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iconoclasm

Challenging Christmas myths on shepherds, swaddling, and support for the holy family

December 20, 2022December 19, 2022

Christmas is a time for celebration, for feasting and for relationships. But it is also a time for a mild engagement in iconoclasm, as we peel back the layers of accreted tradition and recover the origins of the Christmas gospel—something which needs to happen every year, it seems. In that spirit (and Spirit) I offer …

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Categories Biblical Studies 63 Comments

Three Christmas myths: on shepherds, swaddling and support

December 29, 2021December 24, 2021

Christmas is a time for celebration, for feasting and for relationships. But it is also a time for a mild engagement in iconoclasm, as we peel back the layers of accreted tradition and recover the origins of the Christmas gospel. In that spirit (and Spirit) I offer three Christmas surprises for you to unwrap at …

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Categories Biblical Studies 63 Comments
Ian Paul

Ian Paul

Theologian, author, speaker

Associate Senior Research Fellow, Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology; Associate Minister, St Nic's, Nottingham; Managing Editor, Grove Books; member of General Synod and Archbishops' Council. Mac user; chocoholic. Tweets at @psephizo

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Recent Posts

  • Surveying the new General SynodNovember 2, 2026
  • Is the ‘rapture’ taught in 1 Thessalonians 4?November 2, 2026
  • Gospel commentary index Lectionary Year BOctober 30, 2026
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Gospel Commentary Index, Lectionary Year B

An index to all the commentary articles on the gospel lectionary readings for the whole of Year B, together with links to video discussions.

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Books by Ian Paul

What is Sex For? A Pastoral Theology of Our Sexed Bodies

What is Sex For? A Pastoral Theology of Our Sexed Bodies

Revelation (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries)

Revelation (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries)

The Practice of Evangelical Spirituality

The Practice of Evangelical Spirituality

Kingdom, Hope and the End of the World

Kingdom, Hope and the End of the World: The 'Now' and 'Not Yet' of Eschatology

View all Ian's Publications

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