The Oxford Handbook of Christmas

Professor Timothy Larsen is McManis Professor of Christian Thought, Wheaton College; an Honorary Fellow, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh; and an Honorary Research Fellow, University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He has been a Visiting Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge, All Souls College, Oxford, and Christ Church, Oxford. His books include Crisis of Doubt: Honest Faith in Nineteenth-Century England (OUP 2006); A People of One Book: The Bible and the Victorians (OUP 2011); The Slain God: Anthropologists and the Christian Faith (OUP 2014); and John Stuart Mill: A Secular Life (OUP 2018).

The Handbook is scrupulous in covering the views of all the main Christian traditions and perspectives, and Orthodox perspectives receive admirably balanced coverage throughout the work ... So many are the impacts of Christmas, and so diverse, that we can scarcely imagine a single book that could do the topic justice. We must then laud the sheer ambition of Oxford University Press in proposing anything like The Oxford Handbook of Christmas, and the raw nerve of Timothy Larsen in undertaking the editorial guidance. The resulting book is a triumph.

• Part I: History 1: Paul F. Bradshaw: The Dating of Christmas: The Early Church 2: Kati Ihnat: The Middle Ages 3: Katrina Jennie-Lou Wheeler: The Reformation and Early Modern Periods 4: Timothy Larsen: The Nineteenth Century 5: Christopher Ferguson: The Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries Part II: Theology 6: John Barton: The Old Testament 7: Markus Bockmuehl and Evangeline Kozitza: The New Testament 8: Katherine Sonderegger: Jesus Christ and the Incarnation 9: Katherine G. Schmidt: The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Virgin Birth Part III: Worshipping Communities 10: Anne McGowan: Roman Catholicism 11: Mary B. Cunningham: Eastern Orthodoxy 12: Kirsi Stjerna: Lutheranism 13: Martyn Percy: Anglicanism 14: Andrew R. Holmes: Reformed and Dissenting Protestants Part IV: The Nativity Story 15: Holly Taylor Coolman: The Holy Family 16: David Lyle Jeffrey: Gabriel and the Angels 17: Leroy A. Huizenga: Bethlehem and the Census 18: D. H. Williams: The Magi and the Star 19: Jody Vaccaro Lewis: The Inn, the Manger, the Swaddling Clothes, the Shepherds, and the Animals Part V: Traditions 20: Daniel Gifford: The Winter Solstice and other Celebrations of the Season 21: Adam C. English: St Nicholas to Santa Claus 22: David Bertaina: Trees and Decorations 23: Ellen M. Litwicki: Gifts and Charity 24: Marcia J. Bunge: Children and Childhood 25: Paul Freedman: Food and Drink Part VI: The Arts 26: Tova Leigh-Choate: Carols and Music to 1900 27: Todd Decker: Carols and Music since 1900 28: Barbara von Barghahn: Paintings 29: Frances Clemson: Plays 30: Emma Mason: Poetry 31: Natalie McKnight: Fiction 32: Mark Connelly: Film and Television Part VII: Around the World 33: Elizabeth Monier: Bethlehem and the Middle East 34: Nadine Cretin: Catholic Europe 35: Joe Perry: Germany and Scandinavia 36: Francesca Silano: Russia 37: Martin Johnes: The United Kingdom 38: Daniel Vaca: The United States 39: Joel Cabrita: Africa 40: Joseph Tse-Hei Lee: Asia 41: David Thomas Orique, O.P.: Latin America and the Caribbean Part VIII: The State and Society 42: Richard W. Garnett and Jackson Blais: Public Holidays and the Law 43: John Schmalzbauer: Commercialism and Consumerism 44: David Nash: Secularity 45: Gerry Bowler: Culture Wars Timothy Larsen: Epilogue: The Many True Meanings of Christmas