December 17, 2007
Interview: John Dominic Crossan on Christmas
In "The First Christmas," John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg argue that the nativity story is far richer and more challenging than familiar sentimentalized versions allow. Not simply tidings of comfort and joy, the gospel stories of Jesus' birth are also edgy visions of another way of life, confronting the status quo and demanding personal and political transformation.
Recently, I sat down with Crossan to discuss "the reason for the season," as the old saying goes. Our conversation ranged from virgin births and Roman censuses to how you became a god in the ancient world, and why it was a bad idea to mess with shepherds. We also discussed Hollywood portrayals of Jesus--from Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" to "The Nativity Story" and "Basic Instinct" director Paul Verhoeven's curious idea for a Christ flick (hint: think Jesus as Harrison Ford in "The Fugitive").
Read the interview, "The First Christmas" here.
| Posted By John D. Spalding | | Comments (1) | | Email | |
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