|
SUBJECT: Christmas and booklet, “Christmas, the Untold Story”
QUESTION: What sources were used in putting this booklet together?
ANSWER:
Following is a list of sources mentioned within the booklet:
1) Encyclopedia Britannica 2) New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge 3) Internet pages: HOW TO CELEBRATE THE SATURNALIA! http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/Saturnalia.html ; http://pages.prodigy.net/feaudrey/saturnal.htm 4) The Origins of Christmas (a book) 5) Jewish Antiquities by Barnes, Doddridge, Lightfoot, Joseph Scaliger, and Jennings 6) The fable of St. Boniface 7) The Two Babylons by Hislop 8) Back to Christmas Chronicles 9) Bullinger's Companion Bible 10) Stromata of Clement of Alexandria --- http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/02101.htm 11) The Bible
Your question about the papal decrees is found in the above listed sources. In addition, you may want to refer to these sources:
1) Walter Woodburn Hyde, Paganism to Christianity in the Roman Empire 2) Frederick H. Cramer, Astrology in Roman Law and Politics, 3) Franz Cumont, Astrology and Religion Among the Greek and Romans 4) Franz Cumont, The Mysteries of Mithra, trans. by Thomas J. McCormack 5) Gordon J. Laing, Survivals of Roman Religion 6) The Catholic Encyclopedia article on Christmas ---http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm 7) The Catholic Encyclopedia article on Constantine the Great --- http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04295c.htm 8) Saturnalia and the evolution of Christmas: Earl W. Count 9) 4,000 Years of Christmas (New York: Henry Schuman, 1948), republished in 1997 by Ulysses Press; Richard Heinberg 10) Celebrate the Solstice: Honoring the Earth's Seasonal Rhythms (Wheaton, IL: Quest Books, 1993); Steven Nissenbaum 11) The Battle for Christmas (New York: Knopf, 1996). 12) Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. III (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1910) 13) Owen Chadwick, The Early Church (Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin, 1967
14) Also check out this Internet Source as it has much bibliography and will document the spread of Christ from Constantine:
http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/Xmas_ch2.htm Christmas: An Historical Survey Regarding Its Origins and Opposition to It
15) The Truth About Christmas (scroll down to part III) http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/christm3.htm 16) McAbes History of the Popes 17) History of the Christian Church by Fisher 18) The Reason for the Season http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/xmasreas.html ---good source
Note: In my research I found one source that stated:
CHRISTMAS, WHICH TAKES ITS NAME from Christ's Mass, was first celebrated on various dates from about 200 A.D. but was finally set on December 25 by Bishop Liberus of Rome in 354 A.D. The December date, which almost coincides with the winter solstice, became a popular festival of West Europe during the Middle Ages. But as late as the nineteenth century, Christmas celebration was suppressed in Scotland and New England because of some religious differences. --end-- (http://209.82.14.226/culture/traditions/christmas/ ) Note: You may want to check out Bishop Liberus of Rome. Disclaimer |