596: The Surprising Origins of Christmas in America with W. David O. Taylor

If Jesus is the reason for the season, why do most Christians celebrate Christmas at home with their families rather than at church? David Taylor, a professor of culture and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, joins Skye to discuss the origins of Christmas in America. He says Queen Victoria, Charles Dickens, and Coca-Cola have done more to influence how we celebrate the birth of Jesus than gospel writers. And he explains why the Puritans who first settled in America believed Christmas was satanic. Speaking of Satan, we have an update on the Satanic Temple display in the Iowa State Capital. The Texas Supreme Court made a controversial, and confusing, ruling about abortion. And what happens when Americans say they're more religious but they are less likely to engage in religious practices like attending a church? Holy Post Plus Getting Schooled - Saint Nicholas https://www.patreon.com/posts/94956592 0:00 - Intro 1:29 - Show starts 3:57 - Theme Song 4:18 - Sponsor - World Relief - Visit https://worldrelief.org/holypost/ to download your family refugee guide and learn more about the Path Community 5:37 - Live Show Recap 11:14 - Satanic Statue Decapitated 22:01 - Texas Abortion Case 44:09 - Republican and Democrat attitudes towards Religion 56:33 - Sponsor - Get 35% off your first order of Sundays. Go to www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout. 57:44 - Sponsor - Magic Spoon - Go to www.magicspoon.com/HOLYPOST and use code HOLYPOST to get $5 off 59:23 - Interview Intro 1:05:28 - The Puritan's impact on Christmas 1:09:18 - Queen Victoria's impact on Christmas 1:17:23 - Charles Dickens impact on Christmas 1:26:44 - Christmas in America Today 1:35:36 - End Credits Links mentioned in news segment: Satanic Temple says part of display in Iowa Capitol 'destroyed beyond repair' https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/2023/12/14/satanic-temple-reports-vandalism-of-its-display-in-iowa-capitol/71925404007/ Religion as a Cultural and Political Identity https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/religion-as-a-cultural-and-political 5 things to know about the latest abortion case in Texas https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/13/1218953788/texas-abortion-ban-supreme-court-kate-cox Other resources: https://www.wdavidotaylor.com/ THE LIGHT HAS COME: PRAYER CARDS FOR ADVENT, CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY https://store.rabbitroom.com/products/the-light-has-come-prayer-cards-for-advent-christmas-and-epiphany?variant=39467432378455 Daily Advent Devotionals by David Taylor https://www.wdavidotaylor.com/blog/daily-advent-devotionals Why Putting Christ Back in Christmas Is Not Enough https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2018/december/putting-christ-back-in-christmas-not-enough-nativity-americ.html Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/ Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.