The Oxford Handbook of Christmas

The Oxford Handbook of Christmas provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary account of all aspects of Christmas across the globe, from the specifically religious to the purely cultural. The contributions are drawn from a distinguished group of international experts from across numerous disciplines, including literary scholars, theologians, historians, biblical scholars, sociologists, anthropologists, art historians, and legal experts. The volume provides authoritative treatments of a range of topics, from the origins of Christmas to the present; decorating trees to eating plum pudding; from the Bible to contemporary worship; from carols to cinema; from the Nativity Story to Santa Claus; from Bethlehem to Japan; from Catholics to Baptists; from secularism to consumerism.

Christmas is the biggest celebration on the planet. Every year, a significant percentage of the world's population is drawn to this holiday—from Cape Cod to Cape Town, from South America to South Korea, and on and on across the globe. The Christmas season takes up a significant part of the entire year. For many countries, the holiday is a major force in their national economy. Moreover, Christmas is not just a modern holiday, but has been an important feast for most Christians since the fourth century and a dominant event in many cultures and countries for over a millennium. The Oxford Handbook of Christmas provides an invaluable reference point for anyone interested in this global phenomenon.

Timothy Larsen, McManis Professor of Christian Thought, Wheaton College (Illinois)

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).

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