The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Birth

For a non Christian a magnificent interpretation of the times when Jesus was born and of the message of Christmas story in the evangiles.
It combines respect and love for the Christ with an historical explanation of what happened in this first years of the first century and why the evangelists told the story of his birth the way they did.

I greatly enjoyed the premise and writing and found it interresting and an increase to my knowledge vs. what my church has led me to believe for decades.

It is good but not nearly as good as The Last Week. It is very repitious; really belabors the point.

A wonderfully researched and complete look at the biblical accounts of the first Christmas stories - and their place in our faith journeys today. A bit tedious in spots, and redundant in others, but overall very informative, interesting, and enlightening. Some in our study group found the language a bit academic at times, but all found it worth reading, and discussion was lively and exciting.

Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan explore Matthew and Luke's Christmas narratives in this provocative-can't-put-down book. They place the stories in historical context and then thoughtfully explore the rich symbolism and meaning of the Gospel accounts of events surrounding the birth of Jesus. The results are new and powerful meanings to the Christmas stories for the modern ear-- stories that for two-thousand years have beckoned humankind away from the pursuit of peace though violence and toward God's call to the pursuit peace though non-violence and justice for all. THIS A GREAT BOOK THAT IS WELL WORTH THE READ!