You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
When was Christmas first celebrated? How did December 25 become the date for the feast? How did the Bible’s “magi from the East” become three kings named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar who rode camels from three different continents to worship the newborn Christ? How did the Feast of the Nativity generate an entire liturgical season from Advent to Candlemas? Why did medieval and Renaissance artists portray Joseph as an old man? When did the first Christmas music appear? And who was the real Saint Nicholas? These and many other questions are answered in this revised and expanded edition of The Origins of Christmas. The story of the origins of Christmas is not well known, but it is a fascinating tale. It begins when the first Christians had little interest in Christ’s Nativity, and it finishes when Christmas had become an integral part of Christian life and Western culture. The Origins of Christmas covers a variety of topics in a concise and accessible style, and is suitable for group discussions.
When was Christmas first celebrated? How did December 25 become its date? How did the Bible's "magi from the East" become three kings named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar who rode camels from three different continents to venerate the newborn Christ? Why did medieval and Renaissance artists so frequently portray Joseph as an old man? When did the first Christmas music appear? Who was the real St. Nicholas, and how did he become the most famous of all Christian saints? Professor Kelly ably answers such questions in this concise and readable account on the origins of Christmas. Book jacket.
Heresies, like doctrinal formulations, are products of history. They must be understood historically as well as theologically. When doctrinal issues become intertwined with historical ones, advocates of a new understanding have often run afoul of religious authorities.
Kelly turns to the infancy narratives to see what the New Testament says about the Nativity. He also reveals that Christmas celebrations, cards, pageants, and crches are often combinations and embellishments of the gospel narratives.
How does the Bible's teaching on the devil square with psychology and other modern scientific disciplines that seem to have driven Satan into the realm of myth? Why does 666 signify the devil? Is Satan the Antichrist or does that term refer to a human? These are legitimate questions because many popular writers and filmmakers have combined a number of diverse traditions, distorting Christian teaching and tradition about Satan and also occasionally distorting common sense. With his engaging and clear prose, Joseph F. Kelly introduces the reader of Who Is Satan? to what the Bible actually says about Satan and other evil biblical figures.
Many Christians struggle to balance the religious and secular elements of Christmas, but the history of the feast shows that this is nothing new. The religious Christmas has changed over the centuries and, contrary to many critics, is thriving today. This brief, accessible account will explain that: The first Christians did not celebrate Christmas at all. The earliest mention of the feast occurs in the fourth century. In the Middle Ages Christmas moved into northern Europe where it became a major winter festival, competing with the pagan Yule. During the sixteenth century some Christians objected to Christmas because they claimed it had no biblical foundation. In England and New England the ...
There have been twenty-one universal gatherings 'ecumenical councils' of the Catholic Church. The first opened in 325, the last closed in 1965, and the names of many ring out in the history of the church: Nicea, Chalcedon, Trent, Vatican II. Though centuries separate the councils, each occurred when the church faced serious crises, sometimes with doctrinal matters, sometimes with moral or even political matters, and sometimes with discerning the church's relation to the world. The councils determined much of what the Catholic Church is and believes. Additionally, many councils impacted believers in other Christian traditions and even in other faiths. In this accessible, readable, and yet substantial account of the councils Joseph Kelly provides both the historical context for each council as well as an account of its proceedings. Readers will discover how the councils shaped the debate for the following decades and even centuries, and will appreciate the occasional portraits of important conciliar figures from Emperor Constantine to Pope John XXIII.
"A Michael Glazier book." Includes bibliographical references (p. 201-203).
The title of this book may be a bit puzzling 'a Catholic introduction to the New Testament? The New Testament belongs to all Christians, and the modern study of the New Testament has benefited from the contributions by scholars of all Christian denominations. But there are questions and issues in the New Testament that are specific to Catholics, such as the portrayal of Jesus' mother Mary, the commissioning of Peter, and the Trinity. In this volume, Joseph Kelly provides an introduction to the New Testament for students and deals with the concerns of modern Catholics reading the Bible. It's a book that Catholic teachers can use rather than a book that presents them with problems they have to...
University Physics provides an authoritative treatment of physics. This book discusses the linear motion with constant acceleration; addition and subtraction of vectors; uniform circular motion and simple harmonic motion; and electrostatic energy of a charged capacitor. The behavior of materials in a non-uniform magnetic field; application of Kirchhoff's junction rule; Lorentz transformations; and Bernoulli's equation are also deliberated. This text likewise covers the speed of electromagnetic waves; origins of quantum physics; neutron activation analysis; and interference of light. This publication is beneficial to physics, engineering, and mathematics students intending to acquire a general knowledge of physical laws and conservation principles.