a time we live in which we can enjoy the fact that Christ has come, been born of a virgin, died and risen again to be our hope of salvation! And it all began with his incarnation.

On the Incarnation by Athanasius

Arguable one of the greatest books of Church History, Athanasius defends a biblical and orthodox view of Christ’s divinity and humanity. During his time the false teachings of the bishop Arius were beginning to stir and grow in popularity. Like other bishops, Athanasius grew deeply concerned about the teachings of Arius. Arius’ teachings, which became known as Arianism, taught that Jesus Christ is not God and not of the same essence as the father. It described Jesus as a separate being from God, even though this contradicts the teachings of scripture and the apostles. Thus Athanasius was thrust into one of the great theological conflicts of the early church. He stood his ground and defended the orthodox teaching that Christ is fully God and fully man.

What surprised me about this book is that it felt easy to follow. Its natural flow of writing and theological grit made it deeply informative on the subject of the incarnation. From the book one can see that Athanasius cared very deeply about defending Christ as fully God and fully man. Christians still defend this truth today, and many cite Athanasius’ writing as part of their defense of this orthodox teaching. He is truly an example of 1 Peter 3:15 which says “but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” If there is any book which you should read first out of the three that I discuss in this post, I would start with this one.

God Rest Ye Merry by Douglas Wilson

God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's pow'r
When we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

So goes the classic Christmas hymn about the incarnation of Christ. Doug Wilson uses this hymn as the main means of communicating the message of Christmas: remember Christ and what he has done for us by being born on Christmas Day. I think what most surprised me about this book was how direct the discussion was on the importance of celebrating Christmas. It kept the discussion of the holiday simple, forward, and easy to understand. I could not stop thinking about how, if I were to write a post about just this book, I felt like I would have to directly quote every page and chapter of the book. That is how good it is. Also, if you have not already, you should watch the discussion that Doug Wilson has done with Christian actor Kirk Cameron about the book and the theological significance of Christmas. God Rest Ye Merry is truly one of the best books about the birth of Christ and why celebrating it at Christmas is so important for Christians.

Link to Book Discussion:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I could spend a long time discussing this book. It truly is a classic story to enjoy during the Holiday season. It has become such a classic in Western culture that it has spawned not only a multitude of book printings with different styles, but also multiple movie adaptations that go all the way back to the 1930s. What would the Christmas season be without the story of A Christmas Carol?

Ebenezer Scrooge is an irredeemable man. That is the whole point of his portrayal at the beginning of the story. He is not meant to be viewed as likable, lovable, or even redeemable. Of course, that is what the author wants you to think about him. He wants you to see Scrooge as someone who does not deserve redemption. Once Scrooge is visited by the four ghosts (Marley, Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come) we begin to see that there is much more to Scrooge than what we initially thought in the first part of the novel. His past has moments of depravity, sadness, but also joy and hope. Scrooge worked for a kind man named Fezziwig and fell in love with a woman named Belle. However, he became obsessed with money and success. This love of wealth tore apart his relationship with Belle. She left him, realizing that he loved money more than her. I think Charles Dickens wanted us to understand how Scrooge became what he is and to point out his transition from a kind young man into a cold-hearted businessman can happen to anyone if they are not careful.

Scrooge might not deserve redemption, but that does not that he is without hope. The four ghosts help him see the error of his ways, that he must repent, and have a change of heart. I think the reason that his story resonates so much with people is because it reminds us that none of us are too far gone to be redeemed by God. Now, while Dickens may not have meant to include God in the book or to make it a distinctly Christian work, I think that he certainly made the book distinctly Christian without even trying. Scrooge’s vanity and greed was great. Once his heart was changed however, his charity and kindness were even greater than his vanity and greed had been. Also, I think that Dickens has a knack for creating a world that feels very real and detailed. It makes the story very immersive and it feels like you are witnessing the story first hand.

Conclusion

I believe that these books are some of the best books theologically speaking that Christians can read during the Christmas season. I am sure that there are more but I would strongly recommend these books if you have not read them already. Also, any books that you read that are deeply meaningful and keep you focused on Christ during the Christmas season ought to be read and reread every year during this time. I would encourage every Christian to do this. I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas this year and remember what Christ has done for us.