Unless you’ve lived in some remote cabin or on a faraway island for the past few decades, you’ve no doubt noticed that American culture seems to be less and less open to traditional expressions of the Christmas holiday. Even though the Christmas holiday at its core is about remembering and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ; things like nativity scenes, Christmas carols mentioning Jesus, or just about anything that has to do with proclaiming the Christ of Christmas has gradually become more and more taboo.
In a new book titled The War on Christmas: Battles in Faith, Tradition, and Religious Expression, Bodie Hodge and others from Answers in Genesis have put together a series of articles to help us understand and respond to this shift in our culture.
In the introduction, Bodie argues that the culprit at work in our midst is the religion of humanism. The shift has been gradual. As the authority of the Bible has continued to be more and more undermined in the culture, man’s authority has filled that vacuum, ultimately placing man’s ideas above God’s word. Since we’ve already seen prayer removed from school, the 10 commandments removed from public places, and other attacks on formerly accepted cultural expressions of Christianity, it should come as no surprise that Christmas finds itself in the crosshairs, under attack.
The War on Christmas is 144 pages in length and unfolds over the course of 23 chapters. Here are the types of questions answered in the book:
- Where did the Name Christmas Come From? (Chapter 2)
- Where was Jesus Born? (Chapter 5)
- What was the Christmas Star? (Chapter 15)
- Did Mary Remain a Virgin? (Chapter 17)
- Winter Time Worship: Santa Claus or Jesus? (Chapter 21)
I particularly found chapter 7 (Making the Christmas Sermon Relevant for Today’s Culture) particularly helpful. Here, Bodie offers a gentle reminder that rather than beginning the Christmas story with the birth narratives found in the gospels, we need to go all the way back to the book of Genesis. Here’s where we find the first prophecy pointing readers to the birth of Jesus:
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shalt bruise His heel (Genesis 3:15).
We need to make sure our listeners understand the first Adam in order to fully grasp the gravity and importance of the coming of the second Adam, which we remember each Christmas.
In The War on Christmas, you’ll find engaging writing and a stunning visual presentation that will appeal to readers from the middle school to the nursing home. I highly recommend this resource and strongly encourage you to pick up copies to share with your friends and family this Christmas season.
My overall rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
About the Author:
Bodie Hodge attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and received a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering. His specialty was a subset of mechanical engineering based in advanced materials processing, particularly starting powders. Currently, Bodie is a speaker, writer, and researcher for Answers in Genesis–USA.
Books by Bodie Hodge:
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
