Here is Søren Kierkegaard's parable of "The King and the Maiden." It is, I suppose, more of a Christmas story than an Advent story, but here it is anyway. Read more
Here is Søren Kierkegaard's parable of "The King and the Maiden." It is, I suppose, more of a Christmas story than an Advent story, but here it is anyway. Read more
"No one has to give the signal. No one holds a rehearsal. No one has to make sure it all happens again in 12 months. ..." Read more
The mythology of Santa Claus is a mess and we need to sort some of that out. ... The many canonical parts of this story can’t be made to fit together. Read more
Larry Nassar and Jerry Sandusky will spend the rest of their lives in prison. Jeffrey Epstein committed similar crimes, but he received extraordinary leniency instead of a life sentence. We need to know why. Read more
The main reason we say "Happy Holidays," of course, is because it's plural. The end of the year brings a steady stream of holidays -- Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year's at a minimum. "Happy Holidays" covers all of them. Read more
When I was a teenager, the most piously zealous young white evangelicals wanted to go into "full-time Christian service," becoming missionaries or youth ministers. Today, the most piously zealous young white evangelicals want to become right-wing Republican legislators. Read more
We've had 120 years of Santa Claus in the movies. Here's a chance to see the very first one. (He's silent and too skinny, but still appropriately magical.) Read more
The only Advent hymn that most people remember or like dates back centuries. You'd think we might have expanded the list of beloved Advent songs since then ... but no. Read more
"I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise." Read more
The liturgical season doesn't officially begin until tomorrow, but now the calendar's just one page and it's time to start our annual splurge o' Christmas-y stuff. Read more
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